STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — This Staten Island lot in Dongan Hills is often cited as one of the worst places for parking in the borough.
The CVS parking lot, located at 1361 Hylan Blvd., situated in a prime location at the corner of Hylan Boulevard and Old Town Road, often gets the most complaints from drivers.
“It’s just ill-designed,” said Adele C., who asked that her last name not be used. “I have no idea why it’s so bad, but I do know it’s one of the worst.”
Traffic can only enter the lot from one direction of Hylan Boulevard, sometimes leading to a line of cars stretching out from the lot entrance into oncoming traffic.
While observing the lot during a recent evening rush hour, an Advance/SILive.com reporter noted three separate times when cars waiting to enter the lot blocked traffic on Hylan Boulevard.
“If, let’s just say, they made the entrance from Old Town Road and the exit [from Hylan], that might curtail some of it,” Adele stated. “But you know people would come in through the out.”
This photo from 2022 shows traffic navigating the CVS lot on the corner of Hylan Boulevard and Old Town Road in Dongan Hills.(Advance/SILive.com | Erik Bascome)
Once cars enter the lot, the one-way lanes between narrow, angled parking spots struggle to accommodate larger, modern vehicles.
One driver reversing out of a spot is enough to completely shut down a through lane in the parking lot as other drivers are stuck waiting.
Vehicles must also exit directly onto one of Staten Island’s busiest roadways, needing to cross an active bus lane and find a gap in the wall of Hylan Boulevard traffic before they can successfully leave the lot.
The evening rush hour can make this an even more daunting task, often causing a cascade of cars that affects much of the parking lot.
Another reason for the crowded lot is the sheer volume of business the pharmacy sees, according to one shopper.
“The location of the pharmacy is perfect for a lot of us, the next closest one is really far,” said Vilma Mancero, who was stopped while exiting the store.. “It’s just the amount of people who come.
She added that the lot is usually much less of an issue after 8 p.m.
The Advance/SILive.com is taking a look at the worst parking lots across the borough, most recently visiting the Trader Joe’s location in New Springville. Is there a parking lot you dread navigating? If so, send your suggestions and thoughts to transportation reporter Mike Matteo at mmatteo@siadvance.com.