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Exclusive: DOT eyes Brooklyn's Grand Army Plaza as NYC's next car-free space
By
Stephen Nessen
Published Nov 10, 2022
Modified Nov 11, 2022
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By
Stephen Nessen
Published Nov 10, 2022
Modified Nov 11, 2022
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A long-time dream of safe street advocates — and anyone that’s tried to cross Grand Army Plaza on the weekend, leapfrogging across overcrowded pedestrian islands precariously close to traffic – is moving one step closer to reality.
The city’s Department of Transportation is considering making Grand Army Plaza car-free and connecting it to the Open Streets on Vanderbilt and Underhill Avenues, officials said this week. The department is soliciting feedback from the public about improvements to the area, but DOT deputy commissioner Eric Beaton said the agency is ready to take bold steps.
“We want to take it to the next level and not just have it be reliant on people moving barriers at certain times of day, but having these turn into more consistent and better designed public spaces,” said Beaton. “I would say at the moment we're not taking anything off of the table.”
The DOT will have a table at Grand Army Plaza on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and a virtual online workshop on Nov. 16 at 6:30 p.m.
To complete the overhaul, Beaton hopes the agency can tap into the $904 million for street improvements Mayor Eric Adams pledged last April, which includes $580 million for capital improvements.
“There's [only] so far you can get with paint, planters and barricades,” Beaton said.
The area has been dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists in recent years. Last year, a woman and her 1-year-old child were hit by a car at an intersection on the west side of the plaza’s roundabout, and a bicyclist was critically injured after being struck by a driver at the intersection.
Beaton acknowledged that Flatbush Avenue is one of the busiest bus routes and that any changes to roads will have to work around the MTA’s operations.
Grand Army Plaza has also been the target of recent complaints from City Council members who took office this year. City Council members Crystal Hudson and Shahana Hanif in May penned a letter to Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez, calling on his agency to immediately address safety issues at the plaza.
“The area is in a state of disrepair — defined by endless traffic, poor sidewalk conditions, broken benches, and overflowing trash cans and litter,” the letter said. “Our offices have received multiple calls and emails in recent months about injuries resulting from the poor conditions.”
Hudson said she wants to prevent future injuries by installing traffic lights at surrounding intersections, including Prospect Park West and Union Street, as well as Plaza Street West and Berkeley Street. And she said the traffic light on Eastern Parkway near the Brooklyn Public Library's main branch should be synced with other lights so pedestrians aren’t precariously stranded on a thin strip of island waiting for the next light to change.
When Hudson learned about the improvements the DOT would like to make to Grand Army Plaza, she said it should include more improvements to traffic flow.
"We see this as an opportunity to address urgent traffic safety concerns and make much-needed improvements to the area's infrastructure, ensuring Grand Army Plaza is safe and accessible for everyone,” Hudson wrote in an email.
Beaton didn’t have an exact timeline for the project, but expects the agency will draft plans within the year. “We're not sitting around, we're moving it quickly,” he said.
"We don't have to accept the status quo as normal — we can build streets for all by prioritizing people, not cars. We look forward to working with DOT as they begin this outreach process," said Juan Restrepo, Senior Organizer at Transportation Alternatives, a nonprofit organization that advocates for street safety.
Correction: This story was updated to correct the total funding available for street improvements.
Tagged
transportation
brooklyn
Stephen Nessen
Stephen Nessen covers transportation. Since 2008 he has reported on everything from Occupy Wall Street, the rebuilding of the World Trade Center site, Hurricane Sandy, to Trump’s campaign for president. His transportation reporting has taken him everywhere from the MTA’s secret Rail Control Center to the gleaming subways of Seoul. Got a tip? Email [email protected].
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