In College Point, a flurry of new development prompts traffic concerns

In the far stretches of the city limits, development is encroaching the once-suburban-style neighborhood of College Point — bringing traffic at certain times of day that’s reminiscent of Midtown Manhattan, the Wall Street Journal reported.

In the 1990s, Related Companies opened a large shopping complex on 20th Avenue that features a BJ’s Wholesale Club, T.J. Maxx and Target. New co-op and condominium construction followed along with a 550-acre office park called College Point Corporate Park. The latest development project is Point 128, which will be complete next month; it features a 114-room hotel, a supermarket, restaurants, a food court, shops and 124 parking spots. Next, a new 730,000-square-foot Police Academy Will Go Up On College Point Boulevard, replacing the department’s old training facility in Gramercy.

But all the traffic stemming from these recent developments is overwhelming a neighborhood designed with small one-way streets.

“Historically, College Point was a quiet, residential neighborhood with a small-town atmosphere, where families lived for generations,” State Sen. Tony Avella told the Journal. “I’m not against development, but the city has failed to match developments with infrastructure, and now they [residents] deal with traffic on a daily basis, sometimes like Manhattan.”

The city’s Department of Design and Construction said it is working to address the problem. [WSJ]