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traffic on 4th Ave. — Brooklynian

traffic on 4th Ave.

anonymous
anonymous
edited November -1 in Park Slope
I've written to the DOT about this and received a reply that everything was just fine.

4th Ave. is an accident waiting to happen - and an accident(s) happening.

Everyone knows that it's the second most dangerous thoroughfare in NYC (first is Queens Blvd. somewhere).

Traffic travels about 50 mph much of the time (through this mixed residential/commerical neighborhood). People do get hit. NOONE in their right mind stand on the median since you can get blown off by the traffic and killed.

What I told the DOT was that they should stagger the lights - that's all. What they really should do is that - and also install speed limit signs on every block - and enfore it at 25 mph.

It is currently used as if it's part of the BQE. - not just "regular" traffic - which of course includes tractor trailors and big live poultry chicken trucks) but also includes the guys who use 4th Ave. as their personal racetrack. This is both autos and motorcycles.

I'm a driver AND a pedestrian and have had (extremely) close calls as both.

Adults and kids have been struck.

I think it would be great if we all wrote the DOT. thx

Comments

  • pitu
    pitu
    yeah, anyone within earshot of 4th Ave can hear the rather frequent and occsionally spectacular crashes there . . . although plenty of otherwise reasonable people (myself included) stand on the median.

    there's lots more citizen attention being paid to 4th Ave traffic with the new housing zoning, and when/if the arena goes in . . . you might be interested in
    http://www.trafficrelief.org/
    http://www.streetsblog.org/category/issues-campaigns/traffic-calming/
  • laura
    laura
    4th Ave scares me, which is why I won't live west of it. I live btw 4th and 5th and only cross it to get to the subway, which isn't that often (I work at home).
  • MOD
    MOD
    Wow, I was just on 4th, by the sheep station and there was an accident. Cops, ambulance and all.
  • armchair_warrior
    armchair_warrior
    nyc needs a tunnel system, like the big dig in boston.

    should get rid of gowanus and bqe and put a underground system for brooklyn,queens, and bronx. take the westside highway and fdr to underground too.
  • friendlypitbull
    friendlypitbull
    Actually staggering the lights is the worst idea (as is 25mph speed limit), the lights should be syncronized so that you make them IF you travel a reasonable speed (say 40 mph) while some people may try to speed anyway the majority of traffic will soon learn the 'pace' and thereby hold most of the crazies back.
    If you stagger the lights people are going to try to speed ahead hoping that they can make the next light.
  • caaahyoko
    caaahyoko
    Unfortunately, my front windows are level with that strip of death. Its so loud that we can't sleep with the window open in the front.

    Strangely enough, its completely muffled once you get in the back yard :-k :-k
  • anonymous
    anonymous
    I think trying to slow traffic to 25mph on 4th Ave is a terrible idea.
    It is a main thoroughfare through brooklyn just like Atlantic or Flatbush.
  • bklyntransplant
    bklyntransplant
    It is a main thoroughfare through brooklyn just like Atlantic or Flatbush
    Speaking of Flatbush...that's another corridor of death just waiting to happen, especially at the intersection with 4th Avenue, near the Atlantic Center and the W'Burgh savings bank. I have seen - and indeed been a part of - way too many near-misses btw cars and pedestrians.

    Stadium traffic through there is going to be absolutely disastrous.
  • caaahyoko
    caaahyoko
    BklynTransplant wrote:

    Speaking of Flatbush...that's another corridor of death just waiting to happen, especially at the intersection with 4th Avenue, near the Atlantic Center and the W'Burgh savings bank. I have seen - and indeed been a part of - way too many near-misses btw cars and pedestrians.

    Stadium traffic through there is going to be absolutely disastrous.
    Yeah, what idiot put the crosswalk from that little island at 4th ave to the north side of Atlantic pointing away from the entrance to the mall? No one actually walks in the crosswalk if they're heading into Target. And the cars try their hardest to run everyone over crosswalk or not.
  • bklyntransplant
    bklyntransplant
    Ugh....the crosswalk, the weird little intersection all the way by the bank that has no discernable yield/right of way/directional pattern...the minivans whipping around the island with the greenhouse.....total nightmare.
  • brooklynpotter
    brooklynpotter
    well, come live on 15th between 8th and the park. because the ltraffic circle only has lights on THREE of the four streets, and 15th ain't one of them. and cars come careening around the circle, don't stop to see if people are walking, and then speed down 15th. it's not pretty
  • michaelkeys
    michaelkeys
    brooklynpotter wrote: well, come live on 15th between 8th and the park. because the ltraffic circle only has lights on THREE of the four streets, and 15th ain't one of them. and cars come careening around the circle, don't stop to see if people are walking, and then speed down 15th. it's not pretty
    Speaking of not pretty: I've seen the aftermath of some pretty horrible car crashes on 15th & 4th. The kind where the badly twisted wreckage makes you say to yourself, "I hope they survived THAT," but you're left wondering how.
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