Good morning. My name is Neel Scott, and I represent Transportation Alternatives, a 5000-member New York City pedestrian, bicycle, and mass transit advocacy organization.

Transportation Alternatives is not opposed to major retailers. We believe that residents and consumers benefit from a variety of retail choices. Big stores such as Barnes and Noble, the K-Mart at Astor Place, and Macy's have shown that they can profit and be good neighbors without giant parking lots that encourage auto dependency and affect the quality-of-life of surrounding neighborhoods.

However, we are opposed to the intrusion of auto-dependent so-called 'big-box' stores into New York City neighborhoods. and are thus opposed to the East River Plaza project as it now stands. Simply put, these suburban-sprawl stores do not belong in New York City.

The East River Plaza Project would greatly increase automobile traffic in the surrounding neighborhoods. It is projected to bring in 100 trailer trucks and 5000 to 7000 cars a day. This would aggravate existing air quality problems, particularly ground-level ozone, for which NYC is already in non-compliance. This increase in air pollution, in turn, would exacerbate the area's already high asthma rates, especially among the elderly and young children.

In addition, the added auto traffic from the East River Plaza Project would greatly decrease the quality of life in the surrounding neighborhoods. The 100 trailer trucks and 5000 to 7000 cars a day would bring 24-hr a day noise and an increased the risk of pedestrian accidents and deaths, particularly among children, to the area. The project is located a block from 4 schools, 4 pre-schools, a playground, and a large park.

Thus, Transportation Alternatives urges the City Planning Commission to deny the applicable permits for the East River Plaza Project, and to keep auto-dependent Big Box stores out of Manhattan. These stores encourage auto-dependency and vehicle use, exacerbate local air quality problems and their associated health effects, and lower the quality of life of surrounding neighborhoods. Thank you.