Collision at Grand Army
There were at least half a dozen emergency vehicles filling the road near Grand Army Plaza last night around midnight, blocking traffic between the arch and the park. At the center, there were two cars in terrible condition from what looked like a head-on or perhaps side-impact collision. Despite some improvements to bicycle and pedestrian…
There were at least half a dozen emergency vehicles filling the road near Grand Army Plaza last night around midnight, blocking traffic between the arch and the park. At the center, there were two cars in terrible condition from what looked like a head-on or perhaps side-impact collision. Despite some improvements to bicycle and pedestrian paths around Grand Army Plaza, the roads there are still some of the busiest and most dangerous in Brooklyn. When passing this particularly nasty accident scene, we didn’t have the time to stop and talk to the police, but we hope that everyone involved survived unscathed.
neone, you are right about the left turn unto plaza st., i just didnt include that exception because my comment was already too busy.
Denton… It has never been legal to drive at 60 mph down Eastern Parkway either, but plenty of people do that! So why don’t they turn on read? I think “disobeying a traffic signal” is far less of an infraction than “driving to endanger” — but the latter happens, and the former does not.
(Of course just running red lights straight through happens fairly commonly, but I VERY seldom see rights on red. Actually, it’s really curious!)
What I hate is what happens when eastbound drivers leave GAP: they accelerate like crazy on Eastern Parkway to release all of the frustrations accumulated while getting through the plaza. I pity the poor folks trying to cross the EPW in front of the Museum and Botanic Garden. And then there are all of the pedestrians and cyclists squeezed onto the 10 foot wide sidewalk on the south side of the Parkway, half of which is blocked with multiple tree pits. How do you spell planning disaster?
tsarina, there is one exception to the “turns are made from the outside right;” and that is you can legally (there’s a sign) make a left onto Plaza St. E as you head East onto Eastern Parkway (near the site of last nights accident). Therefore, if you are heading South on Flatbush, you will want to get all the way to the left lane in order to make that left onto Plaza Street East. I agree that the ideal way is to merge from one lane to the next, but unfortunately the way that traffic patterns and red lights are timed, you can’t always do that and one ends up having to cut across the lanes at some point thereby holding up traffic. WRT GAP in general, I have seen some crazy things: 1. Drivers making a left from the service road on Eastern Parkway to get on Flatbush Avenue going North. 2. Drivers making a LEFT from Eastern Parkway to go SOUTH (i.e. the WRONG WAY) on Flatbush. 3. People going straight off the Eastern Parkway service road, over the sidewalk, onto Flatbush Avenue going North. 4. Drivers cutting through the Plaza (between the arch and the fountain).
I am curious about the suggestion that has been proposed to make PPW a two way street, and have the East and West sides of GAP also be two-way. It would mean more lights, and probably more congestion, but slower and safer.
In any event, something needs to be done. Either some better timed lights and better signs, better traffic enforcement,or a redesign of the Plaza.
I’ve lived on flatbush in PLG and now live in Crown Heights and I’ve done the traffic circle ALOT. It all works well if people follow the lanes and realize that that it is a circle and turns are made from the outside right. Oh it also works if drivers realize that they are not the only one on the road. But to add to the list of things drivers have done…
going south on Flatbush cut across all lanes when entering the circle to get into the left (center) of the traffic circle and thus impede drivers trying to merge from the left to the right. I have witnessed these same drivers in the left lane then cut back across lanes of traffic to go down Flatbush. I guess they feel that a straight line drive thru a traffic circle is the way to go. they must die.
then there are the drivers at the west side of the circle that stop and block traffic so that they can cross the line of traffic at a 90 degree angle. The correct way, of course is to keep driving, follow the lines to merge with traffic, and cross the lanes while moving. It is easier and faster to cross the lanes individually moving with traffic than waiting for all of Brooklyn to stop moving so you can cross perpendicularly all at once. jesus!!! its a traffic circle.!!!!
I guess it depends on the type of driver you are.
I do that run from Eastern Parkway to PPW all the time and have never had trouble getting over. you have to be aggressive and you have to know when to break and let others in that need to then go across the opposite way(Flatbush to Eastern Parkway)
Driving the sling shot from Eastern Parkway to Prospect Park West around GAP is white knuckled driving not for the faint of heart. I figured out a long time ago, that the best way to go from Eastern Parkway to Prospect Park West is to use Plaza Street.
It takes slightly longer but is a lot less hair-raising to go off Eastern Pkwy onto the service road opposite the museum & then turn onto Plaza St. at the Meier Bldg. to get to Lincoln Pl., Union St. or PPW.
I hope all involved in this crash above is ok!!!
I don’t think GAP is dangerous at all, it’s poorly planned,but dangerous – not really? people need to start focusing on DRIVING when DRIVING! – I don’t text,eat,or drink my coffee or put on mascara or read the Effin NYtimes – all things I have witnessed Brooklyn drivers to do.
and what is this talk about thr NYPD enforcing driving behavior?
Really? Come on! – oh so, if I am behind some idiot who is showing his mother how beauiful the PPW brownstones are and they are driving 15 mph veering left and right with no blinker and I start to road rage a bit, honk my horn and creep up reaaaaal close behind him- who gets the ticket?