UBS parking isn't a one-way street

UBS parking isn’t a one-way street

If we are going to set up special neighborhood permit parking on the eastern side of the Nassau/Queens line for the UBS Arena, then fairness dictates we should do likewise on the western side, too ["Avoidable mess on arena parking," Editorial, Dec. 29].

If it is wrong for those driving from nearby Southeast Queens to park in Elmont to save on parking, then it is just as wrong for Nassau County residents to clog up the train platforms and streets near Long Island Rail Road stations such as Rosedale to take advantage of our lower Zone 3 fares as opposed to the higher Zone 4 fares in the Five Towns and Valley Stream. Elmont only has to worry about parking several dozen days a year. Queens residents have dealt with the LIRR issues for about 250 days a year for ages, and it will only get worse if the Metropolitan Transportation Authority institutes the 24/7 city fare program that needs to be adopted before congestion pricing for driving into Manhattan is implemented.

— David S. Pecoraro, Jamaica

The writer is president of Rosedale Library Friends.

Local politicians have designated resident-only parking on neighborhood streets south of the new UBS Arena ["Limits on parking near UBS," News, Dec. 27]. Other UBS visitors will undoubtedly drive farther east.

UBS parking will be a continuing issue that an on-site garage will not remedy. The root of this problem is greed. Parking fees of $20 to $35 will always incentivize many eventgoers to find cheaper parking alternatives. With parking directly across Hempstead Turnpike now prohibited, local streets in Elmont and Franklin Square can easily be found and the N6 bus used to get to the arena. Government authorities should have recognized this probability and imposed limitations on parking fees when UBS construction permits were approved.

Likewise, the creation of a new "Elmont/LIRR" station was largely to make the scale of the UBS mega-project more palatable. "Access by transit" goals could have been facilitated with a shuttle bus from existing Queens Village or Floral Park LIRR stations. Many rail trips to the new Elmont station currently require circuitous and more expensive routing via Jamaica.

To me, the main value of this new Elmont station lies in its potential for daytime parking for NYC-bound commuters deprived of LIRR access because of onerous residency requirements in surrounding villages.

— Mike Licitra, Deer Park

Pay up to $55 to park for an event! That is the one and only reason people are parking in   nearby neighborhoods. Stop trying to point blame where it shouldn’t be.

I was and am still working on the not fully completed arena. There is plenty of open space in the south parking lot to handle the non-platinum and non-silver parking. It is also a half-mile walk from the south lot to the arena. I know this because it’s where all the construction workers parked. So pick one: up to $55 for a parking space that is a half-mile walk or a free parking spot with a half-mile walk. What would you choose? The silver and platinum lots offer shuttle buses to get you to the arena, but there is no transit from the south lot.

The arena was rushed to completion to accommodate the published opening day, with lots of overtime hours worked, but it was not sufficient to properly complete the project. Although the parking garage is a separate contract, all this should have been taken into consideration before opening the arena.

— John Walsh, Seaford

There is no parking for fans? That’s not true. Several outdoor lots around the arena have paid parking available.

There will always be venue attendees who don’t want to pay for parking and turn to the streets. If they park illegally, ticket them. Residents don’t deserve to have their streets clogged. Where were Town of Hempstead Supervisor Don Clavin and then-councilman Bruce Blakeman when the town made it impossible for a new Nassau Coliseum to be built at a site with ample parking and parkway access?

— Jordan Ruzz, Patchogue

A beautiful arena with some ugly mask woes

As an Islanders season ticket holder, I was so happy to finally attend a game at the beautiful UBS Arena. The last two games, though, were different. Although you must be vaccinated or have proof of a negative test, I saw people walking in without proof.

Once inside, hardly anyone wore a mask. Announcements were made that everyone must wear a mask, but with no one enforcing, few heeded the announcement. I understand that many people have COVID-19 fatigue, but with omicron raging, it’s in everyone’s best interest to wear a mask. I was actually relieved that the following few games were canceled because now I am nervous to even attend.

— Loree Tand, Merrick