Want to talk with NYC DOT about Franklin Avenue? April 2nd — Brooklynian
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Want to talk with NYC DOT about Franklin Avenue? April 2nd

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  • newguy88newguy88
    Why the heck do they always have these things when I have class?!  I have a list of things about the size of my arm I'd love to say to the DOT about Franklin. 
  • mugofmead111mugofmead111
    edited March 2014
    I have a class too, but I can pop in on my way home (if I remember and if I have the energy). I live nearby.

    I can think of one nitpick: police should be sitting at the intersection of Franklin and Empire to pull over those drivers who insist on making that illegal right-hand turn. 
  • newguy88newguy88
    edited March 2014
    If anyone wants to bring up these five things I'd appreciate it. Or at least some of these.

    1. Why do the bike sharrows end at Bergen?
    2. Why, given the number of cyclists and the demographic that frequents Franklin, has a bike lane not been put in? Is this something the DMV is willing to do? 
    3. Much of Franklin needs to be repaved
    4. At the very least the lane markers need to be repainted to make it clear to drivers Franklin is a two lane avenue. Many drivers seem to treat it as a one lane and drive in the middle of the lanes.
    5. The double parking on Franklin is horrible and incessant. 
  • mugofmead111mugofmead111
    Doubleparking needs to be addressed boroughwide! If the city is looking to generate revenue, then enforce the rules!
  • newguy88newguy88
    edited March 2014
    Their slowly starting to. There is currently a campaign going on over on Jay Street.
  • grwdgrwd
    new guy - Even though it's striped as two lanes, the fact that many drivers already treat it as one lane tells me that the street is too narrow for two lanes (plus parking). One car lane and one bike lane (plus parking), perhaps, but not two car lanes.

    If one lane sounds blasphemously not enough to you, two points:
    - younger generations are driving less (fact!), so just wait a few years and it'll make sense
    - remove a handful of parking spots to stick in a right turn bay or a left turn bay (which will double as an unloading zone in real life) and you've got your "second lane" where/when you need it
  • whynot_31whynot_31
    Folks who are not able to attend the meeting could email the DOT rep, Rhonda Messler.   Her email is listed on the above flyer.
  • mike dunlapmike dunlap
    1. Why do the bike sharrows end at Bergen?
    That is a great question.  I'll ask that one if I'm able to make it.

    Franklin Avenue needs to be a much, much bigger headache for drivers and much more pleasant for cyclists and pedestrians.
  • mike dunlapmike dunlap
    edited March 2014
    new guy - Even though it's striped as two lanes, the fact that many drivers already treat it as one lane tells me that the street is too narrow for two lanes (plus parking). One car lane and one bike lane (plus parking), perhaps, but not two car lanes.

    If one lane sounds blasphemously not enough to you, two points:
    - younger generations are driving less (fact!), so just wait a few years and it'll make sense
    - remove a handful of parking spots to stick in a right turn bay or a left turn bay (which will double as an unloading zone in real life) and you've got your "second lane" where/when you need it
    Snowfall does a great job of showing how Franklin Avenue would be just fine with one lane for cars.  After the heavier snowfalls, cars make one channel up the middle of the street.  And they go ~20 mph through it.  And yet the world doesn't come to a halt, amazingly.   In fact, the area is a lot more pleasant without idiots ripping through it at 40 mph.
  • capt. planetcapt. planet
    in my experience, Franklin Avenue becomes two lanes when some guy in a car is in a big hurry and tries to squeeze past the car in front of him. Good forbid there is a cyclist or jaywalking pedestrian in the way!
  • newguy88newguy88
    Did anyone go? If so what was discussed?
  • whynot_31whynot_31
    New guy, the mtg is on April 2nd.    

    Today is March 26th.
  • newguy88newguy88
    edited March 2014
    D'oh!image
  • whynot_31whynot_31
    Bump.
  • chrismcnally1111chrismcnally1111
    It's great to hear these ideas! When Franklin Ave comes up at the Community Board meetings, all anyone seems to care about is what will happen with double parking.

    There is a bus on Franklin Ave, and bars and restaurants. Large beer trucks double park on Franklin making deliveries.

    My wishlist for Franklin would be:

    1) Loading zones, especially on the side street corners on the North/East sides. This would be close enough for carting items into businesses without blocking Franklin Ave.

    2) Either a bike lane or striping to make Franklin one lane like Classon. Classon is so much easier to ride in now that cars are not racing each other in two lanes. Two lanes on a one way street just brings out aggressiveness in drivers.

    3) Franklin is only ok to ride on before Pacific, then it becomes too narrow. Cars race across Atlantic ave. If on the Bedstuy side we could make a left and right turn lane and only one lane into Franklin, I think it would have a calming effect. This could be done by greatly expanding the Franklin sidewalks on the North side of Atlantic.

    4) Parking Meters the length of Franklin Ave. They stop at St Johns place or Sterling. This is to help businesses that think their customers arrive by car. Residents should only be able to park in the evening.

    5) I believe DOT has some rules about parking on Franklin that is designed to open up the lanes during rush hour. This does not work and only makes cars speed more. Same on Rogers. Eliminate that.

    I hope some of you can show up to the meeting, we never seem to hear about these kinds of smart ideas at CB meetings. However we always hear complaints about "there is too much traffic" "cars are honking" "no place to park"
  • dac545dac545
    Did anyone see the woman handing out fliers at Franklin Ave/Eastern Parkway this morning regarding changes to Franklin Avenue's traffic pattern? 

    She seemed to be making it sound like it was already a done deal that the avenue would become one lane with "no parking" many times of day..
  • whynot_31whynot_31
    DOT often must hold these "listening sessions" before they can enact changes, so it is likely that they have ideas for the street.

  • newguy88newguy88
    Any of those ideas get any air time yesterday?
  • whynot_31whynot_31
    edited May 2014
    There were enough people in attendance that 95% of ideas of all varieties got air time.

    Now, DOT can state that they are recommending ideas that they heard from the public, regardless of how widely said ideas may be held.

  • whynot_31whynot_31
    edited May 2014

    Follow-up meeting:


    On Tuesday, May 27th DOT will present proposed safety and mobility enhancements to Franklin Avenue based on the input received on April 2nd



    The presentation will be during the Community Board 8 Transportation Committee meeting on Tuesday, May 27th at CNR-Center Light Health Care Center, 727 Classon Avenue (between Park and Prospect Places) at 7pm. 



    "We look forward to your continued participation in the discussion about transportation issues on Franklin Avenue and we hope you can attend this meeting to provide feedback on the proposed improvements.



    Division of Traffic & Planning
    NYC Department of Transportation
    55 Water St., FL 6, New York, NY 10041
    NYC – Department of Transportation"

  • mike dunlapmike dunlap
    Any guesses as to what the proposed enhancements will be?

    I really hope we will be getting the 1-lane striping Classon has.
  • whynot_31whynot_31
    edited May 2014
    As a result the "listening mtg" being held at MEC, DOT heard a lot about the changes desired on Franklin between Empire and EP. If they were listening, the stretch may get additional traffic signals (or at least stop signs) to allow peds to safely cross Franklin.

    However, because that are is in CB9, it might not come up at Tuesday's CB8 mtg.

    In CB8, I expect we will get some bump outs at busy crosswalks. I also expect some parking to be lost in favor of loading zones. The area of Franklin between St Johns and EP seems like it will be most affected. If benches go on the bump outs, I expect them to be constantly occupied by Yogu Moo and Starbucks customers.

    ....with their laptops and/or strollers, enjoying their day.
  • whynot_31whynot_31
    edited June 2014
    Streetsblog has a good write up of what DOT would like to do:

    http://www.streetsblog.org/2014/05/30/crown-heights-cbs-weigh-franklin-avenue-road-diet-and-bike-lane/

  • whynot_31whynot_31
    Here's the actual proposal from DOT:

    http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/2014-05-27-franklin-ave-bk-cb8.pdf

    The Transportation subcommittee of CB8 already decided to support the plan, and the larger board will decide on June 12th whether to agree.

    I suspect they will agree...
  • homeownerhomeowner
    The only part of this proposal I think is screwy is the no left turn from Atlantic Avenue. That means that after Brooklyn Avenue, the next chance to make a left off Atlantic won't be until Washington. All of that to add an island to the island that already exists? I can see adding additional space on the opposite side of the street. It's the side with bus stops, as well as the shuttle and the train entrance. But getting rid of that left seemingly will do more to screw up traffic trying to head south than to help it. It means that there's no left turn off of Atlantic for almost half of Crown Heights.
  • southeastsoutheast
    You can always make a right and two lefts or three rights instead of waiting to for the next left.  I rarely come up that way, but I wish they eliminated some of the left turns off of EP; Kingston in particular comes to mind.
  • deanodeano
    The loss of the left turn is a factor that the DOT boffins admitted, but they found that the traffic using that left turn was extremely sparse and certainly could be absorbed easily at Brooklyn or Grand. 
  • whynot_31whynot_31
    edited June 2014
    "Boffins" seems to have the same meaning as "geeks"

    http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boffin
  • crownheightstercrownheightster
    I like the cut in left turns. Maybe that will contribute to fewer people appending through the neighborhood.
  • nothinlikeabklyngirlnothinlikeabklyngirl
    @southeast, just curious about why you wish they eliminated the left from Eastern Parkway onto Kingston? I don't use it much because I'm usually either coming up Kingston itself or coming from the other direction on Eastern Parkway, but there seem to be a good number of cars making that turn. And now that it has a dedicated turning light, all seems to go smoothly.
  • southeastsoutheast
    edited June 2014
    @nothinlineabklyngirl ; I feel there is just too much going on on that corner and that it's quite dangerous.  I just want to keep things moving.  There was a serious accident there a couple months back.  I'm sure there are other things that can be done to make make it safer for pedestrians crossing and traffic on EP and Kingston, but this just sticks in my mind.  I am not sure how this wold effect left turns by New York and Troy, but both of those corners are quieter.

    I agree with you that there seems to be a good number of cars making that turn.
  • nothinlikeabklyngirlnothinlikeabklyngirl
    Yeah, there have been a couple of really bad accidents at that intersection over the past few years. But now with the dedicated turning light, I don't think left turns are much danger. Speeding and trying to beat the red light are still issues, though. I'd love to see them put countdown clocks facing Eastern Parkway in addition to the existing ones facing Kingston. And I've also noticed recently a number of cars going west on the Parkway that make the right on Kingston and the immediate quick left to get onto the service road, which affects pedestrians crossing both streets. I'm all for them eliminating the ability to do that.   
  • whynot_31whynot_31
    BTW, CB 8 approved the proposal on June 12th.

    CB9 will vote on it in a few weeks.

    If CB9 rejects it, DOT will decide whether or not to proceed against their advice (ie "Give CB9 a public smackdown").

  • mike dunlapmike dunlap
    edited June 2014
    DNAinfo article says the bike lane could be going in as early as July.


    In the meantime, the Franklin Ave drag races go on... tonight @ EP:

    image

  • mike dunlapmike dunlap
    Cyclist hit on Franklin (b/w Bergen & St. Marks) this morning.  Carted off in a neck brace.

    I'm sure the van driver will get a stern talking to for nearly killing someone. 

    image
  • newguy88newguy88
    edited June 2014
    @mike dunlap

    Nah the NYPD is going to apologize to the driver for delaying him. 

    Did you see what happened? Did the van side swipe the cyclist as it passed to close or did it rear end the bike?
  • newguy88newguy88
    Any news on when the DOT might begin putting in the road improvements?
  • whynot_31whynot_31
    End of the summer.
  • newguy88newguy88
    edited July 2014
    Ugh this can't come soon enough! The last few weeks I've had more dangerously close passes on Franklin then ever before. It's gotten so bad that I've taken to just taking the right lane which causes people to honk and or tailgate. 
This discussion has been closed.