New York City’s Department of Transportation has proposed to modify Empire Boulevard between Utica and Bedford Avenues, making it into a one lane street with parallel bike lanes.
The proposed changes come after community concerns over speeding, pedestrian safety and desire for traffic calming.
The report states that Empire Blvd is nearly twice the necessary width for the traffic volume it currently handles, encouraging drivers to speed.
The intersection of Empire and Troy was one of NYC’s top 20 high pedestrian crash locations in 2007, and the report lists 7 crashes – with 6 fatalities and 33 serious injuries – in the past year.
The report (read it here) cites two similar Brooklyn “Traffic Calming” projects as successful.
COLlive reported last month that the Department of Transportation is also reviewing its options for redoing Kingston Avenue, from Eastern Parkway to Empire Boulevard.
“People visit and see a busted up neighborhood,” Jacob Goldstein, Chairman of Brooklyn’s Community Board 9, said.
Living in Crown Heights, we can all agree that Empire Blvd. needs improved pedestrian safety and comfort, calmer traffic and nicer street-scape, as the DOT has suggested. But is this the right way to do it? Ever wonder what will happen with the many trucks and commercial vehicles passing through Empire Blvd on a daily basis?? How about Emergency Vehicles, police, ambulances and the fire dept. who frequent Empire for its width and easy access?? A one lane ‘Empire’ will be an absolute safety hazard, slowing down emergency vehicles and all it will take is one idiot to double park… Read more »
Living in Crown Heights, we can all agree that Empire Blvd. needs improved pedestrian safety and comfort, calmer traffic and nicer street-scape, as the DOT has suggested. But is this the right way to do it? Ever wonder what will happen with the many trucks and commercial vehicles passing through Empire Blvd on a daily basis?? How about Emergency Vehicles, police, ambulances and the fire dept. who frequent Empire for its width and easy access?? A one lane ‘Empire’ will be an absolute safety hazard, slowing down emergency vehicles and all it will take is one idiot to double park… Read more »
This is great news! No double parked trucks in a residential area anymore!!
its going to make there chaos, i drive to williamsburg somtimes, and the bikelane are realy disturbing
Construction of this magnitude brings rats,, good luck to those living on Empire,,,,
It will be awesome for the house values on Empire! Overflow traffic will probably go to Lefferts Avenue.
So when Empire becomes a clogged artery. which street will be getting the overflow traffic – Montgomery? Lefferts? or Crown? Dumkops!
guy movin to the five towns don’t let the door hit you…CH is rockin and this Empire plan is superb. I luv it – a bike lane – safety for kids and seniors, and even a left/right turn lane – what more do you need. All those in favor say ay – ay ! case closed I luv it even more now. Thanks.
finally something for us bikers! This is great!
People totally speed on Empire! This is great!
Now it will be totally much safer.
This is for you!
thanks for always bringing us this kind of information!
COLlive Rocks!!!
who needs hte pritzus of women in skimpy clothing riding through our neighborhood? dont we have enough of our own tzinus problems? where is the ‘New Vaad Hakohol’ in all this?
Cant Poltorak fight it?
Isn’t he a bigshot lawyer?
Can’t deal with more construction!
I think I’m moving to the Five Towns.
This place is a dump.
will definitely upgrad Crown Heights look. It will be one of the nicest streets in Crown Heights. lucky for empire residents – property values will go up becasue of this.
why dont they worry about changing the cleaning signs on eastern parkway which is done on shabbos every shabbos!! for any religious holiday they suspend the entire city but for ch we need to be cleaned every shabbos on shabbos residence of EP have no place to park.
The people making these decisions dont live in crown heights. they dont know what is best for the people here.
I love the idea. Much safer, nicer, everyone wins.
what is the problem?
The only problem would be for residents, they driving around to get to their own driveways might be inconvenient.
But I think they will weigh the pros and cons, and would probably rather a safer street than anything else.
Let’s hope they keep on working to improve Crown Heights – after all, it is our home.
never a dull moment
Great for the bikers!
Lets hope this is the end of the speeding on empire. my son was once hit by a car in front of our building. The cars go speeding and you cant see them coming.
I really hope tehy will do this, it’s about time.
WHAT YOU ALL SAY WILL NOT CHANGE IT IF THEY DECIDE TO DO IT THEY WILL GO AHEAD AND DO IT.
This is so stupid!
Every time we want to pull into our driveway we’ll have to go all the way around? We usually pull in from the other side.
Residents of Empire blvd probably wont be too happy about this. They will have a hard time not being able to double park anymore. what a pain.
All of these plans are to line the pockets of hte companies who get these jobs doing city construction work.
Mark my words, the project will take way longer than necessary, causing a mess for residents.
Just another way to spend ny’s money.
There are really a crazy amount of accidents on empire and troy. we always hear it from our window. its really scary.
maybe people will drive slower now. i hope so.
HOW CAN ANY ONE THINK THIS IS A GOOD IDEA
IT WILL JUST AD TO TAHE TRAFFIC
IT WILL TAKE EVEN LONGER TO DRIVE ANYWHERE
I think its nice. now people can walk for excersize here too, not only Eastern Parkway.
This and kingston avenue? whats up with Goldstein?
Is he here to help or bother the community?
THis is not good
More arguing…. so typical
No U Turns is a GOOD thing. do you know how many accidents were caused by the u turns? not to mention accidents due to people speeding, and you cant see over the hill on empire and albany.
I dont think they should do this for a few reasons, but still the uturns are unsafe and people should stop doing them.
I think its a great idea. Why shouldn’t Crown heights also be a nice, pleasant place to live? This will add to our quality of life.
Stop complaining about everything.
so you can double park every where in C.H. but wont be able to on Empire! ( sounds good for you)
Do you know how that will be for the residents here on Empire.
One lane only will only result in more traffic. It may sound nice but its not practical if you live around here.
What will the zooming cops do who fly like crazy down Empire and make my heart pound when they are on a call and there will be only one lane for them to move, where are the other cars supposed to go?
Empire to lose some lanes & Bloomberg has lost some marbles! Look at all the roads he has downsized for bike traffic. Congested, noisy & the bike lane is not used 95% of the time. Good luck to all you emergency vehicles trying to travel on Empire. The pedestrian benefit is just a ruse to put in bike lanes & make more revenue on gas taxes. Rogers / Empire to Montgomery always over flows & backs up because the light in not in sync. Imagine if the city officials had the brains to sync the traffic lights in all directions… Read more »
Empire to lose some lanes & Bloomberg has lost some marbles! Look at all the roads he has downsized for bike traffic. Congested, noisy & the bike id not used 95% of the time. Good luck to all you emergency vehicles trying to travel on Empire. The pedestrian benifit is just a ruse to put in bike lanes & make more revenue on gas taxes. Rogers / Empire to Montgomery always over flows & backs up because the light in not in sync. Imagine if the city officials had the brains to sync the traffic lights in all directions which… Read more »
1) there will actualy beter movment of trafic becuse A) you will have turning lane. B) NO double parked cars and trucks. C) you may not know it but cars swerving in and out of lanes slow trafic down.
2) if can save a hurt person it is worth it.
3) in Crown height we have evrything 2, so now we will have to diffrent sides here to
how will we be able to make U Turns in middle of the street, when we find a parking spot we need to be able to get it in a second if not by the time we go around the block it will be gone!!
I hope they dont do this
anyone know if they for sure are doing it or its just being discused?
Altering the status quo preferred by the majority, to please ten liberals in Marty Markowitz’s office that don’t even live in Crown Heights.
As a resident of Empire Blvd, I applaud this move. Empire blvd has long been the location of many accidents, some of which I have personally witnessed.
If this will help to eliminate some of those incidents, I think it is a great idea.
Crown Heights will be a mess with all the consturction on kingston avenue, now this! Its too much
Now there may be too MUCH traffic – and then it will take forever to go around the block.
they should just leave it the way it is.
empire is a difficult street to navigate because of trying to guess the cars in front of you making a aleft turn, nad you needing to change lanes to go around them. If they make the single lane and add turn lanes, everything will be more calm, and move more quickly. It is a definite win-win.
Are you guys crazy? all this will do is make more traffic, empire on a regular day during rush hour you can hardly move, its packed with cars and trucks. there is no reason to do this, whoever does this obviously does not live or owkr in CH. say no to goldstien he wants to do this to kingstov ave as well
Why is their no planed “pedestrian refuge island” for KINGSTON AVE ??
the double parked trucks should move to a commercial area.
this area is zoned for residential use and the trucks don’t belong there. there are children living right near the double parked trucks who wake up to the smell of idling trucks and have to walk in to the third lane of traffic sometimes to get on to their school buses.
Empire Blvd is a truck route.
Will they leave a turning lane for empire kosher? or maybe a traffic light or a bridge?
what will happen with all the double parked trucks for the commercial businesses (like near the police station)?
is this all just to place more trees for Bloomberg?
Great idea!!
Empire can become a nice place to walk and stroll on Shabbos or in the evenings