The Q at Parkside

(for those for whom the Parkside Q is their hometrain)

News and Nonsense from the Brooklyn neighborhood of Lefferts and environs, or more specifically a neighborhood once known as Melrose Park. Sometimes called Lefferts Gardens. Or Prospect-Lefferts Gardens. Or PLG. Or North Flatbush. Or Caledonia (west of Ocean). Or West Pigtown. Across From Park Slope. Under Crown Heights. Near Drummer's Grove. The Side of the Park With the McDonalds. Jackie Robinson Town. Home of Lefferts Manor. West Wingate. Near Kings County Hospital. Or if you're coming from the airport in taxi, maybe just Flatbush is best.

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Note to DOT's Flatbush Designer

 sent an email (below) to the gentleman Greg Haas who spearheaded the flatbush ave reconfiguration. let the record state that they can't say the didn't know.
Greg:
As a resident, blogger and member of CB9 I've been a big proponent of your changes to the Flatbush corridor. Drivers are struggling to figure it all out, and Dollar Vans are vexing efforts, but with help from some enforcement I'm sure it will all work out.

BUT
There is a MAJOR problem at Lincoln/Flatbush/Washington. The lines seem to suggest that drivers can't turn left from Lincoln onto Washington, but they're doing it anyway, at full speed as they always have, and there's no DO NOT ENTER sign, just a big bulb drawn on the pavement. The effect is that drivers and bicyclists are being guided straight into each other HEAD ON. It's only a matter of time before the inevitable...it's total chaos at that interesection.


Thanks for forwarding this to the attention of whomever can take immediate remedial efforts.


Thanks!
 A commenter asked about complaining about Dollar Vans. These "commuter vans" are regulated by the Taxi and Limousine Commission. A call to 311 will register your issue, though it would take many of them to get TLC to take notice.

My suggested route is through the Community Board, where a direct interaction with TLC is possible. If this is a big enough issue to the community, this is the way to proceed. I'll send Ed Fanning and Rosemarie Perry a note asking they put scofflaw dollar vans on the Transportation and Public Safety agendas (respectively), hopefully for a joint meeting in December or January.


3 comments:

Alex said...

Tim, thanks for the post and thae advocacy - much appreciated!

Sean said...

it's hard to believe the vans are regulated at all. if anyone was paying any attention to them, half of them would be off the streets by now.

Bob Marvin said...

I agree with Sean; they're functionally unregulated, because of the lack of enforcement. Witness the large number of vans operating illegally with ordinary passenger car plates, often out of state. That must be maddening to those honest van operators who actually comply with the regulations, with proper registration, insurance, etc