Coney Island Residents Concerned New Concert Venue Will Create Traffic Nightmare
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- We're just days away from the opening of a new concert venue on the Coney Island boardwalk.
A slew of big name artists like Sting, the Beach Boys, and Ziggy Marley are scheduled to perform, but the concerts are already hitting a sour note with some residents.
As CBS2's Elise Finch reported, they say thousands of concert-goers will make their already congested streets even worse.
Crews were busy putting the finishing touches on the amphitheater at Coney Island Boardwalk.
The stage for the state of the art venue is located inside the historic Childs Building, which was one of the country's first restaurants.
Barn doors - 50 feet high - open to the theater that seats 5,000 and will host a mix of concerts, family shows, and multicultural events.
Residents seem to agree that the venue will be beautiful, but they're concerned that when you add concert-goers to the thousands of other people coming to Coney Island this summer, the traffic congestion will be ugly.
"We have the hot dog eating contest, 4th of July, and the residents who live here. It's impossible to leave, in and out it's a two hour traffic jam," Ginny Garcia said.
"They're concerned about the people coming in. They're not concerned about the people who live here and want to leave," Ruben Garcia added.
Parking is another concern, especially on nights when the Coney Island Cyclones are playing and the boardwalk is packed.
Amphitheater General Manager, Allen Newman, said his team has worked hard to avoid making the traffic situation worse.
"We've worked with the Department of Transit, and with the police. There's a plan in place to close off certain streets at the end of an event so that traffic back out to Cropsey Avenue and back to the Belt Parkway is addressed," Newman said.
Amphitheater operators said they have been very clear with ticket holders that public transportation is the best way to get here. They think residents will be pleasantly surprised when they hold their first concert on June 25.
"We would like to ask everyone to reserve judgement on this venue until it's open and operational for the entire season. I think our impact on traffic is going to be minimal," Newman said.
Some residents said they're happy to do just that, because they're thrilled about the restoration happening and the nearly 200 seasonal jobs the venue creates.
"I just love what's happening here. It's nice to see all this activity here," one neighbor said.
Residents who are curious about the venue and plans for traffic and parking can get their questions answered during a free open house on Friday, June 24.
Ziggy Marley - the first performer - will hit the stage on June 25, followed by Sting on July 3 and The Beach Boys on July 4.
