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PUBLIC TESTIMONY

Testimony by Tom Mendes, Owner of Bar Belly, on Open Streets and Traffic Concerns

1:07:57

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Tom Mendes, owner of Bar Belly on Orchard Street at Canal, testifies about traffic issues related to the Open Streets program. He expresses serious concerns about safety hazards caused by redirected traffic on Orchard Street, particularly on weekends.

Mendes describes a narrow street with heavy traffic, including an incident where a truck hit and collapsed their outdoor barrier.
He highlights the danger of cars backing up and emergency vehicles struggling to pass through.
Mendes criticizes the decision to force traffic from Division Street onto Orchard for two blocks before requiring turns, suggesting Allen Street as a better alternative.

Tom Mendes

1:07:57

I'm the owner of Barber Valley, which is located on Orchard At Canal, and we've been there for twelve years.

1:08:04

For I will not say anything about the business.

1:08:08

It is the open street situation.

1:08:10

And for us in particular, it's the traffic.

1:08:14

We're on Orchard Street, and all the traffic has to come up Orchard Street, is extremely narrow.

1:08:22

And, you know, four years ago, we had our roof our outdoor barrier hit by a truck where the roof collapsed.

1:08:32

Thank god it was during the day we were not open.

1:08:34

It is so narrow.

1:08:35

And on the weekends, Fridays and Saturday in particular, was 9 Orchard there.

1:08:42

It is the livery drivers, the there's it is a it's just the right time before someone is injured really very seriously there.

1:08:55

Nobody really knows where they're at, including these the people that are now down over here that have no idea what Times Square is or what they're doing or where they're going, and it is like an outdoor festival.

1:09:09

My the situation really is when you think about it is a turn to division to come all to come to Orchard to only to drive two blocks to Grand where they're forced to turn to the right or to the left.

1:09:24

And instead of having a barrier, if they were onto Allen Street, is two lanes.

1:09:30

I I for the life of me, I cannot understand how this is they've let this happen.

1:09:36

I mean, I've sent many videos to the council, to community board, just the traffic, the cars that are backed up, cars that do back up, and the fire, you know, the fire department that just can't get through there.

1:09:51

I mean, it they're so critical.

1:09:53

And it's incredible because we're talking about Orchard Street.

1:09:56

We're not talking about a small street to close here.

1:10:00

It's not lie.

1:10:02

So I again, I'm not sitting here saying it's just the open street on Canal, which I just find incredible.

1:10:09

And we, along with other people, would they have their issues.

1:10:13

Mine is the traffic that is forced from division right up Orchard Street for two blocks, and then it stops because there's Orchard is then closed.

1:10:24

And it's just a very, very just a matter of time before someone really is injured there.

1:10:30

Thank you.

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Council Member Marte inquires about SPaCE Block Association's role with Canal Street businesses