Since the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City over 23 years ago, Park Row, an important transportation hub connecting Wall Street and City Hall in Chinatown, has remained closed. There have been continuous calls for the reopening of Park Row. On July 18th, the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association of New York held a press conference, representing its 60 member organizations and the Chinese community and business owners in the greater New York area, announcing a petition campaign to open Park Row.
Chairman of the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association, Zhu Chaoran, stated that a town hall meeting will be held next Thursday, July 25th at 6 pm, urging everyone to come and sign the petition to make the mayor hear their voices and reopen Park Row as soon as possible.
Former Chinese-American judge Doris Ling-Cohan of the New York State Appellate Division emphasized the need for Chinatown residents to make a living, have relatives visit, and support the tourism industry. She pointed out that the closure of Park Row makes it difficult for businesses to receive delivery services, which also affects the nearby Little Italy community.
Kenny Ng, Chairman of the Taishan Ningyang Association, highlighted the issue of limited parking spaces in Chinatown, with many spending two hours searching for parking. Returning the 400 parking spaces that have been taken over would make it easier for people to find parking in Chinatown.
Jeanie Chin from the Civic Center Residents Coalition called for the reopening of Park Row, stating that since 9/11, the coalition has filed five lawsuits with the police department. She mentioned one of the key impacts of the closure being the hindrance it poses to ambulances and fire trucks reaching nearby hospitals and fire stations quickly via Park Row and Madison Street.
Ling-Cohan stressed the importance of democratic processes, consolidating the voices of the community and elected officials rather than acting alone. She confirmed reaching out to elected officials explaining the community’s request to reopen Park Row, accompanied by a survey asking whether they agree to allow vehicle traffic on Park Row and to retrieve the 400 parking spaces taken over by the city government.
The letters to elected officials detailed the challenges faced by Chinatown due to the closure of Park Row, including bus route changes causing traffic delays, congestion, environmental and noise pollution, health issues from increased traffic on Worth Street, and life-threatening delays in ambulance response times.
Triple Edwards, a resident of Lin Zeguo, expressed discontent watching Park Row become a police territory over the past 23 years and hoped to see the road opened before discussing other issues.
Community leaders indicated, “If we do not speak up and take action, this problem will never be resolved.” They urged everyone to support the reopening of Park Row to promote economic development in Chinatown.