CB2 Exec Committee to Consider Slow Zone, Joralemon Closure at Furman, Schermerhorn Bike Lane on Monday

By on April 24, 2015 11:14 pm in Brooklyn Heights, Government, Streets, Traffic

Community Board 2’s Executive Committee will meet at the Jonas Board Room, Metcalfe Hall, Long Island University, Flatbush and DeKalb avenues this coming Monday evening, April 27, starting at 6:00 p.m. Among the items on the agenda are (1) the Brooklyn Heights “Slow Zone”, (2) a proposal to close Joralemon Street to through traffic at the intersection of Furman Street, and (3) an extension of the bike lane on Schermerhorn Street from Boerum Place to Clinton Street. The public is welcome and will be invited to comment.

Photo: MK Metz, McBrooklyn.

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  • Bornhere

    I have looked at the schematics on CB2, and I am clearly missing something — Joralemon would be closed at Furman, but would permit car traffic to that point? Or would all traffic, other than bikes and pedestrians, have to turn onto Columbia Place? And I know others will disagree, but I still feel that the Heights is being dedicated to visitors to BBP, with little consideration of residents. Joralemon Street is, as noted, a perfect access point for pedestrians exiting nine (!) subway lines; but the pedestrian traffic has wholly changed what was, essentially, a fairly quiet residential street into a thoroughfare that is incredibly noisy and congested, especially during warmer weather. I really wish some thought were given to figuring out a shuttle sort of approach to/from BBP, that might collect/return visitors at Court and Joralemon, approach BBP via Atlantic Avenue, and return via Furman to Old Fulton to Cadman/Court.

  • StoptheChop

    I agree that pedestrians are much more of an issue than cars. And I can’t imagine that folks living on Columbia, Willow, or Garden Pl, or on State Street, would be happy having all traffic turn onto on their streets (including delivery trucks, of which there are many every day), rather than continuing onto Furman to access Atlantic Avenue or Old Fulton Street.

  • FoodArtforKids.com

    Joralemon was never intended to be such a major pedestrian throughway and cannot safely handle all the foot traffic the park generates on most weekends. This is bad urban planning to say the least and a huge nuisance to the residents of the street who were there way before the park. It should have not been made an access point to begin with, but I guess this is an outcome of patch work planning.

  • Jorale-man

    Today gave Joralemon Street a taste of the summer crowds to come – a steady stream heading back and forth to Smorgasburg throughout the day. I agree with the other comments here but unfortunately there’s not much that can be done to alleviate it short of creating a pedestrian barrier of some kind, which isn’t going to fly.

  • Banet

    For what it’s worth, Smorgasburg will be moving elsewhere after this Summer (or maybe before the summer is even out). The entire Smorgasburg area is being turned into more lawns and paths.

  • Robert Perris

    To clarify a few points: While tonight’s meeting (Full agenda: https://madmimi.com/p/8a3726) is open to the public, as almost all community board meetings are, the public has not been invited to comment. Anyone interested in commenting on the proposed closure of Joralemon Street to vehicular traffic should have done so when the topic was before the transportation committee, last Tuesday. Yes, Bornhere, traffic that gets as far as Columbia Place would then need to turn there. This aspect of the plan was discussed by the Willowtown Association, which represents residents throughout the neighborhood, not just on Joralemon Street. And thought was given to a shuttle: http://www.brooklyncb6.org/_attachments/2008-03%20BBPLDC%20Transportation%20Study.pdf.

  • Quinn Raymond

    Schermerhorn Bike lane! Yes! Yes!

  • Quinn Raymond

    I live on Schermerhorn street and would be very supportive of a bike lane here.

    Is it too late to comment on that?

    Q

  • http://selfabsorbedboomer.blogspot.com/ Claude Scales

    Sorry, Rob. I can’t correct the body of the post from where I am now, but will do so when I get home this evening.

  • Robert Perris

    No worries Claude. By tomorrow it will be history.

  • Robert Perris

    Quinn, the transportation committee voted unanimously (less one abstention) in favor or extending the Class 2 bike lane two blocks to Clinton Street. I anticipate the change will pass at the full board as well.

  • gatornyc

    What was the opinion of the Transportation Committee? Can you provide any details regarding the proposed closure of Joralemon Street to vehicular traffic?

  • Quinn Raymond

    That’s great news. Keep up the great work and thank you for the time and effort you invest. We really appreciate it.

  • Robert Perris

    I haven’t seen the presentation in a year and the committee minutes describe more the meeting than the proposal, so I don’t want to get into details. The committee’s recommendation was unanimous (13-0-0) in favor of encouraging the community board to support the plan.

  • Reggie

    Huh? A person doesn’t have to be an urban planner to see that, south of the Brooklyn Bridge, there are only three existing routes to the waterfront; Atlantic, Joralemon and Old Fulton. An entrance to the park from the promenade was considered and the access from Squibb Park a compromise of sorts. Maybe it’s semantics, but FAFK seems to be saying, if there weren’t a lot of entrances to the park, it shouldn’t have been built.

  • StoptheChop

    it’s upland for the Marina, too, isn’t it?

  • Banet

    It’s technically upland of the Marina but the Picnic Peninsula is I between the two. The Marina will not use and land — all their facilities are floating.

  • memeadjuster

    The roundabout access from Squib Park is hardly a compromise for an entrance from the Promenade.

  • Reggie

    Sure it is. The Squibb Park entrance is less than what some people wanted and more than others would have liked to have seen. The very definition of a compromise.

  • memeadjuster

    I just don’t see how an obscure entrance at the end of sleepy little Middagh St, leading to a rambling bridge no less, is in any way comparable to an entrance from the Promenade, from busy, centrally located, commercial Montague St., for example, where it should be.

  • Reggie

    That’s the ‘less than’ part.

  • StoptheChop

    but Smorgasburg was supposed to move out after last summer. does this mean BBPC can postpone any action indefinitely?

  • Banet

    BBPC answers to their board. The board is mostly mayoral appointees. So the corp can do whatever their board, and really the mayor, wants.

    That said, the corp wants to build a park. My understanding is that the overall construction timeline for the entire park was slightly delayed by the severe winter. It put Pier 6 a few months behind which in turn put these Pier 5 uplands a few months behind.

  • Still Here

    The idea of any access to the park from the Promenade, desired by many, was vociferously fought and successfully blocked by BHA and many of the Brooklyn Heights heavy hitters who otherwise promoted the park, all at the expense of those to the north and south. Montague commercial interests certainly wanted it. Several plans were considered which would have cost many millions, but which is actually a small % of the overall park capital spend.They said it was too difficult to implement. I thought it was really selfish.

    A shuttle was more than considered but has materialized. Not sure it would help on Sundays. Getting rid of the Smorgasbord would help a lot.

  • joralemoner

    Vehicular traffic on Joralemon isn’t the problem, pedestrian traffic is. If the street is closed to vehicles, won’t it just become even more crowded with walking park visitors? Picture the blocks closed to cars at Times Square, but on a smaller scale of course. Why can’t pedestrian traffic be re-routed to Atlantic? And what’s happened to the request and petitions for increased police presence on Joralemon at night to reduce noise?

  • Andrew Porter

    Perhaps street signs directing pedestrians to use Atlantic Avenue instead of Joralemon? Certainly the merchants there would appreciate the increased foot traffic, and Willowtown residents having fewer passers-by.