Marine Parkers bash DOT proposal to revamp Marine Parkway
BY JESSICA PARKS
Locals treated the city’s
plan to reduce speeding along
Marine Parkway by eliminating
a driving lane to a cold reception
at a meeting of the Marine
Park Civic Association on
Nov. 19, and the group’s head
honcho suggested transit offi -
cials take their proposal back
to the drawing board.
“If the community– which
is the people who are on the
block – don’t think it’s right,
then we have to fi nd another
solution,” said Bob Tracy, president
of the Marine Park Civic
Association.
The Department of Transportation
wants to eliminate
two 19-foot combined moving
and park lanes on both sides of
the north-south thoroughfare
between Quentin Road and Fillmore
Avenue, converting them
into 14-foot-wide parking-only
lanes, while shrinking the remaining
driving lanes from 11
feet to 10 feet wide. The agency
would then install a 12-foot buffer
zone separating north and
southbound motorists, which
they hope will cause drivers
to maintain safe speeds, while
also preventing double parking
and increasing sight lines.
“I think with this design, it
makes it a little bit more predictable
COURIER L 10 IFE, NOV. 29-DEC. 5, 2019
to be able to see cars
double parking if it’s one lane,
rather than getting into the
other lane and having to overtake
a vehicle,” said Makenna
Olson, a representative for the
Department of Transportation.
The proposed changes resulted
from a traffi c study requested
by Councilman Alan
Maisel (D-Marine Park), who
fi red off a letter last year demanding
the Department of
Transportation explore ways
to slow traffi c along the bustling
transit artery, claiming
his offi ce had received numerous
complaints from residents
about the neighborhood speedway.
However, when reps for the
city transit offi cials proposed
their traffi c-calming scheme
before a few dozen locals at the
community meeting on Tuesday,
only two people raised
their hands in support of the
plan, while the remainder suggested
the agency take less
drastic measures to reduce
speeding.
“Change the timing on
the lights, that’s the reasonable
thing to do,” one attendee
yelled from the crowd.
Other residents suggested
speed cameras and speed
bumps as alternative ways to
combat speeding, which has existed
in its current confi guration
for as long as anyone can
remember, according to Tracy.
“We are talking about a
street that looked the same way
100 years ago, so we are not going
to make a decision tonight,”
said Tracey. “The general consensus
is we need to talk about
it and see if there are any better
options for Marine Parkway.”
Claudette Workman, a representative
from the Department
of Transportation, said
that speed cameras are slotted
for high-crash areas and
commented that changing the
timing of traffi c lights – which
are calibrated for on-peak and
off-peak hours – would result
in complaints of traffi c congestion.
Olson said the department
had yet to assess the
viability of speed bumps in
Marine Park.
The Department of Transportation is proposing to repurpose Marine Parkway’s combined parking and travel
lane to a parking only lane. Department of Transportation
Initial visit with coupon only. Must mention at time of appointment. Excludes house calls. Expires 4/30/19
Walk-Ins Welcome Brooklyn: Monday 10am- 2pm, Tuesday 9am-12pm & 4pm-7pm, Friday 12pm-6pm
12/31/