Dear John,
A quick note for everyone, our Communications Director will be on vacation next week, so we’re taking a newsletter break next Sunday! Look out for our next newsletter on 11/20.
- Seeing family for Thanksgiving? Be sure to get your flu shot before you fly or travel to stay safe and healthy.
- Election Day is this Tuesday, 11/8! Find your closest poll site, and don’t forget to vote.
- Our Immigration Committee held a hearing this week on my bill, Intro 570, to create a Citywide Office of Translation & Interpretation. Check it out here.
Fall Traffic Update
We received such great feedback on our last traffic update we decided to start providing quarterly updates on traffic issues and street safety concerns facing the district. As always, if you have questions, please email our Constituent Services Director Faiza at [email protected].
5th Avenue & 9th Street Barnes Dance
A number of our neighbors have reached out about the 5th Avenue & 9th Street intersection right by our district office. This intersection is what’s known as a Barnes Dance, a signal pattern that shows walk signs at all four corners at the same time. This isn’t your typical intersection style, but studies have shown it can have a tremendous impact on street safety. That being said, we’ve heard from a number of neighbors about the lack of street design to clearly indicate the crosswalk, as well as issues with the intersection’s signaling. We’ve written to Brooklyn Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Keith Bray to see what improvements can be made, including clear signage. Unfortunately, traffic improvements can take some time, so we will continue to raise this concern with the Commissioner at our monthly meeting.
4th Avenue Bike Lane
In October, I teamed up with Council Members Avilés and Restler to bring DOT’s attention to issues surrounding the 4th Avenue bike lane. From visibility, overcrowding, and illegally parked cars, we demanded DOT’s attention to ensure this bike lane remains usable and effective for cyclists. We were also concerned to hear about plans to temporarily close off areas of the bike lane as a result of the reconstruction of daylighting zones and the installation of bollards.
Parkside Avenue Cyclist
On the week of October 17th, Kala Santiago was riding her bicycle and was tragically struck by a truck on Parkside Avenue by Prospect Park and passed away. Our office was heartbroken to hear the news, and we have taken steps to address the ongoing problem of truck traffic along Parkside Avenue and throughout our entire district. Trucks have been a constant hazard to pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers in our community, as well as a nuisance due to noise pollution, especially in the Columbia Waterfront and Kensington neighborhoods. In my last call with DOT, I addressed the safety concerns around Parkside Avenue, and they shared how they are looking specifically at this intersection with their street management team and bike unit to see how they can improve safety for cyclists. My staff and I will be following up regularly to ensure that we address and alleviate the hazardous conditions in this bike lane.
Gowanus Environmental Remediation
In late summer, a number of neighbors alerted Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon’s office about a chemical smell near St. Mary’s Playground associated with the Brownfield Remediation process. After the alert, our office, along with Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez and Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon’s offices, met with the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and Department of Health (DOH) to ask follow-up questions and to advocate for clear, transparent communication between responsible agencies and the community and the prioritization of community health and safety. Thankfully, DEC and DOH confirmed that the original incident in question wasn’t a harm to the community but our office, alongside our state and federal partners, wrote to the DEC to demand more answers around the scope of drilling and potential environmental impacts. We have added more information about the proposed drilling to our website, along with DEC’s responses to our questions. We are assured by the information DEC and DOH has shared with us, and will continue to advocate for transparent communication and keep our community informed and safe.
Community Bulletin
- Street trees are vitally important to the health of our neighborhoods, which is why we need your help to water them before winter! Urban soil is hydrophobic and difficult to penetrate, which means that you need to cultivate or loosen the soil so that the water can reach the tree's roots. Try to loosen the top 2-3 inches of soil with a hand cultivator and then water slowly. For a full list of recommendations and tips on how to take care of street trees, see the Parks Department website.
- Our office has provided funding to reconstruct the courts at the Greenwood Playground, and the Parks Department wants to hear from you about how they should look! Register to join a virtual community input meeting on 11/15 to discuss your ideas and questions to improve the courts.
- We’ll be hosting a town hall with the Department of Environmental Protection on the recent flooding in our community on 11/17 starting at 6 PM. We’re asking neighbors to RSVP to get the Zoom link here.
- Calling all parents and students of PS 282! Imani House is now offering a FREE after-school enrichment program, Monday through Friday from 2:30 PM - 5:45 PM. Register your child for this program at https://discoverdycd.dycdconnect.nyc/home. For more information, call (718) 638-2059.
- Homeowners - there's still time to apply for your property tax rebate before the deadline on 11/15! If your property is your primary residence and your total household income is $250,000 or less, you may be entitled to a property tax rebate. More on how to apply: https://okt.to/mU48bV.
- Heads up on some construction happening on 4th Avenue! Starting on Monday, 11/7, through Friday, 11/25, there will be street construction for safety improvements between 52nd and 55th street on 4th Avenue.
- BQE construction continues through Thursday, 11/10. As a result, only one lane will be available for Queens-bound BQE traffic from the Brooklyn Heights Promenade to the Manhattan Bridge during the following times:
- Monday 11/7 to Thursday 11/10 from 11:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. the next morning
- There will be no lane closures on Sunday, 11/5.
- Registration for NYC Restaurant Week Winter 2023 is now open! Find more details on how a restaurant you own can participate at: https://business.nycgo.com/nyc-restaurant-week-sign-up/.
- Did you know that Prospect Park is home to Brooklyn’s only Lake? I’m proud to have championed a $1 million allocation in funding in the FY23 city budget alongside my colleagues Council Members Rita Joseph and Crystal Hudson through the Brooklyn Delegation. This allocation will go towards the first phase of the Prospect Park Lakeshore restoration. The Prospect Park Alliance is now starting the design phase and will be creating a master plan for this project, and invites community members to join their first public meeting and design kick-off event to learn more about the project and have an opportunity to provide insight and feedback. Make sure to RSVP!
In Solidarity,
Shahana
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