Berkeley Bump Bungle?
The residents of Berkeley Place between 7th and 8th Avenues in Park Slope are beside themselves over the appearance this week of four two brand-spankin’-new speed bumps, with eight bright “BUMP” signs to match. Didn’t know there was a speeding problem on that block? Either did the folks who live there. In fact, the person…
The residents of Berkeley Place between 7th and 8th Avenues in Park Slope are beside themselves over the appearance this week of four two brand-spankin’-new speed bumps, with eight bright “BUMP” signs to match. Didn’t know there was a speeding problem on that block? Either did the folks who live there. In fact, the person who sent in this photo said she had heard that the bumps were actually supposed to go on Lincoln Place to slow traffic outside the Berkeley Carroll School but that there was some kind of mix up at DOT. Whoops. Update: A reader is claiming that there was no bungle after all and that Berkeley was the rightful recipient of both bumps.
I wish they’d put speed bumps on my street. I am amazed at how little trasffic calming measures there are in NYC, epsecially with such a high accident rate compared to most western countries.
1977, these are to address the problem with vehicles speeding to try to make the light at 8th Ave.
Some one doesn’t see it and if they are doing 40+ they will lose control of their car”
Anyone who loses control of their car on slowing down for a speed bump needs to have their license revoked.
And I agree, the signs are horrible and unnecessary. But I bet it’s to do with some lawyerly standard in case someone sues the city on “losing control”.
I think a better solution to traffic calming is to use “chicanes” and/or “neckdowns” which force you to slow down.
“The biggest problem is people who see a green light at 7th Ave and speed up the block to try to catch it.”
That is why the green light filter works!
11217 and I have discussed many times on this board which blocks we live on.
I am on Berkeley bw 6th and 7th (next block down) and speeding on the block is a problem. People who are presumably using Berkeley to bypass Flatbush and get up to Grand Army Plaza go very fast. The biggest problem is people who see a green light at 7th Ave and speed up the block to try to catch it.
If DOT ‘perceives’ them as necessary for “safety” how could LPC object ??
Assuming these speed bumps work, they are long overdue, though I agree that they should have been placed elsewhere — in this case between 8th & Plaza Street, not 7th & 8th. Cars and dollar vans traveling on Flatbush on their way to PPW detour onto 7th and then Berkeley all the time to avoid having to deal with the GAP traffic circle. They then speed through the stop at the corner of Berkeley and Plaza despite the obvious stop sign. I’ve seen pedestrians hit any number of times at that corner, and near misses virtually every morning.
If this works, it’s a great great development.
Zinka, if indeed the speed bumps were meant for Berkeley Place, what was the rationale for ordering them? Lincoln between 5th and 6th has them, but there’s a school there…
I agree that the bumps are mixed blessing (people do speed up the street, but people speed everywhere), but how can they allow those signs on a side street in a designated historic district?
” I still don’t understand why the double parking on alt-side of the street days is permitted/accepted. It’s dangerous and illegal. Move your car the night before/morning of like everyone else.”
Posted by: new2hood at June 3, 2009 11:37 AM”
b/c there is not enough space in the city to move 50% of the cars (from all the neighborhoods that have street cleaning on a particular day) somewhere else.