Walmart Would Jam Belt Parkway Traffic?
Opponents of a potential Walmart at the Gateway II shopping center in East New York say that the big box retailer would bring Belt Parkway and the surrounding roadways to a standstill, and they’ve produced a report to prove it.
According to the Daily News, the report states a Walmart at Gateway II shopping center “would draw 10,692 more cars every weekday than the mall’s developers predicted in their environmental study. That’s a 32% jump in traffic, they said.” It also predicts the surge in vehicles would slow traffic by 29 percent along Shore Parkway.
While Walmart has launched a massive publicity campaign to convince New Yorkers that it’s what New Yorkers want, union leaders, small business activists and local politicians are all slamming the retailer’s potential New York City opening.
What do you think? Is Walmart worth more Belt Parkway traffic?