Brooklyn’s side of the Brooklyn Bridge is finally set for a redesign.
The Downtown Brooklyn entrance has been a danger to bicyclists, pedestrians, and drivers alike, according to the city’s Department of transportation. From 2008-2010, 339 people have been injured at nine intersections near the park.
Brooklyn’s Community Board 2 met Wednesday night to vote in support of a plan to expand walking and biking space in the area, and add trees along the streets. The plan had passed CB2’s transportation committee unanimously last month.
CB2 voted 27 in favor, none opposed, and three abstentions with few conditions, according to CB2 district manager Robert Perris.
The board requested DOT make accommodations for police at the intersection of Adams and Tillar Streets prior to the final design, and signal timing on the south side to be adjusted so pedestrians can cross without conflicts. The board also asked for the divider between the northbound service roads and bridge traffic to be a poured-in-place barrier.
The board also asked for additional signage, a noise and pollution study, and that DOT participate in the Percent for Arts Program, which dedicates a percent of the capital to public art.
The current design has narrow curbs and wide streets intersecting near the free bridge, and complicated traffic signal phasing for pedestrians.
The plan was first proposed in 2009 and workshopped with the community over the years. The project buildings on a 2008 report that called for traffic calming measures near the bridge entrance.
The project is now in the final design stage. Construction of the Adams Street redesign is being funded by federal and city money, expected to start late 2014 or early 2015. Funding for Tillary Street has not yet been secured.
