DEIS: Parking concerns; Summary of parking changes

SUMMARY OF PARKING CHANGES

CurrentParking Supply:
7079

Losses of Parking:
-1350 to be displaced by new project strucutures
-882 off-street spaces lost by new Bronx Terminal Market project(Gateway)

Gains of Parking:
+5254 in new parking garages A, B, C and D

7079 – 2232 + 5254 = 10,101 (new off-street parking total for stadium)

Additional supplemental gains and losses off-site include:
•A loss of 800 spaces (on and off street) associated with Exterior Street, which would be developed for the Gateway Center Project.
•A gain of an unspecified number of spaces through the expansion of Lots 13A and 13B on the Harlem River waterfront
•A gain of approximately 1200 parking spaces at the new Gateway Center parking structure that are estimated to be available at game times.

These items alone are a gain of 400 spaces plus whatever else is built at Lots 13A and 13B

Draft EIS states:

DESCRIPTION OF NEW PARKING FACILITIES

Parking Garage A would be a two-level garage located partially below-grade between East 157th and East 161st Streets and the Macomb’s Dam Bridge Approach and the site of the existing stadium. The garage would accommodate approximately 2,391 spaces; new recreational facilities that could be accessed from street-grade would be located on its roof.

Parking Garage C would be a four-level garage located west of East 161st Street between Jerome Avenue, Macomb’s Dam Bridge Approach, and the Major Deegan Expressway. The proposed site of Parking Garage C is currently located in a portion of Macomb’s Dam Park and contains a surface parking lot with access from East 161st Street. Approximately 994 spaces.

Parking Garages A and C, would be connected at one level below-grade and designed to function as one efficient garage complex with separate access points.

Parking Garage B would be a five-level above-grade (including one level of roof parking) garage located south of East 164th Street at the northern end of the proposed stadium and north of the service road. The garage would accommodate approximately 920 spaces with one entire level located below-grade and five levels above-grade.

Parking Garage D would be a five-level above-grade garage (including one level of roof parking) located south of the proposed stadium at East 151st Street between River and Gerard Avenues. The garage would accommodate approximately 949 spaces. Two-way access would be available at River and Gerard Avenues. Parking Garage D would extend over East 151st Street at the third, fourth, and roof levels.

Parking Garage D could be developed with a non-destination retail component of approximately 12,000 gsf along the street level of the garage.

Existing Yankee Stadium Parking Lots 13A and 13B are located west of Exterior Street between the Bronx Terminal Market and the Macombs Dam Bridge. The proposed project would repave and restripe these existing lots and create new surface parking, as a southern extension to existing Yankee Stadium Lot 13A.

Response:

Using the above figures, the project involves a net increase of parking around the site of at least 3422 spaces. While the applicants make it clear that they believe this additional parking is “required” they do not talk about ways to get people to the stadium without driving a car. We have asked them to explore expanding transit options to the site, but so far, no attention has been paid to this concern. It would clearly be better for everyone in the community if more people can get to and from the stadium without driving – there would be less traffic, less pollution, etc. With all the talk about diminishing oil supplies and America’s over-dependence on foreign oil, increasing parking to encourage driving is a step in the wrong direction.

In addition parking lots B and D would be particularly massive – being 5 stories in height. Parking lot D would also span 3 levels of parking as a bridge over 151 st Street. This is an unfair visual burden that the neighborhood would have to endure to provide parking for events that occur only 80 days a year. If the community cannot park in these facilities the rest of the year, why should the community have to look at them?

Parking lot 13A should not be expanded. Surface parking is not an appropriate use for waterfront property that the community should be enjoying.