Extended Sidewalks on Atlantic
Construction recently started for sidewalk extensions on Atlantic and Clinton Streets in Cobble Hill. This is part of DOT’s larger project to calm traffic in Downtown Brooklyn, in the effort to improve safety and traffic conditions. One of the more recently completed sidewalk extensions was at Smith and Bergen, which was met with mostly positive…
Construction recently started for sidewalk extensions on Atlantic and Clinton Streets in Cobble Hill. This is part of DOT’s larger project to calm traffic in Downtown Brooklyn, in the effort to improve safety and traffic conditions. One of the more recently completed sidewalk extensions was at Smith and Bergen, which was met with mostly positive response from pedestrians, and now that the weather’s nice, a fruit cart has parked in the extra sidewalk space.
Calming Traffic at Bergen and Smith [Brownstoner]
Downtown Brooklyn Traffic Calming Report [NYC DOT] GMAP
DH — 40+ percent of drivers in this city are registered fraudulently is so far away locale…
Points taken about big trucks being unable to navigate these neckdowns without going onto the sidewalk and plowing over whatever (or whoever) is there. (I once saw a semi take out a STREET LIGHT POLE on Pacific & Bond and keep going.)
But these types of vehicles NOT supposed to be on side streets. According to the NYC DOT (http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/motorist/trucks.shtml#map), through trucks are allowed on 3rd, 4th & Atlantic Avenues ONLY. Maybe it’s cheaper and more effective to put in neckdowns than to send out tons of cops to issue tickets to through trucks.
they are doing this on myrtle too- adelphi, cleremont and vanderbilt corners so far.
preventing the shower of clowns who park their vehicles right at the corner and obscure oncoming traffic and bikes to cars pulling out to cross is also a useful consequence of these type of sidewalk extensions.
They could at least landscape these suckers a bit, the vast swaths of concrete aren’t exactly pretty and would make a great place for a few trees.
Given what was said above, though, perhaps any trees would be taken out in short order by bad drivers…
These are called neckdowns. For the most part, they are a good thing:
http://www.trafficcalming.org/neckdowns.html
They are being installed as part of the Downtown Brooklyn Traffic Calming Project, which has been ongoing for a good 12 years now:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/motorist/dntnbklyntraf.shtml
When I lived at Clinton Street and Pacific, one block away from this spot, I saw six or seven very serious pedestrian-car crashes at this intersection in about five years. At least once a year I saw a bleeding or maimed person laid out in the street at this intersection. So, it seems to me to be a great spot for traffic calming.
And if it inconveniences drivers a little bit, so be it. Does it strike anyone else that Brooklyn drivers have a strong tendency to be sociopathic, horn-honking, exhaust-spewing, oil-guzzling, pedestrian-killing maniacs who don’t care about any person or thing outside of their vehicles? Actually, check that: Brooklyn drivers care a lot about the availability of free, convenient, on-street parking. But beyond that, they seem to have no real concern for anything taking place outside of their plush bucket-seat, sound system-enabled, multi-cup holder interiors.
I find it difficult to care about the wants and needs of the armada of selfish morons motoring up my old street every morning.
Damn pedestrians and their ‘walking lanes’ – this totally makes it less convenient to drive 65 mph down Atlantic Avenue. The city should be ENCOURAGING driving – as drivers pay registration fees and pedestrians don’t!!!
They added the extensions at Atlantic & Henry a couple of months ago. It doesn’t seem to have made the slightest difference. A few weeks ago, some vehicle took out the trash can (the decorative metal cover was obliterated), 2 huge sidewalk planters with shrubs, and, for good measure, a tree — they sliced the tree clear in two, about 3 feet off the ground, and uprooted the trunk as well.
etson’s suggestion for shortening the lights on Atlantic and lengthening the lights on streets such as Clinton would make a big difference.
If they calm the traffic any further in Downtown Brooklyn they may induce a coma.
You can barely move as is.
What they should do is restrict the size of the 12-wheelers on downtown street -now there’s a concept allow only the vehicles that can actually make the turns.