“Slow Zone,” With Signs and Speed Bumps, Coming to Brooklyn Heights

By on October 5, 2015 6:01 pm in Brooklyn Heights, Government, News, Public Safety, Streets, Traffic

As the Eagle reports (and as readers JoraleMan and RJG remind us, the City’s Department of Transportation is beginning to implement the “slow zone” for Brooklyn Heights that we reported in 2013 would be in place by next year. The map shows the locations of the “20 MPH Slow Zone” signs and speed bumps to be installed. The DOT has provided a detailed plan, with illustrations.

Share this Story:

, , ,

← 
Newer Comments  →
  • RJG

    I think it would be great if NYC offered us the opportunity to sponsor a speed bump! I have always enjoyed reading the dedications on the benches in Central Park.

    I’ll bet NYC could even raise a little money for the local parks by auctioning off the neighborhood bumps to the highest bidder.

    If it were available I’d go for the Schermerhorn bump and the slogan “EASY.”

    I’d also bid on the Willow Street bump and put “WELCOME” on it!

  • http://selfabsorbedboomer.blogspot.com ClaudeScales

    Actually, because they’re less abrupt than the typical “speed bump,” DOT is calling them “speed humps.” I decided I dare not call them that in my post, for fear of the ribald comments it would attract. This is a family friendly blog, or tries to be.

  • Roberto Gautier

    Along with the placement of speed bumps, I suggest that the DOT warn drivers by written text on the pavement – “Speed bump ahead.” Of course, the best way of avoiding speed bumps is not to drive.

  • Sean Haley

    They need an additional one right after Middagh on Henry. It’s a major street crossing for the subway and find many cars that just came off the Brooklyn Bridge speed in excess of 30mph (which is fast considering the active street).

  • Greg

    That’s a really good idea. I’m surprised that didn’t come into consideration.

  • BrooklynCoffeeLover

    If you look through the PDF, there is a proposed gateway for that section.

  • Ernie

    They did put text on the payment on the one on Remsen between Hicks and Henry. Not sure about all the others, but the did not put text warning drivers on the bump on Hicks near Grace Court. Sure are a lot of bouncing cars and trucks.

  • StudioBrooklyn

    I hadn’t even thought of that particular innuendo until you just mentioned it and now I can’t un-think it. Giggle giggle.

  • A Neighbor

    Thanks, BHA, for the hours of hard (volunteer) work that made this happen!

  • StudioBrooklyn

    Anyway, thank you. My two year old reads this. ;)

  • Banet

    The text will likely show up at all the bumps in the coming weeks.

  • Anonymouse

    Why not Atlantic and Henry? Scary intersection!

  • http://selfabsorbedboomer.blogspot.com ClaudeScales

    “Innuendo”: isn’t that the Italian word for…uh, better not go there.

  • MaryT

    True, they seem to be less than bumpy (a nod to the kiddies). Many a scraped undercarriage when real bumps. Drive slow or no can go!

  • Willow Street Watch

    No, that only means that if you have a Bigfoot (jacked up large tire off road vehicle) you can go 10,000 mph. A lot of higher clearance vehicles with long travel suspensions will not be significantly effect ed. It DOES especially effect low riders so. there IS a very beneficial effect.

  • Willow Street Watch

    All of this if you think a moment is a noxious combination of nanny state and let’s collect taxes and deliver minimum services.

    For years, the city has refused to do the two things which REALLY stop dangrrious driver behavior. They do not ticket moving violations to any significant extent. If you want safe streets you HAVE to pull cars over and very visably ticket violators…while like 50 to 100+ passing drivers watch. THEN you are sending a REAL message to the street. But THAT takes manpower and cost taxes every pol would rather spend on pet projects!
    Why really protect lives and get dangerous types, including drug intox drivers (a major problem downtown) and really protect lives when you can have more funds to buy votes. Yes, that really IS how it works….

  • Willow Street Watch

    Second, besides the 84 doing more pullovers, you need a REAL accident investigation process with REAL consequences. You need a SEPARATE functioning service, either an elite unit still inside the NYPD with a SEPERATE command structure which reports to the PC like internal affairs, or a fully seperate agency with the power of arrest and vehicle seizure. Drive crazy? Have an accident? You’re arrested AND you lose your vehicle till trial. If you do more pullovers AND do arrests/siezures after a caused accident, and that becomes general street knowledge, THEN you’ll see a huge degree of the wild vehicle behavior stop.

  • Greg

    I 100% agree with this. Automobiles give people great power, and great power to cause harm in dense urban environments. We need to raise impeccably high expectations that they use that power responsibly and be serious about the consequences of abusing that power.

    Obviously we don’t want to throw old ladies into jail for unfortunate accidents. But for people who consciously push safety limits, when an incident happens they need to take responsibility for their decisions and their consequences. And I fully agree it’s painful to watch how free of responsibility reckless drivers are today. And they know it.

    I’d be thrilled to ever see the separate functioning investigation service you propose.

  • Greg

    Thanks, I hadn’t noticed that. But is “gateway” just new speed limit signs as shown on page 7? That doesn’t sound so promising to me.

    Also, interestingly the “Severe Injuries and Fatalities” map on page 15 seems woefully incomplete. For example, there’s nothing on Margaret Atwater’s death on Clinton & Atlantic from 2013. Which, incidentally, could happen just as easily in the same exact way today.

    My personal pet dream is to start having metal bollards at dangerous intersections, to protect against that kind of scenario.

  • Willow Street Watch

    What we need are SMART speed bumps. That monitor traffic, read an upcoming vehicle type and adjust their height and general activity to the type of upcoming vehicle. They significantly would greatly raise the bump height for any vehicle with less than three inches ground clearance or for a land rover.

    The smart bumps would also fully RETRACT for a number of vehicle types. In order of priority they are:

    1) Any 1927 to 1935 vehicle with an exposed engine.
    2) Any 1949 to 1951 Mercury with a reduced height roof line.
    3) Any American manufactured vehicle prior to 1965 with
    significantly altered body styling or addition of significant
    accessory items such as bubble skirts or lake pipes which
    require special ground clearance.
    4) Any 1948 to 1954 vehicle produced by the Hudson Motorcar Co
    5) Any vehicle produced by the Studebaker Corporation with the term
    “Avanti” in the vehicle title…
    6) Any American manufactured vehicle with an engine size above
    425 cubic inches displacement, which at the time of its approach
    to the bump system exhibits a rear wheels with a rotational speed
    above that necessary to propel the vehicle at its present speed,
    causing the propagation of a cloud of particles.
    7) Any ambulance on a call
    8) Any police or fire vehicles

  • Andrew Porter

    If I had to see that every time I looked out my apartment window, I’d go mad.

  • Andrew Porter

    And we learned from Darren McGavin in “A Christmas Story” that “fragile” is another Italian word…

  • Andrew Porter

    They’re installed. Cars are slowing down. They work!

  • Andrew Porter

    There’s already a traffic light at that intersection.

  • ShinyNewHandle

    How about “speed lumps”? Or is that too close to “Speedo lumps”?

    Is a series of speed bumps a “speed clump”?

    Are the drivers who hit them too hard “speed chumps”?

  • StudioBrooklyn

    That’s pretty good. I would also offer up a few more for you to define:

    “Speed Trumps”

    “Screed Umps”

    “Breed Pumps”

  • StudioBrooklyn

    Hmm…I’d say as long as you’re throwing up ideas for patents let’s concentrate on making them transform into tire-piercing spikes for cars belonging to problem drivers.

  • http://selfabsorbedboomer.blogspot.com ClaudeScales

    “Breed Pumps” brings to mind what a co-worker who had previously been a shoe buyer for Saks told me: there’s a style of women’s shoes known in the trade as “f— me’s.”

  • http://selfabsorbedboomer.blogspot.com ClaudeScales

    I haven’t seen “A Christmas Story,” but I’m guessing he pronounced it frah-JHEE-lay.

  • StudioBrooklyn

    Yes and an Amy Winehouse single referencing them.

←  
Newer Comments  →