TOWN HALL ON PUBLIC SAFETY AT OCEAN PARKWAY/PROSPECT EXPRESSWAY/CHURCH AVENUE

Town Hall on Public Safety at

 Ocean Parkway/Prospect Expressway/Church Avenue

Monday, November 19th

6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

After a truck driver struck and killed pedestrian Faustino Garcia last spring at the Ocean Parkway/Prospect Expressway/Church Avenue intersection, Councilmember Brad Lander and Assemblymember Robert Carroll held a Town Hall about the deadly location.

The Town Hall was held in partnership with the New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) and the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) so that the two agencies could get feedback from the community.

Decisions about the Prospect Expressway, a state highway, are made by the New York State Department of Transportation. On the other hand, Ocean Parkway and Church Avenue are city roads regulated by the New York City Department of Transportation. So when changes and improvements are needed, the two agencies are required to collaborate for the common good.

The agencies had implemented some short-term actions, such as adding missing speed limit signs and adding more signals on the approach to Church Avenue.

NYCDOT and NYSDOT have now finished their phase of data collection. They've put together a report with traffic safety measures that they'll share with the community at a public Town Hall. After the community hears DOT's recommendations, DOT will answer questions and listen to feedback. 

The Town Hall will take place on Monday, November 19th, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., at the P.S. 130 Upper School.
 
If you have any further questions or concerns about the intersection, contact Megan Flynn in Councilmember Lander's office at mflynn@council.nyc.gov or (718) 499-1090.

Location
P.S. 130 Upper School
713 Caton Avenue
between E. 7th and E. 8th streets
Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn

COMMUNITY MEETING ON GETTING SAFELY ACROSS OCEAN PARKWAY AT CHURCH AVENUE

Community Meeting on Public Safety at the 

Church Avenue/Ocean Parkway/Prospect Parkway Intersection

Monday, April 9th, 7:30 p.m.

Life is cheap where Church Avenue, the Prospect Expressway, and Ocean Parkway intersect. A truck driver killed pedestrian Faustino Garcia this year, another truck driver killed pedestrian Ngozi Agbim in 2013, and non-fatal collisions regularly occur, sometimes causing injuries.

The Motor Vehicle Collision Report for February 2018 records six collisions at "Church Avenue and Ocean Parkway" (page 96) and four at "Church Avenue and Prospect Expressway" (page 97). That's ten collisions in just one month.

The intersection has two masters. Decisions about the Prospect Expressway, a state highway, are made by the New York State Department of Transportation. On the other hand, Ocean Parkway and Church Avenue are city roads regulated by the New York City Department of Transportation. So when changes and improvements are needed, the two agencies are required to collaborate for the common good.

Together, they've re-studied the intersection, and at a public meeting with neighborhood residents and anyone else who uses that intersection, they'll tell us what their findings are. And we'll tell them about the perils of crossing the road, as we've experienced them.

The 66th Precinct will also be represented there.

The meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 9th, at 7:30 p.m. Councilmember Brad Lander and Assemblymember Bobby Carroll will host it.

The wheels of government are notorious for turning slowly. But the wheels of trucks and cars can turn fast and can be deadly. It's past time for the injuries and deaths of our families, friends, and neighbors to end.

Location
P.S. 130 Upper School
713 Caton Avenue
between E. 7th and E. 8th streets
on the Kensington - Windsor Terrace border

PEDESTRIAN DEATH (AGAIN) AT CHURCH AVE. AND OCEAN PARKWAY

(photo not related to last night's collision)

As the driver of a Bread Depo box truck traveling west on Church Avenue turned right to go onto the Prospect Expressway last night (Tuesday) at about 9:30, he struck a pedestrian who was crossing Church Avenue.

The victim, Faustino Garcia, who had been walking west on the north side of Church Avenue, was taken to Methodist Hospital. He died there as a result of severe injuries to his head.

Nobody has been arrested, as of Wednesday morning. A video of the aftermath of the collision is on YouTube.

The collision appears to have happened in the same location and under the same or similar circumstances as the one that caused the death of Ngozi Agbim in 2013.

This intersection has been hazardous for many years. Just the year before Ms. Agbim's death, residents of City Council District 39 (represented by Councilmember Brad Lander) had voted to allocate participatory budgeting funds to improve safety conditions for everyone who uses that intersection.

The neighborhood activism that followed Ms. Agbim's death (rallies, a petition, statements by our elected representatives, communication and public meetings with the New York City Department of Transportation, communication and public meetings with the New York State Department of Transportation) led to changes at the chaotic intersection of Church Avenue, Ocean Parkway, and the Prospect Expressway.

We need to act again to protect our community from injury or death.