SUBMIT YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR INCREASED VISIBILITY AT INTERSECTIONS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD

From New York City Councilmember Shahana Hanif:

Daylighting District 39 Intersections

Preventing senseless deaths from traffic violence is an utmost priority for my Office. One proven strategy that makes our streets safer is daylighting—the practice of removing the parking spots closest to an intersection to improve sightlines for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers. 

If there is an intersection District 39 that you think could benefit from daylighting, please let us know fill out the form below. We will share your recommendations with the NYC Department of Transportation. 

Car crashes at intersections are responsible for 51% of all fatal collisions and 68% of all injuries as well as 59% of pedestrian fatalities and 77% of pedestrian injuries.

 

MINUTES OF THE ALBEMARLE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETING, JANUARY 2022

 

 

The Albemarle Neighborhood Association (ANA) held its most recent virtual public meeting for Kensington residents and business owners on Wednesday, January 12th. 

 

The guest speaker was Tom Bauer, Director of Operations at the Ocean Parkway Community Development Corporation (OPCDC). 

Below are ANA secretary Jannette Katz Gomori's minutes.

Albemarle Neighborhood Association  
January 12, 2022 Zoom Meeting
Minutes  

Larry Jayson, President presided over the zoom meeting with 13 participants
Peter Gomori, Treasurer
Jannette Katz Gomori, Secretary

Tom Bauer, Director of Operations at the Ocean Parkway Community Development Corporation began our meeting with a discussion of the various services his organization provides for our community. 

 

Formed as a neighborhood preservation entity, the organization assists in such activities as forming merchant associations, access programs for building and home repair and counseling people in obtaining mortgage and rent assistance.

 

Tom alerted us to the upcoming end of eviction moratorium that could place many of our residents in jeopardy.

 

A question was asked about an abandoned building on Ocean Parkway and Ave. C. (335 Ocean Parkway). Tom looked into the ACRIS database and advised us that a mortgage was paid off and that the real estate tax payments were current. There is a disclosure of the current owner and we (ANA) will try to contact him and inquire as to efforts to repair the property.

 

(Community Officer Smiarowski, at the last minute was not able to attend and will attend the next meeting to be held in March).

 

The meeting was opened up to questions and comments about issues in the community.

 

Theft from mailboxes is still a problem. It is a citywide problem. A specific building was mentioned where a tenant was caught on camera and a police report was filed with the 66th precinct.

 

Concerns about the Self Help office at 419 Church Ave. were again raised. The grocery store next door continues to store boxes in front of the storefront. The owner has been approached by Larry and if the problem continues the Sanitation department will be notified and the grocery store owner could be issued a fine.

 

We also will contact Self Help to ask if they will return to open their office and provide services. (Follow up – SelfHelp was contacted and they confirmed that they are not coming back. Their new location is 626 Sheepshead Bay Road (718 646 7500).) 

 

A question on reviving the composting program was raised. It was mentioned that one problem is the attraction of rodents to the compost bins. It was mentioned that the East 4th st. garden is currently closed for the winter and is not accepting compost donations.

 

Another participant mentioned that there is a compost dropoff on Albemarle and McDonald that takes place on Saturday during the day. 

 

A suggestion was made that as the weather gets nicer, a petition campaign be started to request that the Sanitation department revive the compost program in the neighborhood.

 

The ongoing issue of graffiti was again discussed. Councilwoman Shahana Hanif was instrumental in arranging for ACE to paint over the graffiti on the Rite Aid building. Graffiti has become a city wide problem and we need a greater effort in catching the perpetrators to try to stop it. 

 

The issue of the use of motor bikes on sidewalks and bike paths was again raised. We all agree that we need better enforcement to encourage motorbikes to use the streets and not the sidewalks. 

 

The next ANA meeting will take place on Zoom in mid-March 2022. The date will be determined, and the Zoom link will be sent via email or placed on the Facebook ANA website: https://www.facebook.com/Albemarle-Neighborhood-Association-of-Brooklyn-ANA-103114548271927/. Suggested speakers for the next meeting include Commanding Officer of Police Precinct 66.

 

Respectfully submitted 

Jannette Katz Gomori 

 

Everyone is encouraged to attend the upcoming open community meeting of the 66th Precinct. Here are the details:

 

About Albemarle Neighborhood Association

Albemarle Neighborhood Association (ANA) is the oldest neighborhood association in Brooklyn. Since its founding in 1973, it has worked to advance Kensington's quality of life. ANA's meetings are free and are open to the public. They provide a place for Kensington's residents to address safety, security, and quality of life issues.

ANA helps create a safe and stable neighborhood by working closely with its members, other neighborhood residents, city agencies, and elected officials to address key issues.

The geographic area that ANA serves:

• northern border: the north side of Caton Avenue
• southern border: the south side of Beverley Road
• western border: the west side of McDonald Avenue 
• eastern border: the east side of Ocean Parkway

 

MEMORIAL WALK IN KENSINGTON FOR PEOPLE KILLED IN TRAFFIC VIOLENCE

Walk on Monday, November 11th, starting at 6:00 p.m., to commemorate the lives sacrificed in our neighborhood to traffic violence. The walk will go past the locations where those people's lives were taken from them.

In addition to those deaths, many other people have been injured on our streets, and we demand that effective measures be taken to protect us. Traffic-calming efforts to date haven't gone far enough.

The walk will start at 401 Church Avenue, at the intersection of Church Avenue and E. 4th Street, in Kensington, Brooklyn.

Route

• Meet at the intersection of Church Avenue and E. 4th Street. 
• Walk on Church Avenue to E. 7th Street.
• Turn left at E. 7th Street and walk to Caton Avenue.
• Turn right at Caton Avenue and walk to E. 8th Street.
• Turn right at E. 8th Street and walk to Church Avenue.
• Turn left onto Church Avenue and walk to Coney Island Avenue.

Please also attend the Kensington Safe Streets Town Hall at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, November 18th, in P.S. 889 on Coney Island Avenue near Turner Place. Talk to representatives from the Department of Transportation as well as several of our elected officials. Tell them what you expect them to do.

STAYING ALIVE (AND UNINJURED) ON THE STREETS OF KENSINGTON: A SAFE STREETS TOWN HALL

Kensington Safe Streets Town Hall

Monday, November 18th, 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. 

From New York City Councilmember Brad Lander:

"Together with New York State Assemblymember Robert Carroll, I'll be hosting a town hall meeting with the New York City Department of Transportation on Monday, November 18th, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., at P.S. 889/M.S. 890 at 510 Coney Island Avenue (between Turner and Hinckley places) to talk about all the recent crashes and focus on what more can and must be done to make Church Avenue, Coney Island Avenue, Ocean Parkway, and all our streets safer.

The latest changes at Church Avenue and Ocean Parkway which were recently implemented after over a year of conversation don't appear to have made much difference.

I expect the Department of Transportation to discuss the changes at Church Avenue and Ocean Parkway, steps they are taking at Church and Coney Island avenues, and to listen to the community about what needs to be done to make Coney Island Avenue a safer place for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers alike. 

I'll also give an update on the Reckless Driver Accountability Act. By the November 18th town hall, I expect to have some progress to report (and expect to be held accountable if I don't)."

Councilmember Mathieu Eugene of City Council District 40 will also participate.

Location
P.S. 889/M.S. 890
510 Coney Island Avenue
between Turner Place and Hinckley Place
Kensington, Brooklyn,  New York

HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH: THE INTERSECTION OF BEVERLEY ROAD AND E. 2ND STREET

Car drivers and truck drivers are injuring and killing pedestrians and bicyclists on a regular basis in Kensington and Windsor Terrace. We have to be vigilant about our own safety, of course, but we also need our elected officials, our community boards, the NYPD, and the Department of Transportation to protect us.

One example of their failure to do that is the intersection of Beverley Road and E. 2nd Street. After conducting a traffic study there in 2013, the Department of Transportation determined that no traffic-calming measures were needed. They were wrong.

Neighbor Shermin Shakiri has created a petition about that intersection: "SAFETY PRECAUTIONS AT E2 STREET & BEVERLEY ROAD." It's posted at https://www.change.org/p/mayor-bill-de-blasio-safety-precautions-at-e2-street-beverley-road.

A car hit Shermin's mother there. A driver on Beverley Road turned right onto E. 2nd Street too quickly and hit a parked car. That car hit another car, which hit another car, and so on. One of the parked cars ended up on the sidewalk where Shermin's mother was standing and caused serious injuries.

Please sign the petition and please share it. It says

My name is Shermin Shakiri and I was born on November 28, 1982 and lived at the corner of E2 Street and Avenue C at the time. I live on E2 and Beverley Road my entire life.

I have been reporting the dangerous corner of Beverley Road and E 2 Street for many years to the City. My mother was a pedestrian struck by a vehicle there in 2011 and my brother-in-law was a pedestrian struck there in 2017 requiring surgical procedure.

There is no stop sign, NOR a painted crosswalk for pedestrians. Cars that drive down Beverley mostly speed on that curve and are going to result in a deadly accident one day (GOD FORBID).

I am going to start a petition for a stop sign and painted crosswalk as well as 2 speedbumps on that curve. THIS HAS URGENCY. I hope that all my fellow neighbors see this as a huge safety threat and help in me trying to obtain the attention of the CITY & DOT.

Thank you for your time. I will follow-up to advise on the process in a few days. Please feel free to share to any pages in our area!--

REBUILDING THE CHURCH - MCDONALD INTERSECTION

The current reconstruction of the intersection of Church and McDonald avenues is intended to make the crossroads safer for pedestrians, drivers, and bicyclists.

Improvements being made include curb extensions at the northwest and southeast corners, pedestrian ramps, bus stop pads, catch basins, replacement of the water main, and a complete pavement restoration.

Curb extensions, also known as "neckdowns" and "bulb-outs," widen the sidewalks and reduce the crossing distances. They increase pedestrian visibility, increase the space where pedestrians stand while waiting for the walk signal, provide additional space for street furniture, plants, and other amenities, reduce illegal parking at corners and crosswalks, and provide space for two curb ramps per corner.

Construction at the intersection began in July 2017. At that time, the estimated completion date was fall 2017. The project was delayed, however, in order to first complete work on a nearby water main and bus stop pads. The latest estimate is that work will be finished by fall 2018.

Residents of City Council District 39 voted to fund the improvements in 2013 as part of City Councilmember Brad Lander's Participatory Budgeting project.

YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THE PROSPECT EXPRESSWAY ARE REQUESTED AT A COMMUNITY WORKSHOP

Community Workshop on 

the Prospect Expressway Corridor

Wednesday, March 14th

6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

The NYU Capstone Team--comprised of four urban planning students in the NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service--and the Office of the Brooklyn Borough President will be holding a free community workshop about the Prospect Expressway corridor.

Neighborhood residents of all ages, workers, and employers are invited to attend and share their thoughts on the current state of the Prospect Expressway as well as their suggestions for improving the corridor. The current state, as we all know, is hazardous at best and deadly at worst.

The workshop will take place on Wednesday, March 14th, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., at Shepherd’s Hall at Holy Name Church.

You can RSVP or direct any questions to PXForward @ gmail.com.

Light refreshments will be provided.

Location
Shepherd's Hall
Holy Name of Jesus Roman Catholic Church
243 Prospect Park West
between Prospect Avenue and Windsor Place
Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn

Enter Shepherd's Hall through the parking lot on Prospect Park West.

------------------------------------

New York City Councilmember Brad Lander has asked the New York City Department of Transportation, New York State Department of Transportation, and the NYPD to participate in a separate community meeting about the Prospect Expressway/Church Avenue intersection. A pedestrian was struck and killed there on February 27th.

A meeting has not yet been scheduled. 

In addition, Lander and New York State Assemblymember Robert Carroll co-authored a letter to the three agencies mentioned above. In the letter, they requested a comprehensive review of the intersection, quick implementation of changes, and increased enforcement of laws by the NYPD immediately.

NEW TRAFFIC LIGHT FOR CATON AVENUE

A traffic light will be placed at the intersection of Caton Avenue and E. 8th Street, on the east and southeast segment of E. 8th, now that a Department of Transportation (DOT) study has confirmed its necessity.

Keith Bray, Brooklyn Borough Commissioner for the DOT, has told Community Board 7 that installation is tentatively scheduled to be completed by April 30th. Curb extensions and pedestrian refuge islands have already been installed at that intersection.

Caton at E. 8th is near a public school. It's on a local truck route, and it's between two other heavily-traveled roads--Ocean Parkway (two blocks away) and Coney Island Avenue (one block).

Another traffic light was recently installed next to a public school--this one housed in the former Bishop Ford High School--where the Prospect Expressway exits onto 10th Avenue at 19th Street.

A traffic light will also be installed in February at Windsor Place and 8th Avenue, by the Bishop Boardman Apartments (senior housing). This also resulted from a request to the DOT to study the intersection.

These safety improvements and others are the result of residents' demands for traffic safety, followed by working with elected officials and the DOT on specific needs.

Let's keep pushing for traffic safety in Kensington and Windsor Terrace. Join forces with other people who are interested in traffic safety by signing up for the Facebook group KWT Safe Streets and liking the Facebook page Windsor Terrace Safety.

ASK DOT ABOUT PEDESTRIAN SAFETY AND NEW LOCAL TRAFFIC-CALMING MEASURES

DOT's Pedestrian Projects

Thursday, October 15th, 7:00 p.m. to 8:00  p.m.

Safeguarding pedestrians is Nolan Levenson's job. The Project Manager of the Pedestrian Projects Group at the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT), he will be the guest speaker at this month's Albemarle Neighborhood Association (ANA) meeting.

Mr. Levenson received a Master's degree in Urban Planning, Transportation from New York University. In his position at DOT, he manages multiple projects focused on improving pedestrian safety on New York City's streets. He is particularly interested in pedestrian and bicycle planning and safety. 

Attendees at ANA's September meeting raised questions about recently-installed traffic-calming measures in our neighborhood, such as traffic lanes and road markings.

The streets by the newly-opened school building at 713 Caton Avenue--the Parkside Educational Complex--were of special interest. Located between E. 7th and E. 8th streets, the building houses a Pre-K Center, P.S. 130 Upper School, M.S. 839, and a special education school.

Mr. Levenson will provide the answers to the questions raised last month as well as any new ones.

Admission and refreshments are free. Light refreshments will be provided by Foodtown and ANA.

Meeting location
Flatbush & Shaare Torah Jewish Center
327 E. 5th Street, corner of Church Avenue
Kensington, Brooklyn

Enter the synagogue via the ramp on E. 5th Street and take the stairs or the wheelchair-accessible elevator down to the Hanid Room.

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About Albemarle Neighborhood Association
Albemarle Neighborhood Association (ANA), the oldest neighborhood association in Brooklyn, has worked since its founding in 1973 to advance Kensington's quality of life. Its meetings are open to the public and provide a place for Kensington's residents to address safety, security, and quality of life issues.

ANA helps create a safe and stable neighborhood by working closely with its members, other residents, city agencies, and elected officials to address key issues.

New members are welcome to join, strengthening ANA's impact. Membership is open to everyone who resides in or owns a business in the area ANA that serves:

• north: the north side of Caton Avenue
• south: the south side of Beverley Road
• west: the west side of McDonald Avenue 
• east: the east side of Ocean Parkway

For an individual or a family, membership costs $20 per year. Associate Membership dues for business owners cost $25 per year.

Meetings are held in March, April, May, June, September, October, and November.

BICYCLE RIDER INJURIES IN KENSINGTON'S PRECINCT

How safe is riding around the city, and which neighborhoods require special caution?

Brooklyn is the scene of the majority of bike collisions.

While the average number of injured cyclists per 100 collisions citywide is 1.9, the second most dangerous [precinct] was the 66th precinct, with 5.1 cyclist injuries per 100 collisions in an area that includes Boro Park (Midwood and Kensington) in Brooklyn.

--"Six cyclists dead in NYC: where are the most

dangerous spots for bikes?"

New York Business Journal, July 14, 2015

Bicyclists (as well as pedestrians) are natural allies for supporters of traffic-calming measures.

A reading list for bicyclists to promote survival and safety: 

• Bike Smart: The Official Guide to Cycling in New York City, New York City Department of Transportation 
• Safe Bicycling in New York City (New York City and New York State traffic rules), New York City Department of Transportation 
• Resources for Riders, New York City Department of Transportation
• Sharing the Road (tips for motorists about bicyclists and rules for bicyclists), New York State Department of Motor Vehicles
• Protected Bicycle Lanes in NYC (Protected Bicycle Lane Analysis, New York City Department of Transportation
• Bicycle safety tips from the U.S. National Library of Medicine

Ride defensively.

DOT'S PRESENTATION FOR SAFER STREETS IS ONLINE: "TRAFFIC & SCHOOL SAFETY IN WINDSOR TERRACE & KENSINGTON"

At last night's highly-anticipated street safety meeting in P.S. 130, the Department of Transportation (DOT) presented the Kensington-Windsor Terrace community with a slide show that detailed several proposed improvements. The presentation is posted on DOT's website.

The meeting was particularly welcome in light of the death of Mohammad Naiem Uddin as he crossed E. 7th Street near Caton Avenue as well as continued vehicle collisions in the neighborhood and additional near misses.

A heightened awareness of the area's hazardous traffic conditions has led concerned members of the community to form two grassroots groups, Windsor Terrace Safe Streets and KWT Safe Streets.

DOT's presentation covered

• city-wide improvements already implemented
• reducing the speed from 30 mph to 20 mph
• adding speed cameras
• recently-completed KWT projects
• the pedestrian refuge on Ocean Parkway 

Pedestrian refuge on Ocean Parkway at Church Avenue; photo courtesy of Colin Klebanoff

• daylighting on Albemarle Road (removing a parking space near an intersection to make drivers and pedestrians visible to each other)

from the DOT presentation

• projects approved for KWT but not yet underway
• speed bumps on Albemarle Road 
• curb extensions at the Church Avenue-McDonald intersection



Church Avenue-McDonald Avenue intersection

• projects for KWT that require further study
• increasing the Leading Pedestrian Interval (pedestrians start crossing before vehicles start moving) at E. 7th Street at Caton Avenue
• speed bumps near P.S./I.S. 437; the school is currently under construction on Caton Avenue at E. 7th Street and scheduled to open in September 2015

DOT's proposals for Caton Avenue, between Ocean Parkway and Coney Island Avenue

Particular attention is being paid to cures for trouble spots near our local schools: proposed reduced speed zones, proposed street conversions, upgraded signs and parking, crossing guards, and more.

from the DOT presentation

Residents packed P.S. 130's auditorium just about to capacity to listen to the DOT's presentation and to ask DOT representatives many pointed, pressing questions afterward.



A resident's proposal to install left-turn signals at the notorious and deadly Ocean Parkway-Church Avenue intersection drew the loudest applause. 

The left-turn signals would allow vehicles traveling on Church Avenue to turn left onto either the Prospect Expressway or Ocean Parkway. The point of installing the signals is to give pedestrians time to get across the roadway before vehicles make the turn.

Speakers representing the Department of Transportation were Polly Trottenberg, Commissioner; Kim Wiley-Schwartz, Assistant Commissioner of Education and Outreach; and Rob Viola, Senior Project Manager in the Traffic and Planning Division.

Commissioner Polly Trottenberg addresses the community

Thanks go to our New York City Councilmember Brad Lander and Community Board 7 for working with the community and DOT to bring about this meeting.

New York City Councilmember Brad Lander

TRAFFIC STUDY UPDATE AT THIS MONTH'S COMMUNITY BOARD 7 MEETING

a typical sight on Caton Avenue

Community Board 7 Monthly Meeting

Wednesday, January 21st, 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Community Board 7's Vision Zero Task Force will report to the public at this month's board meeting. This report will be welcome, in light of the death of pedestrian Mohammad Naiem Uddin, continued collisions, and more near misses within the district's boundaries.

A heightened awareness of hazardous traffic conditions in the area has led concerned members of the community to form two grassroots groups, Windsor Terrace Safe Streets and KWT Safe Streets.

As you'll see on the proposed agenda below, residents who attend board meetings are given two opportunities for public comment. Don't be shy!

The proposed agenda:

1. The Pledge of Allegiance 
2. Opening of the meeting 
3. Adoption of the agenda 
4. Adoption of the Minutes of the Board Meeting on December 17, 2014 
5. Public Comment 
6. Committee Report: Vision Zero Task Force 
7. Acknowledgement of Elected Officials & Elected Officials Representatives 
8. Chairperson’s Report 
9. District Manager’s Report 
10. Old Business 
11. New Business 
12. Public Comment 
13. Adjournment

Meeting location:

Community Board 7 Board Room
4201 4th Avenue (entrance on 43rd Street)
Sunset Park, Brooklyn
phone: (718) 854-0003
fax: (718) 436-1142
e-mail: communityboard7 @ yahoo.com
http://www.brooklyncb7.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Brooklyn-Community-Board-7/195263140637225

STOP SIGN INSTALLED BY P.S. 130

the new stop sign near the front of P.S. 130

the new stop sign across from the front of P.S. 130

These two stop signs have been placed on Ocean Parkway, where it intersects with Fort Hamilton Parkway by P.S. 130. This traffic safety measure should help people get across the street unharmed as they walk to and from the school and the Fort Hamilton Parkway subway station.

SPEAK OUT TO THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSIONER: PUBLIC MEETING ON TRAFFIC SAFETY IN KENSINGTON AND WINDSOR TERRACE

Public Meeting on Traffic Safety

Thursday, January 8th, 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

At our community's request, our New York City Councilmember Brad Lander and Community Board 7 have arranged for the commissioner of the Department of Transportation, Polly Trottenberg, to report on what the city's agencies are going to do to make our streets safer for pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists. Ms. Trottenberg will address the safety issues on Caton Avenue and other streets in Kensington and Windsor Terrace.

Residents have concerns about a number of local roads that have been the scene of collisions--some of them fatal--and potential trouble spots, including Fort Hamilton Parkway, Caton Avenue, Albemarle Road, McDonald Avenue, Minna Street, Dahill Road, E. 5th Street, E. 7th Street, Church Avenue, Ocean Parkway, and Prospect Expressway.

Your information about hazardous conditions and your suggestions will be welcome at the meeting.

Meeting location
P.S. 130
70 Ocean Parkway
between Fort Hamilton Parkway and Caton Avenue

Related KARMABrooklyn blog posts:
IN THE WAKE OF ANOTHER DEATH, A STREET SAFETY GROUP FOR KWT HAS FORMED
P.S. 130 IS SURROUNDED BY DANGEROUS STREETS AND INTERSECTIONS
PHONE CALLS FOR SAFETY AROUND P.S. 230
PETITION TO IMPROVE TRAFFIC CONDITIONS NEAR P.S. 230
TRAFFIC SAFETY IN WINDSOR TERRACE: THE NEXT STEPS
KEEP ON TRUCKIN', BUT DO IT SOMEWHERE ELSE

OCEAN PARKWAY COLLISION VICTIM IDENTIFIED

                          from New York City Alerts

UPDATE: The Yeshiva World identified the decedent as Reb Yaakov Tzvi Hoffman of Borough Park. Hamodia reports that his funeral and burial took place today; he is survived by his wife and nine children.

According to CBS, police said he "had been driving a 1997 GMC south on Ocean Parkway, when he struck a 2004 Ford from behind."

-------------------------------------------------

Original post:

A driver is dead after this morning's four-car, chain-reaction collision on the southbound side of Ocean Parkway at Ditmas Avenue.

The crash occurred at around 9:30. EMS transported the so-far unidentified 66-year-old driver to Maimonides Medical Center,where he died of cardiac arrest. One other driver is in the hospital with minor injuries.

The NYPD's Collision Investigation Squad will investigate.

News 12 Brooklyn has a video report on the collision.

Source: Mike Wright