Your Neighborhood — Your News®
SERVING PARKCHESTER, HUNTS POINT, FORDHAM SOUTH, GRAND CONCOURSE, FORDHAM NORTH, BRONX NORTH, CO-OP CITY
TOP BRONX NEWS STORIES
YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD - YOUR NEWS ®
The Bronx Times
On-Line
Your world is
24/7... NOW
so are we.
Orchard Beach renovations discussed
Vol. 38 No. 49 www.bxtimes.com
December 7-13, 2018
Residents will go to court to stop ‘road diet’
Worth Every Penny
DOT’S MP AVE.
PLAN OPPOSED
Continued on Page 90
Continued on Page 90
BY PATRICK ROCCHIO
The Morris Park community
came together to send a
message to the city regarding
a proposal to rechannel traffi
c fl ow on their main commercial
corridor.
The Morris Park Community
Association held a town
hall meeting on the NYC Department
of Transportation’s
proposed “Corridor Safety
Improvements” – otherwise
known as its ‘road diet’ for
Morris Park Avenue.
The meeting took place
Wednesday, November 28 at
P.S. 83 where the vast majority
of community speakers
opposed the proposal, which
DOT maintains is a safety
measure.
The proposal would see
the number of travel lanes on
Morris Park Avenue between
Bronxdale and Newport avenues
reduced to one lane from
two in each direction, along
with the addition of a turning
bay in the center, and fi vefoot
wide bicycle lane on both
sides.
Al D’Angelo, MPCA president
said that Community
Board 11 was unanimously
with one abstention
against the road diet plan,
and that MPCA and the Van
Nest Neighborhood Alliance
boards also voted unanimously
against the plan.
“What really gets me is
that the will of the people is
being ignored,” said D’Angelo,
adding “Everyone is against
it, but (the city is)going to do
it anyway.”
The MPCA collected over
1,000 petition signatures opposing
the proposal, said
D’Angelo, who is also owns a
small business on the avenue.
D’Angelo said that the organization’s
next order of
business might be to go to
court to see if they can get an
injunction against the project.
He also said that based on
his conversations with DOT
offi cials, a fi nal decision has
not yet been made.
D’Angelo added that if
traffi c were to back up on the
avenue, traffi c would divert
to the residential side streets
running parallel to the avenue,
causing a dangerous
situation for young families
with children.
Assemblyman Michael
Benedetto, one of several
elected offi cials who spoke,
said that the issue on Mor
BY ALEX MITCHELL
How about a beer garden
or a seasonal holiday village
at a year-round operated Orchard
Beach? These ideas,
as well as others, may be included
in the next renovation
of the Bronx Riviera.
After announcing a $60
million revamp of the Bronx
funspot, NYC Parks Department
held a listening session
at Lehman High School to get
community feedback on how
to better the summertime oasis
on Tuesday, December 4.
In what Bronx Parks Commissioner
Iris Rodriguez-
Rosa called the fi rst community
‘say so’ regarding
Orchard beach since 1936,
the plan for renovation was
announced that would be
completed in two phases over
the next four years: the rehabilitation
of the vacant, city
landmarked pavilion as well
as the repurposing of beach’s
south yard.
Similar to the Jones
Beach pavilion on Long Island,
when Robert Moses designed
the original structure
in 1937, it had been used as
both a bathhouse and cafeteria
space. Most current day
beachgoers would like to see
the former use brought back.
Even Borough President
Ruben Diaz Jr. frustratingly
contrasted Orchard Beach to
Brooklyn’s Coney Island in
regards to the quality of entertainment
and amenities
offered.
While Parks had proposed
many uses for the Bronx
landmark, fi ne dining, an art
exhibition and a concert hall
were among the most popular
among those at the meeting.
A suggestion from the audience
recommended giving
Orchard Beach more activities
to do during the off-sea
The Throggs Neck Memorial American Legion Post 1456 celebrated
its annual Penny Sale on Sunday, December 2. A volunteer
proudly displayed her patriotic spirit. See photo spread on page
30. Photo by Edward Watkins
/www.bxtimes.com