DOT Ignored Community on Eastern Parkway Redesign

There was a “community meeting” at the of the  Brooklyn Public Library the evening of June 21st.

The “agenda” of the meeting was apparently to inform residents that no changes can be made to the design of Eastern Parkway, which is undergoing , despite residents’ concerns.

Several NYC department spokespeople were on hand to provide misinformation, and at least one key agency, the Dept. of Environmental Protection, was absent. Although there was a representative from the Brooklyn Borough President’s office, that person did not speak up to convey the Borough President’s views on the issues.

The very first informational slide indicated that at the time of the original design, going back 10 years, there was no consensus regarding a plan to narrow the Service Road between Washington Avenue and Grand Army Plaza, which will result in increased traffic congestion (horns honking; gasoline wasting; exhaust pollution; inability of emergency vehicles to get past double parked cars, delivery trucks, school buses, etc.).  If there was no consensus, how did that decision get made?

 But of course, “no changes can be made.”

The spokesperson from the DOT admitted the numbers the department was using were inaccurate, and further, did not account for double parked trucks and cars not being absolutely flush with regularly parked cars, allowing for doors opening, unloading, etc.  That cars do not park with wheels to the curb, but allow about 6 inches for door opening, and for room to turn the wheels, means that another foot of road width was also not accounted for. The Department also seems to have neglected to consider that when snow plows pile up snow on either side of the cars, another 6 feet of narrowing will result.

There was an admission that if a truck is double parked for delivery, a car might be able to pass, but that another truck (or fire engine), would not be able to pass, (even without the snow problem).

The residents were continuously reminded that the narrowing of the Service Road would replicate the situation in other parts of the city ... a wonderful “race to the bottom” mantra. Residents would be similarly inconvenienced; traffic would be as congested as in other parts of the city; safety would be similarly compromised.

That “logic” is consistent with bureaucratic “designers” who do not live on Eastern Parkway, and who do not understand the flow of traffic, usage by pedestrians, the increasing use of internet-ordered deliveries, ambulettes, Access-A- Ride, etc. making decisions for residents.

But of course, “no changes can be made.”

When residents complained of work being done at night, with concomitant noise, despite the original assurance that work would only be done between the hours of 7am and 6pm, the answer initially was that that work would soon be completed and there would not be any further night work.

The Project Engineer, however, clarified further, explaining that there would indeed be more night work for several extended periods in the future, The several agencies, apparently, do not communicate with each other clearly, nor coordinate adequately. The consequent miscommunication and misinformation confuses residents. The presenters, predictably, were speechless when confronted with the differences between what they have said, are currently saying, and the reality residents must endure.

But of course, “no changes can be made.”

The installation of a two-way bicycle lane on the current pedestrians-only median, will inevitably result in bicycle/bicycle, bicycle/pedestrian, bicycle/pets accidents. Although the overall design was touted as a “safety initiative,” there is no doubt that the narrowing of the pedestrian walkway by half, and the addition of a two-way bicycle lane, with no provisions for how pedestrians will cross the bicycle lane (children, pets, handicapped persons, et. al.) most certainly will contribute to a much less safe environment for both bicyclists and pedestrians.

But of course, “no changes can be made.”

The DOT also did not quite understand that the removal of the diagonal entrance from the Eastern Parkway main road to the Service Road would result in cars piling up at the Washington Avenue crosswalk, as cars traveling west would have to make a right turn, and then an immediate left turn to gain access to the Service Road, while cars traveling east would have to make a left turn, and then another left turn - creating massive congestion at those turning points.

But of course, “no changes can be made.”

Residents were also informed that community input was solicited over the years in several meetings. Although the above concerns were raised at those meetings, and the design team duly noted those concerns, nodding and smiling politely, they then proceeded with their original design without any modifications to accommodate the concerns raised by the community.

At a previous Community Board meeting in February, the presenters did not have the actual statistics regarding the anticipated changes. At this meeting, the statistics were either still missing or admittedly incorrect.  (After 10 years of the designers assiduously working out this detailed, submitted, approved design?)

Once again, as we have seen so often, the will of the people (what we used to think of as “democratic process and representative government”) has been trumped by bureaucratic inefficiency; bureaucratic incompetence; bureaucratic arrogance.

But, of course, “no changes can be made.”

It is salutary that the pedestrian median refurbishing, with an improved walkway, upgraded tree planting, benches and lighting will result in an aesthetically enhanced, more gracious and usable environment.

What is distressing, however, is that in order to get that upgrade, so many decidedly negative elements would have to be included in the design.

And, of course ... ”no changes can be made.”

Well, perhaps some changes can be made – at the polling booths – to let our “representatives” know that they are not adequately and appropriately representing the community.