Comments on: Fed Axed: No Sale for Distribution Center in Astoria http://blog.tstc.org/2008/11/26/fed-axed-no-sale-for-distribution-center-in-astoria/ News and opinion from the Tri-State Transportation Campaign Sat, 11 Feb 2012 20:36:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Kyle Wiswall http://blog.tstc.org/2008/11/26/fed-axed-no-sale-for-distribution-center-in-astoria/comment-page-1/#comment-864 Kyle Wiswall Mon, 08 Dec 2008 23:08:37 +0000 http://mobilizingtheregion.wordpress.com/?p=2394#comment-864 Thanks for your comment Jay. Tri-State opposed the distribution center not because it was a distribution center per se, but looked to the context within which the facility was to be built. There were two essential flaws that were initially apparent. First: inappropriate location. Trucks to and from the center would have no choice but to pass through residential neighborhoods, comparatively far from an accessible highway – neighborhoods already burdened with particularly poor air quality. Second: net increased VMT. Fed Ex receives cargo at Newark Liberty Airport. The Astoria location would be even farther from this origin point than the current Maspeth location off the Long Island Expressway. Opposing the move wouldn't reduce existing truck traffic as your comment implies, but would prevent existing truck traffic from expanding from industrial areas to more distant residential areas. Thanks for your comment Jay. Tri-State opposed the distribution center not because it was a distribution center per se, but looked to the context within which the facility was to be built.

There were two essential flaws that were initially apparent. First: inappropriate location. Trucks to and from the center would have no choice but to pass through residential neighborhoods, comparatively far from an accessible highway – neighborhoods already burdened with particularly poor air quality.

Second: net increased VMT. Fed Ex receives cargo at Newark Liberty Airport. The Astoria location would be even farther from this origin point than the current Maspeth location off the Long Island Expressway.

Opposing the move wouldn’t reduce existing truck traffic as your comment implies, but would prevent existing truck traffic from expanding from industrial areas to more distant residential areas.

]]> By: Jay http://blog.tstc.org/2008/11/26/fed-axed-no-sale-for-distribution-center-in-astoria/comment-page-1/#comment-865 Jay Mon, 08 Dec 2008 19:01:05 +0000 http://mobilizingtheregion.wordpress.com/?p=2394#comment-865 Did TSTC compare the relative impacts of the current traffic patterns for the existing Fed Ex distribution system against those of the proposed location? Or did everybody jump to the conclusion that "trucks are bad" and assume that opposing a truck distribution center would somehow reduce truck traffic? I hope it was the former. Did TSTC compare the relative impacts of the current traffic patterns for the existing Fed Ex distribution system against those of the proposed location? Or did everybody jump to the conclusion that “trucks are bad” and assume that opposing a truck distribution center would somehow reduce truck traffic?

I hope it was the former.

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