COMET

Communities of Maspeth and Elmhurst Together, Inc.

P.O. Box 780151 Maspeth, NY 11378 June 8, 2011 Rob Holbrook, Senior Planner NYC Economic Development Corporation 110 William St. New York, NY 10038 Re: Testimony in opposition to the planned Van Wyck highway ramps presented at public hearing June 8, 2011 at the Flushing Library The Communities of Maspeth & Elmhurst Together, Inc. (COMET) is a not-forprofit civic association that was incorporated in 1994. We represent the general interests of approximately 400 member families as well as the community at large. COMET is dedicated to improving the quality of life in Maspeth, Elmhurst and the Winfield section of Woodside. We are actively working to decrease vehicular and truck traffic in the area and reduce noise and pollution. COMET therefore opposes the plan to construct Van Wyck Expressway ramps. Studies have shown that these ramps will bring more traffic to the area, and COMETs membership already experiences the burden of too much traffic of all kinds, including diesel railroad and trucks. Our area has long been known as asthma alley and we also live within a recognized cancer cluster. The Long Island Expressway cuts right through the hearts of both Maspeth and Elmhurst. This road is frequently backed up through our neighborhoods now; with the Van Wyck ramps causing more congestion on arterial roads and highways, this problem will only be exacerbated. The process by which the NYC EDC conducted its traffic analysis has been shown to be seriously flawed, and if this plan is approved by the NYS DOT and FHWA based on EDCs studies our neighborhoods will suffer from the detrimental effects of their poor planning for decades to come. We therefore ask that NYC EDC go back to the drawing board and come up with a solution that does not add to the pollution and traffic that already exist in our communities.

Roe Daraio President