NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — The Department of Transportation is considering a plan to ban cars from Grand Army Plaza, one of the busiest through-ways in Brooklyn, according to a report from Gothamist.
The plan would extend the Open Streets program currently impacting Vanderbilt and Underhill Avenues to the plaza, setting aside that space for pedestrians and bikers.
“We want to take it to the next level and not just have it be reliant on people moving barriers at certain times of day, but having these turn into more consistent and better designed public spaces,” DOT Deputy Commissioner Eric Beaton told Gothamist. “I would say at the moment we're not taking anything off of the table.”
Redesign and renovation would draw on the $904 million that Mayor Eric Adams pledged for traffic safety in April.
Grand Army Plaza is a notoriously chaotic and dangerous tangle of walkways, bike lanes, intersections and roundabouts.
Councilmembers Crystal Hudson and Shahana Hanif called on the Department of Transportation to improve safety at Grand Army Plaza in May.
“As you know, the area surrounding Grand Army Plaza — the main entrance to Prospect Park and a key artery for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers — is home to more than 1,500 residents that reside in 900 apartments. Yet the area is in a state of disrepair — defined by endless traffic, poor sidewalk conditions, broken benches, and overflowing trash cans and litter,” wrote the legislators. “Our offices have received multiple calls and emails in recent months about injuries resulting from the poor conditions.”
The DOT will set up a table at Grand Army Plaza on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. to solicit feedback and host a virtual online workshop on Nov. 16 at 6:30 p.m.
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