One Brooklyn
September 18, 2015
BROOKLYN, NY, September 18, 2015: Today, Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams unveiled his $1 million plan for redesigning dangerous intersections in the borough, as part of his CROSS (Connecting Residents on Safer Streets) Brooklyn initiative to improve street safety for vulnerable pedestrians. The announcement took place at the intersection of Nostrand Avenue and Avenue Z in Sheepshead Bay, where 52-year-old Carol Carboni was fatally struck by a car last month and where there were nine crashes with deaths or serious injuries in the last year; that location, situated near Sheepshead Playground and P.S. 52 Sheepshead Bay, will have two new sidewalk extensions on the northeast and southwest corners of the crossing. Borough President Adams highlighted the impact of future sidewalk extensions, known as “bulb-outs” or “neck-downs”, at five sites in areas with significant concentrations of senior citizens that were selected based on crash data and feasibility analysis from the New York City Department of Transportation; the typical sidewalk extension extends the distance of the parking lane minus two feet, or approximately nine total feet.
“When it comes to Brooklyn’s highways and byways, my focus is ‘safety first,’” said Borough President Adams. “Our youngest and oldest Brooklynites are at particular risk when crossing some of our busiest streets, and CROSS Brooklyn is a targeted plan to address critical intersections where serious accidents have occurred. Redesigning our crossings through sidewalk extensions is a common-sense approach that helps take our most vulnerable out of harm’s way.”
“As an elected official representing a district with one of the highest concentration of senior citizens in New York City, I am so thankful for the inclusion of Nostrand Avenue and Avenue Z, scene of a recent accident resulting in the death of one of my constituents, in Borough President Adams’s CROSS Brooklyn,” said Assembly Member Helene Weinstein. “I am sure this initiative will make it easier for all pedestrians to cross busy and wide roadways throughout Brooklyn, and will undoubtedly prevent hundreds of accidents and calamities at this wide crossing.”
“I applaud Borough President Adams for recognizing Nostrand Avenue and Avenue Z as a dangerous intersection,” said Theresa Scavo, chair of Community Board 15. “I further thank him for allocating the funds to make it safer for this community.”
Two intersections in East Flatbush are receiving attention from Borough President Adams under his CROSS Brooklyn initiative. Utica Avenue and Church Avenue, a major crossing for a high-traffic commercial corridor, will have a new sidewalk extension on the northeast corner; that crossroads experienced nine crashes with deaths or serious injuries in the last year, part of 440 total crashes. Up the road at Utica Avenue and Winthrop Street, near Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center, there is a new sidewalk extension planned for the northeast corner; that intersection had seven crashes with deaths or serious injuries in the last year, part of 123 total crashes.
“I commend Borough President Adams for his commitment to protecting pedestrians in Brooklyn, particularly senior citizens and young children walking to school,” said Representative Yvette Clarke. “CROSS Brooklyn will improve safety with sidewalk extensions that reduce the distance required to cross intersections. As a critical part of Vision Zero, CROSS Brooklyn will contribute to the ultimate reduction in the number of pedestrian fatalities to zero.”
In Borough Park, Borough President Adams announced three new sidewalk extensions for the intersection of New Utrecht Avenue, 12th Avenue, and 50th Street, located amid a busy commercial area near the 50th Street subway station on the D line; the site suffered three crashes with deaths or serious injuries in the last year. The first two sidewalk extensions, on the eastern side of 50th Street and 12th Avenue and the southern side of New Utrecht Avenue and 12th Avenue, will be conversions from painted neck-downs. Additionally, a sidewalk extension will be created on the northeast corner of New Utrecht Avenue and 12th Avenue.
“As a longtime advocate of pedestrian safety, I thank Borough President Adams for allocating the funds to ensure that our intersections are now significantly safer places for all pedestrians, specifically seniors and children,” said Council Member David G. Greenfield. “For far too long, our street corners have been high risk and the cause of terrible accident; that’s why these improvements are so important.”
The intersection of Flatbush Avenue, Washington Avenue, and Lincoln Road in Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, located by the Prospect Park subway station for the B, Q, and S lines, will also have a new sidewalk extension on its northeast corner, a conversion from a painted neck-down, thanks to Borough President Adams; there were two crashes with deaths or serious injuries in the last year at that crossing.
“We must make sure that Brooklyn streets are safe, especially since we have so many vulnerable pedestrians – including children and disabled individuals – who cross our roads every day,” said Council Member Mathieu Eugene. “I commend Borough President Adams for his commitment to public safety and I know that if we all work together, we can make Brooklyn safer than ever.”
Borough President Adams joined street safety advocates, community leaders, and dozens of local youth in celebrating inside a chalk-drawn outline representing the forthcoming sidewalk extension at Nostrand Avenue and Avenue Z; they held honorary checks with the seal of Brooklyn Borough Hall for each of the five projects and one oversized check, made out to “One Brooklyn,” for the CROSS Brooklyn initiative.
“In a city with a Vision Zero policy, intersections with neck-downs and bulb-outs should be the norm, not the exception,” said Dahlia Goldenberg of Families for Safe Streets. “Too many New Yorkers have lost their lives because our current street design encourages drivers to make turns at unsafe speeds. We thank Borough President Adams for bringing these safety fixes to Brooklyn, and we call on the City’s other borough presidents to follow suit.”
“Borough President Adams is showing safe streets leadership by dedicating funds to make these lifesaving improvements,” said Paul Steely White, executive director of Transportation Alternatives. “‘Bulb-outs’ and ‘neck-downs’ may not be household names, but the safety benefits of these curb extensions are clear: they help drivers slow down when making turns, they prohibit parking near crosswalks and they also make crossing distances shorter for pedestrians. We need to redesign corners this way in communities across all five boroughs as part of the effort to reach Vision Zero.”
“Curb extensions are low-cost treatments that improve visibility and create safe refuge for anyone crossing the street, particularly seniors and children,” said Veronica Vanterpool, executive director of Tri-State Transportation Campaign. “Unfortunately, we don’t see enough of them in New York City, which is why we applaud Borough President Adams’s CROSS Brooklyn initiative to dedicate capital funds for their implementation. In New York City, cars can park right up against a crosswalk. Curb extensions prevent that and are a necessary Vision Zero safety component for our streets.”
PHOTOS
Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams joined street safety advocates, community leaders, and dozens of local youth in celebrating his $1 million plan for redesigning dangerous intersections in the borough, as part of his CROSS (Connecting Residents on Safer Streets) Brooklyn initiative, inside a chalk-drawn outline representing the forthcoming sidewalk extension at Nostrand Avenue and Avenue Z in Sheepshead Bay; they held honorary checks with the seal of Brooklyn Borough Hall for each of the five projects and one oversized check, made out to “One Brooklyn,” for CROSS Brooklyn.
Photo Credit: Stefan Ringel/Brooklyn BP’s Office
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