New York City to Second Ave. Small Businesses: Drop Dead

Take a walk along Second Avenue, between 96th Street and about 90th Street and you'll see that construction of the long-awaited Second Avenue Subway is underway.

You'll also see:
o an increasing number of "For Rent" signs on the stores in the area as stores that were hanging on by a thread lose foot traffic and go out of business
o no Second Avenue bus stop between 98th Street and 90th Street, creating big problems for the elderly and handicapped
o sidewalks closed, making it just about impossible for a person in a wheelchair or walker to cross the street
o traffic lights moved from normal positions, resulting in many cars not even slowing down at intersections -- accidents just waiting to happen
o businesses unable to receive deliveries because there is no place for delivery trucks to park
o a great deal of garbage in the street because access to garbage cans is blocked
o rats and giant roaches dislodged from their underground homes
o work going on 18 hours a day, six days a week, (a good thing) making it impossible for residents to sleep. (a bad thing.)

Of course the new subway is needed. People often have to wait for as many as four trains to go by on the Lexington line before they can squeeze onto a train during rush hour.

Progress always causes pain. But this project seems to have just ignored the needs not only of local residents, but especially of small businesses.

There's got to be another way. A way that takes human beings and their needs into consideration. Now, businesses in the area are organizing - something they should have done last year, and you'll soon be hearing more about the issues.

Wake up Mayor Bloomberg! Wake up MTA! Second Avenue merchants need help! Now.