Reckless Driving/Speeding by Dollar Vans

Prospect pl. and Carlton is a two way stop sign, not a four way. I used to live right there and didn't notice the dollar vans doing that specifically. I did really wish the cops would sit there and just ticket everyone who drives through the stop signs. The city could make their ticket minimums for a month after just one day at that intersection. Every time I crossed the street I felt like it was a game of chicken between me and any other car. Maybe the dollar vans have started to do that within the last 3 months that I haven't lived right near that intersection?

What is really scary is going near that intersection in the rain or other inclement weather. There is so much screeching of tires at Carlton as cars head towards Flatbush on Prospect pl. I would refuse to cross if I saw a car coming that hadn't come to a slow enough speed. In a few cases cars slid so far into the crosswalk when they did try to stop that I would have been hit for sure had I dared try.

I was often out walking my dog and very often had a bag filled with his fecal matter. The urge to throw said bag at these cars was huge, but I'm WAY to delicate to start That kind of fight. I did do a lot of yelling and sarcastically shouting, "Noooo, Please, you go ahead. I'm sure you have somewhere Really important to be." I also have done the kick the hood of the car thing while uttering, "hey, I'm walking here." I figure if a car stops so close to me that I can kick the bumper without going out of my way, they deserved to get yelled at closely.

Again though, I'm not tough at all, and it could be argued that I'm now safer in Crown Heights than I was there with my yelling and kicking at cars. I did manage to not throw poop at any of them and I consider that to be a job well done on my part.

Regarding the speed bumps (or "speed humps" as DOT calls them), you can request one on your street by writing to: Commissioner of Transportation, 55 Water Street, New York, NY 10041.

Note the process will take months, if not years. My Block Association requested for one more than a year ago. We included a petition of support signed by people living on the street. We have spoken to local elected officials (it helps to have Council Member Letitia James on your side).

The whole thing takes a while because DOT needs to conduct traffic surveys/tests, and determine that having a speed hump will not adversely affect anyone else on the street.

This is totally asinine, but if there have been accidents at your intersection related to the speeding, chances are, the speed hump will be approved faster. (Not in the business of preventing accidents before they happen, I'm afraid.)

As for the speeding problem, bring it up at your next Community Board meeting, make sure your local elected officials know about the problem. And keep calling 311, it's good to have a log of how many times this has happened!

The community precinct meetings are a good idea. Meglime, I moved and the PH meetings are so far off my radar, but if you need someone else to come and make a stink with you I'd be happy to if I can make it. Feel free to contact me for further stink making attempts. I'm not sure how much my word will hold considering I don't live there anymore, but it's a subject that still gets me going.

I found yellow cabs and then livery cabs to be the worst. It's like the yellow cabs are just thinking "I hate going to brooklyn, I need to get the hell out before someone flags me down and asks to go further into Brooklyn". They then see the light at Flatbush and don't really register Carlton ave until someone tries to walk across. Then they screech all over the place.

Do the community meetings actually work?

I went to the last one in June and while the food was nice.

No one really was ever able to say anything.

Not really sure why we are supposed to spend our night making and effort and attending, when all it's all about the politicians doing speeches about how they care what people have to say.

As far as the vans go, I feel your pain. Believe me. I have ridden my bike down Flatbush only to be honked at by the Vans. Not sure how they even get driver's license cause clearly they are really bad drivers.

mae said:

the north flatbush avenue business improvement district has been working with DOT and the 78th and 77th police precinct to crackdown on not just these dollar vans but all speeding cars.

I think that the only thing that will crack down on speeding and red-light running on Flatbush (and elsewhere) are traffic cameras.

Or a concerted campaign like the bike-ticketing one.

You know, the NYPD actually getting off its ass and enforcing traffic laws, aka one of the most dangerous aspects of life in NYC.

you should take the honks as an insult.It means you look like you want a ride. During the MTA strike the vans were praised. As Bloomy says that cab service will be extended to other via anything other than yellow cabs the dollar van will become the vehicle of choice for crime, rape, robbery, extortion,just to start. Every van needs TLC oversite..sure it would take a week to get all the vans wrangled up but that may be too much to ask. look at the people in the vans, they don't care about you and your bike,dog,kid or stroller they are just passing through

It was around 5:30pm today. My wife saw the aftermath and it was BAD. There was a lot of blood and vomit and the ambulance, fire and police were already on the scene. Our neighbor helped stabilize the woman. She is a medical professional and mentioned level 1 trauma. Does anyone have any more info?

I hope she is ok.

The dollar vans are a menace!

meglime-

A witness has created a thread on today's (9/14/11) Dollar Van accident at that intersection:

http://brooklynian.com/forum/prospect-heights/woman-hit-by-dollar-van-on-prospect-place-and-carlton#post-741670

I just threw this together. Let me know how I can improve it:

http://dollarvanwatch.crowdmap.com/

raulism said:

I just threw this together. Let me know how I can improve it:

http://dollarvanwatch.crowdmap.com/

I there a way you can let people contributing to it opt to leave their name or email? People would still be able to leave info anonymously if they wished, by this option would give it a certain credibility that an anonymous map would lack. ....It would have a greater chance of getting attention from the TLC, politicians and media.

The information could not be dismissed as people having a long standing grudge against Dollar Vans ....because the contributors would represent swaths of the NYC demographics.

Hello - this was my mother in law who was visiting from Italy, and going to pick up the boys at afterschool. She is under observation at the moment. Thank you to the kind neighbor/s who helped - as I am just back from the hospital, I would love to get more information from those who were there/helped as I don't have many details. Any way to get in touch? Sorry I am new to this forum.....

A traffic light will be installed at the intersection of Park and Carlton. This will force vans taking the detour to stop at a red light at Park so there will be less of a time savings to taking Carlton.

Work has already begun on the light and new crosswalks.