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Dear John,
* We have found a new district office, but renovation is underway! For the time being, we are unable to offer in-person appointments with extremely limited exceptions. If you need help, call us at (718) 499-1090 or send us an email at [email protected].

Winter Traffic Update

Street safety continues to be the top issue that constituents reach out to my office about and remains an urgent priority for my team’s work in the district. Report your street safety concerns and complaints through 311 or theDOT webform ([link removed]) and email us your ticket numbers at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) so that we can help look into the issue immediately. Here are a few traffic and street safety updates that my team and I have been working on over the past few months!

In February my office convened a roundtable with Borough Park business owners, concerned neighbors, Community Board 12, and the Department of Transportation (DOT) to discuss long overdue safety concerns on 37th Street between 14th and 15th Avenue, a critical commercial area and community throughway. This street is home to Brooklyn Square, a workspace and hub of over 100 businesses, and the newly rezoned Paperific Supermarket. The block lacks a sidewalk, experiences heavy flooding during rain events, and has been a location of numerous pedestrian and vehicle crashes. While District 39 covers only a small sliver of Borough Park, this block requires deep capital investments to meet basic pedestrian safety standards, which I’m committed to overseeing. At this productive roundtable, we agreed on shared goals and the next steps required to make this corridor safer, which we'll be sure to share once we can make them public. There have been several attempts over the past few decades to address the
infrastructure needs of this street and I’m hopeful that we’re moving in the right direction in making this block safer for all of its users. We’ll keep the community updated on any progress made!

I also joined Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon and our colleagues in support of the re-establishment of the B71 bus route ([link removed]) , which ran between the Columbia Street Waterfront, Crown Heights, and the many neighborhoods in between. The B71 was eliminated in 2010 with no alternative transit routes added to the neighborhoods it served. The bus route made stops at nine schools, Prospect Park, cultural institutions like the Brooklyn Children’s Museum, multiple public housing campuses, and older adult centers. With the MTA’s current Brooklyn Bus Network Redesign, we hope that the MTA considers reinstating the original B71 route or implementing previously proposed alternative expanded routes.

In December 2023, my office was alerted that the lights at PS 107’s schoolyard were damaged and not functional. We stepped in to take swift action by coordinating with the DOT, we were able to get the schoolyard lights turned back. My office is aware of the several streetlight outages near Prospect Park Southwest, Bartel Pritchard Square, and 10th Avenue. DOT has communicated that there are some delays due to understaffing and contractor issues! My office will continue to work closely with DOT to escalate these repairs.

Atlantic Ave Mid-Block Crossings

Atlantic Avenue has long been one of the least safe corridors in Brooklyn, leading to its designation as a Vision Zero high-priority corridor during the previous Mayoral administration. Despite its designation, our community has continued to witness tragedies on Atlantic Avenue, and elected and community partners have made it clear that enough is enough. I’m proud to announce the installation of mid-block crossings on Atlantic Avenue between Nevins and Bond Streets, Bond and Hoyt Streets, and Hoyt and Smith Streets. These investments are a critical step toward slowing down cars, enabling safe pedestrian crossings, and prioritizing safety along the corridor. This investment would not have been possible without the joint advocacy of Council Member Restler, Senator Gounardes, Assembly Member Simon, Congress Member Goldman, the Boerum Hill Association, the Atlantic Avenue BID, the Cobble Hill Association, and countless other community members. This investment is only a start to improving safety
along Atlantic Avenue. I’m committed to continuing to work with the DOT, my elected colleagues, and community partners to secure the follow-up on investments Atlantic Avenue so desperately needs.

Community Bulletin
* Mark your calendars! Drop off your e-waste recycling on Sunday, 4/28 in Kensington ([link removed]) by Prospect Park Southwest between Ocean Parkway and Greenwood Avenue. Check out the LES Ecology website ([link removed]) to check what items are eligible for e-cycling.
* Are you a caregiver of someone aged 60+? Are you looking for resources and support? Join a virtual Family Caregiving 101 workshop ([link removed]) hosted by Heights and Hills on 3/11 to learn essential caregiving techniques and strategies for managing common challenges.
* It’s time to renew your property tax exemptions! If you have the Senior Citizen Homeowners’ Exemption (SCHE), the Disabled Homeowners’ Exemption (DHE), or the Clergy exemption, the deadline to submit renewal applications is 3/15. Property owners who must renew their benefits have been mailed notification letters. Please review the eligibility requirements for SCHE
([link removed]) , DHE
([link removed]) , and other benefits
([link removed]) online before submitting your forms.
* As a reminder, HEAP ([link removed]) benefit applications will be accepted through 3/15! Paper applications can be downloaded and printed from the OTDA website ([link removed]) or requested by calling the DSS at (718) 557-1399. If eligible, households will receive one regular HEAP benefit per program year to help pay for heating their homes.
* Don’t wait until 4/15 to file your taxes! NYC Free Tax Prep offers a variety of free tax prep options, including in-person, virtual, and drop-off options. For more information, contact 311 or visit nyc.gov/TaxPrep.
* North Star Fund ([link removed]) is inviting new groups to apply for grants to support grassroots organizing in NYC and the Hudson Valley. Learn more and apply by 3/29. ([link removed])
* The Asylum Support Clinic (ASC) is a free, in-person, legal clinic for asylum seekers at a Church on the Upper West Side. Attorneys and volunteers help asylum seekers complete and submit legal applications and file work authorization forms. It takes almost 50 volunteer document drafters, interpreters, and childcare volunteers to host these clinics, and ACS is looking for more help! If you’re interested in helping out, fill in the Volunteer Interest Form ([link removed]) .
* Scholarship opportunities for One World Project’s preschool, afterschool, and camp programs are open! If your household has a combined yearly income of $150,000 or less consider applying, by submitting your tax returns to [email protected] along with your online application ([link removed]) .

In Solidarity,

Shahana

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