Will streets/sidewalks near arena be overwhelmed? Bloomberg responds confidently: "not really something that's going to happen"
At this morning's press conference on jobs at the Barclays Center, Mayor Mike Bloomberg was asked a question that seemed animated by the recent report, from Atlantic Yards Watch, that the sidewalks near the arena were far smaller than as measured by the state--portending trouble for neighborhood and arena-goers alike.
"Many residents in the area say they're worried that the streets, the quiet brownstone tree-lined streets will be swamped with people on game days and other event days," asked New York Times reporter Joseph Berger, "and that the city and state have done very little to make sure the streets can handle both the car traffic and the pedestrian traffic."
Bloomberg answered confidently. "Well, most people here are going to be on the main streets. Most of the people are going to come by mass transit," he said. "This mass transit to this stadium is equivalent to the mass transit under Madison Square Garden."
"So I don't think those fears are going to be--I think people will realize that's not really something that's going to happen," Bloomberg said confidently, with no acknowledgment of the specific situation at hand. "The stores here want more traffic, and there will be more traffic for those in the commercial businesses, and that's what you want to have, you want to bring more people to the neighborhood, so we create more jobs."
"Many residents in the area say they're worried that the streets, the quiet brownstone tree-lined streets will be swamped with people on game days and other event days," asked New York Times reporter Joseph Berger, "and that the city and state have done very little to make sure the streets can handle both the car traffic and the pedestrian traffic."
Bloomberg answered confidently. "Well, most people here are going to be on the main streets. Most of the people are going to come by mass transit," he said. "This mass transit to this stadium is equivalent to the mass transit under Madison Square Garden."
"So I don't think those fears are going to be--I think people will realize that's not really something that's going to happen," Bloomberg said confidently, with no acknowledgment of the specific situation at hand. "The stores here want more traffic, and there will be more traffic for those in the commercial businesses, and that's what you want to have, you want to bring more people to the neighborhood, so we create more jobs."
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