Coney’s Revival Causing Headaches For Coney Locals

It’s amazing that only eight months ago, most of Coney Island was under water, and half destroyed by Superstorm Sandy. It’s doubly amazing that following that catastrophic event, Coney Island is more popular than ever. The influx of Sandy relief money has brought in new businesses, new storm-proof amenities and new blinged out attractions and along with it, millions of visitors. According to a report in the New York Daily News, all the busy activity has brought headaches to local residents deluged by the crowds.

So far, according to the Parks Department, 4.3 million people have descended upon New York City beaches this year with 2.4 million of them, more than half, visiting Coney Island. All the beach lovers have caused nightmares for locals, creating traffic jams, excess garbage, and stealing parking spaces.

Complaining about the increase in traffic and garbage, homeowner Ronald Stewart, expressed a sense of futility in dealing with the surging Coney popularity.

“We are getting frustrated. We feel powerless,” Stewart told the Daily News.

Community Board 12 Chairman Eddie Mark blamed the increased congestion on beaches still being closed in New Jersey and Long Island as a result of Sandy.

In addressing the lack of parking, Mark has petitioned the MTA to transform the train yard behind the Avenue X subway station into a 1,000 space parking lot.

MTA spokesperson Aaron Donovan shot down Mark’s ideas with the following statement.

“We have no plans to build a parking deck above our Coney Island subway maintenance facility and/or train yard,” Donovan told the Daily News.

To deal with the traffic, the Department of Transportation is considering to change the traffic signal timing along Neptune Avenue.