BQE Triple Cantilever Rehabilitation to Begin Soon

Last week the CHA joined other local associations and elected officials for our first look at the rehabilitation plans for the Brooklyn Queens Expressway triple cantilever. This is the layered section of the expressway nested under the Brooklyn Heights Promenade as the road runs adjacent to Brooklyn Bridge Park.

NYC DOT states that design is set to begin in 2016, and construction will start in 2021 and last for 5 years with a completion date of 2026. During construction the agency has examined multiple alternatives for rerouting traffic, but none are entirely viable. In any case, this plan will unleash a good deal of traffic in and around the neighborhood through the course of its work. Community outreach is scheduled to continue throughout multiple stages of the project.

The plan includes a traffic study at the Atlantic Avenue interchange, to explore possible improvement to the "sub-standard geometry" at ramps. This has the potential to result in safer conditions on Atlantic Avenue between Hicks and Columbia Street, along the entry way to Brooklyn Bridge Park.

Click here to see the NYC DOT 04/20/2016 presentation

Muyassar Moustapha, Owner of Oriental Pastry & Grocery, was Killed in a Crash on Atlantic

Late Sunday night Muyassar Moustapha was killed in a car crash at Atlantic Avenue and Clinton Street while returning to his store from Key Foods. The driver of the vehicle stayed at the scene while the NYPD Collision Investigation Squad conducted conducted its survey. Moustapha was the owner of Oriental Pastry & Grocery, a family owned staple of the Arab-American community on Atlantic Avenue for over 60 years. The tragedy shocked those who knew him well as Al Shaia told the Gothamist, "he always crossed at the light and he was always careful."

Unfortunately, this comes as no surprise to those of us who know this street's dangerous conditions well. Less than two years ago another fatal crash at Atlantic and Clinton shook the neighborhood.  Last year, as part of Mayor de Blasio's Vision Zero initiative aimed at reducing traffic deaths, the speed limit on Atlantic Avenue was reduced from 35 mph to 25 mph. Although traffic engineers assert that crashes at this slower speed have a far lower fatality rate, the new regulation has seen little enforcement and is often ignored. At night drivers will often exceed speeds of 35mph.

Year to date there have been 66 NYPD recorded traffic collisions along Cobble Hill's Atlantic Avenue border, 18 of which have occurred on, or near Clinton Street. Since the beginning of 2013 there have been a total 343 traffic crashes on Atlantic from Hicks to Court Street, resulting in 58 injuries and now, 2 deaths. Data source: NYPD motor vehicle collisions.

Bill de Blasio has promised to address the dangerous arterial roadway in his Great Streets initiative announced in March. The program sets aside $276 million dollars to install engineering improvements on four of the city's most deadly arterial roadways. Construction has already begun on Queens Boulevard with improvements to Atlantic Ave slated to begin in Community Board Five in spring of 2017. Advocates at Transportation Alternatives, which runs the People First on Atlantic campaign, laud mayor's efforts but say that the DOT should study the entire Avenue, from the bay to Queens, to propose comprehensive safety improvements. Those of us who cross Atlantic daily know safety improvements can't come too soon. While not everyone agrees with the implementation of New York's Vision Zero initiative, Charlie Sahadi states the salient point,

"I don't agree with some of the things Mayor de Blasio came up with, but if that car was driving at 25 miles per hour, this gentleman would not be dead today"
-Charlie Sahadi 

MoveNY final plan unveiled

This Thursday, February 16th, the Cobble Hill Association joins many other groups from Brooklyn and beyond in supporting a town hall forum on the developing MoveNY traffic/transit plan. Today, the final version of the plan was officially announced and it has already garnered tremendous support. Read some of the press highlights linked below for more background, and join on Thursday to hear more in person and get your own questions answered.

• Push made to add toll that charges drivers on East River bridges and cuts congestion (NYDN)
• Tolls on NYC East River Bridges Would Help Reap $1.5 Billion (Bloomberg)
• Transit guru bringing congestion pricing back (amNY)
• A ‘finalized’ congestion pricing proposal, purposefully timed (CapNY)
• Group Seeks New Tolls in Manhattan to Pay for Region’s Transportation Needs(NYT)

Hicks Street Traffic Calming project to begin May 13th

The Department of Transportation reports that the Hicks Street Northbound Traffic Calming project presented to our Transportation Committee at their June 2012 meeting will be installed beginning the week of May 13th. Among other measures, this project will restore parking in the east lane along the length of northbound Hicks Street adjacent to the BQE Trench during the morning rush hour as a way of narrowing the street to calm speeding traffic making it safer, especially for crossing pedestrians.

Save the Date - 3/31 BK Gateway Transportation Workshop

Join New York City Council Member Letitia James, The Boerum Hill Association, The Park Slope Civic Council, The Prospect Heights Neighborhood Development Council and The Tri-State Transportation Campaign for the BK Gateway Transportation Workshop.

The neighborhoods of Prospect Heights, Crown Heights, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, downtown Brooklyn, Carroll Gardens, Red Hook, Northern Park Slope and Brooklyn Heights face significant transportation challenges.  Existing traffic and parking congestion, demands on transit service and dangerous roads for cyclists and pedestrians already pose hurdles for residents, businesses and the environment.  The opening of the Barclays Center at Atlantic Yards will further compound theset challenges.  The BK Gateway Transportation Workshop will lay the groundwork for developing community driven solutions to the transportation issues facing the area.

·         Discuss transportation issues affecting your neighborhood
·         Share ideas with transportation experts
·         Learn ways to increase pedestrian & cyclist safety, reduce congestion, & improve transit
·         Help develop a plan for the future of transportation and transit in our community

Residents, business owners, and community organizations welcome!
When:       Saturday March 31, 2012
Where:      YWCA, 30 Third Avenue (at Atlantic Avenue) Brooklyn, NY 11217
                  First Floor Community Room
Time:        10:00 am to 1:00 pm
R.S.V.P:      Due to limited space, participants must register by e mail to bsherman@council.nyc.gov.

Co-sponsored by:
Council Member Stephen Levin, Council Member Brad Lander, Community Board 2, and Transportation Alternatives

Small signs, Big Changes

Cobble Hill is privilege to some minor tweaks that could have big impacts on quality of life citywide. First, have you noticed the orange decals popping up on our streets? There's one on Henry Street and one on a Congress street manhole cover spotted recently. They're part of a pilot program that makes it much easier to know a problem has already been reported to 311 and is being remedied.

'When a customer calls 311 to report a condition for repair, a City inspector will visit the site and determine the necessary next steps.  For many issues, private companies, utilities or other City agencies may be required to respond which may influence the duration of repair.  City inspectors will affix a small, bright orange decal adjacent to the site.  For issues that are repaired immediately, no decal will be used.'

If it works well in our neighborhood, perhaps it will speed up the 311 system and simplify confusion.
More info is available on this downloadable flyer.

Another change to our streets is already proving successful at taming traffic: Neckdowns.

Also known as bulb outs, or sidewalk extensions, these subtle changes to the streetscape create a visual road narrowing that makes drivers slow down while making turns or passing through intersections (which is where the overwhelming majority of accidents happen).  Now some drivers may not enjoy a pinch point in the road preventing their speeding, but NYC is walking city where the majority does not own a car, yet traffic "accidents" are sky high. And those who do drive, are also pedestrians after they park, so they too will benefit from the shorter crosswalk and slower vehicle traffic.

While our neighbors in Boerum Hill received an enormous neckdown last year, which will soon house an art instalation and slew of bike racks, many corners in Cobble Hill have had similar facelifts. Over the past few months the safety enchancement was given to northwest corner of Hicks & Union, the southeast corner of Henry and Atlantic, and most recently both southern corners of Clinton and Atlantic. Hundres of pedestrians and cyclists cross that intersection every morning and now they will all move a little safer. Thank you Department of Transportation's new Street Design Manual!

new street cleaning regulations

More traffic news: the New York Times reports that new parking rules will go into effect in Cobble Hill on September 15. Many three-hour, alternate-side prohibitions have been reduced to ninety minutes. Click here for the story.

new bicycle lanes

The Department of Transportation is planning to add new bicycle lanes in Cobble Hill. The purpose of the additional lanes is to enhance the existing grid and to improve connections for bicyclists to the waterfront. The plans were presented to the public last month at the CB6 Transportation Committee meeting by Christopher Hrones, Downtown Brooklyn Transportation Coordinator.