Improvements to Pedestrian Safety

By on February 13, 2024 11:19 pm in 11201, Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn Heights Association, Government, Public Safety, Streets

The Brooklyn Heights Association advises us that a new stop sign and crosswalk have been installed to aid pedestrians crossing Henry Street at Orange Street, and “DOT tells the BHA that this crossing will be updated to a traffic signal hopefully later this spring.” The BHA also notes that the City Department of Transportation is studying the possibility of four way stop signs at Orange and Hicks streets. The study is expected to be completed by May.

The BHA, with a link to The Eagle, notes that DOT installed midblock crosswalks with traffic lights on Atlantic Avenue between Nevins and Bond streets, Bond and Hoyt streets, and Hoyt and Smith streets. While these are all east of Brooklyn Heights, the BHA observes:

This traffic calming measure aims to slow down cars and enable pedestrians to nagivate the street safely. We applaud this positive step in addressing pedestrian safety concerns along this deadly corridor and continue to work alongside elected officials and other neighborhood groups for additional Atlantic Avenue safety improvements.

The photo above, by Sophie Ambro for Council Member Lincoln Restler, shows Council Member Restler crossing Atlantic Avenue safely at one of the new mid-block crossings.

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  • Jorale-man

    That’s welcome news. There ought to be more speed bumps throughout the neighborhood as well. Having just one mid-block only means that the driver races down the street, slams on the breaks at the bump, and then immediately speeds up again afterwards. But, more stop signs are welcome too.

  • JaneonOrange

    Not for nothing but there has never been a problem crossing Henry at Orange. The stop sign at Hicks makes much more sense.

  • Nosey Neighbor

    My suggestions:
    Four-way stops on Hicks north of Clark.

    Speed bumps on Hicks between Atlantic and Montague.

    Atlantic and Henry needs complete makeover: Bump outs, raised intersection, the works. It’s the deadliest intersection in our neighborhood.

    Bump outs and extra daylighting at intersections should be more common. Trucks unloading at corners obscure views for crossing pedestrians. The trend for larger vehicles makes blind spots larger.

  • Cranberry Beret

    Yes I had the same thought. The delivery truck congestion between Orange and Clark makes it difficult to speed down Henry even if you wanted. Whereas vehicles (seems mainly people trying to bypass the BQE) try to fly down Hicks to make it through the lights at Clark and Middagh.

  • Andrew Porter

    Why would you need 4-way stops when many streets are one way?

    There are already speed bumps on Hicks, one just south of Clark, the other, I believe, north of Clark.

  • mac

    Totally agree…and I don’t see the reasoning for changing this to a full signal as the DOT has said will happen by spring.

  • JDF

    It seems to me that something like a left hand traffic signal should be installed where cars turn left off of Cadman onto Clark. Often, they are trying to beat cars traveling south along Cadman and pay no attention to those crossing the street in the crosswalk there. I’ve seen many narrow misses.

  • MaggieO

    Pedestrians have no problem choosing to cross at Henry and Orange. Without a crosswalk, however, drivers aren’t necessarily looking for pedestrians there. Add in dining sheds and delivery trucks it can be very difficult to anticipate sudden foot traffic appearing mid-block. Hopefully the crosswalk encourages pedestrians to cross here specifically and makes clear to cars that there are pedestrians here. As for a full light, I leave that to the experts, but I think a crosswalk is absolutely warranted to memorialize existing behavior.

  • HgtsShpr

    I would LOVE a full light at Henry and Orange–I cross that intersection with my dog multiple times a day and have already seen multiple drivers blast right through the new crosswalk (not even a “rolling stop”), even with stop signs on both sides of the street

  • Cranberry Beret

    I originally scratched my head at why a full light was coming, but now I agree it makes sense. These new stop signs always have drivers blowing through until people learn it’s there. But this one in particular — b/c it’s a T-intersection — seems like the stop sign esp. on the left will never be noticed much. Also the truck comment above is spot on. When they put in the light, they really should remove the parking spot that currently exists between the north & south cross-walks. Even with the stop signs, I’ve already seen cars who stopped and still didn’t see the crossing pedestrians coming out from between the cars.

  • clarknt67

    To my mind the pool, rather than detracting from river and harbor cleanup, enhances it. Enticing people to enjoy the pleasures of our natural surrounds can only lead to prioritizing its caretaking and improvement.

  • clarknt67

    Yeah. That is strange. Hicks is in my mind much worse. Maybe they figure the sign at Remsen and Hicks suffices but in my experience traffic just punches it after Montague enroute to old Fulton interchange.