Williamsburg
Streetsblog Basics
Eyes on the Street: Bigger Sidewalks, Better Bike Lanes, Safer Streets
Clarence Eckerson sends these shots of DOT street safety improvements taken on a recent ride near the Brooklyn and Queens waterfront. Above is the newly traffic-calmed intersection of Joralemon and Hicks -- part of the Downtown Brooklyn Traffic Calming Project -- which now sports two sidewalk extensions. (According to the Post, a third corner was slated for a curb extension, but DOT changed plans after residents said they were worried about how fire trucks would negotiate the turn.) Says Clarence: "I am sure the speed reductions will be dramatic, the equivalent of a chicane."
November 23, 2009
NYPD’s Bedford Avenue Circular Saw Massacre Caught on Tape
The NYPD's 94th Precinct in Williamsburg, Brooklyn is working hard to build on its reputation for being New York City's most infamous bike thieves. Too much demand for bike parking in the neighborhood? "I know what to do," says the 94's commanding officer Dennis M. Fulton. "Bust out the circular saw!"
October 5, 2009
Latest Kent Avenue Bike Lane Complaint: Truck Traffic
We've got another dispatch from the ongoing bike lane drama that is Kent Avenue. At Wednesday night's information session hosted by Brooklyn CB1, the DOT team gave a short presentation [PDF] outlining their plan to address truck traffic changes caused by converting Kent to one-way flow. Then the public was invited to comment.
September 18, 2009
Tonight: Support Brooklyn Greenway and Safe Cycling at Kent Ave Meeting
If you care about safe biking in Williamsburg and Greenpoint and you'd like to see the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway eventually reach completion, you'll want to show up at tonight's Brooklyn CB1 transportation meeting. The Kent Avenue bike lane is item number one on the agenda.
September 16, 2009
Eyes on the Street: Kent Avenue Progress Report
Clarence sends these shots from Kent Avenue, where the striping and painting of the city's first two-way, on-street parking protected bike lane is currently in progress. This is the view looking north from the vicinity of Clymer Street. The project will be completed in two phases. According to DOT's project presentation [PDF], the current work, stretching from Clymer to Broadway, will be complete in mid-September; the second phase, from Broadway to North 14th Street, is slated to wrap up in about a month. Below is the view looking south toward Clymer.
September 2, 2009
The District 33 Transpo Debate: Can They Top Yassky on Livable Streets?
The most telling answers at Transportation Alternatives' District 33 City Council candidates forum came after an audience member asked point blank for the debaters' stance on congestion pricing. "I can’t support a candidate who’ll support congestion pricing," said the questioner, Dave Reina. "I think it's punitive, and there are more creative solutions out there. Who’ll stand up against it?"
September 2, 2009
Kent Avenue: The Saga Continues
The Kent Avenue bike path was not the most hotly debated item at last night's Brooklyn CB1 meeting. That distinction belongs to the rezoning plan for the area known as Broadway Triangle. But DOT's team still encountered some skepticism from North Brooklyn residents concerned about truck traffic. The revised plan [PDF], which calls for a two-way protected bike path on Kent with one-way auto traffic, would divert southbound trucks along a different route.
June 10, 2009
Tonight: Speak Up for Safer Cycling on Kent Ave
If you live in Williamsburg or Greenpoint, you can't miss this community board action. DOT will present its revised plan for Kent Avenue tonight to Brooklyn CB1. Public support for the proposed two-way protected bike path will be critical, and if you sign up by 6:15 p.m., you can speak in favor of an improvement that will make cyclists safer and establish the footprint of the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway.
June 9, 2009
Summer Streets Coming to Brooklyn This Weekend
After today's rain clears out, it looks to be a beautiful weekend for two Summer Streets events in Brooklyn.
June 5, 2009
Revised Kent Ave Plan Extends Bike Route to Flushing Ave
Here's a look at the revised and extended route proposed for the Kent Avenue bike path. Currently the bike lane runs from Quay Street to Clymer Street. As you can see in this map from DOT's project presentation [PDF], the new route would continue several blocks further south, to Flushing Avenue.
May 29, 2009