Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Sadik-Khan strikes again


From the Courier-Life:

If it ain’t broke, the city’s Department of Transportation might just fix it.

Local residents and elected officials are scratching their heads following the DOT’s recent traffic calming measures instituted along Gerritsen Avenue between Nostrand Avenue and Avenue W.

In particular, residents are perplexed by the DOT’s recent placement of a pedestrian refuge island and a left turn lane at the Avenue U/ Gerritsen Avenue intersection and the narrowing of lanes along Gerritsen Avenue.

[State Senator Martin] Golden’s office has sent a letter to DOT Brooklyn Borough Commissioner Joseph Palmieri detailing the community’s problems with the traffic changes.

“A Lieutenant from Engine Company 321 at 2165 Gerritsen Avenue has expressed concern about their need to leave the fire house and travel southbound on Gerritsen Avenue,” the letter states. “Their need to leave the house as well as to turn eastbound onto Avenue U feels compromised by these new traffic calming plans, as they believe that there will no longer be space for the cars to move out of the way in an emergency.”

“We have been contacted by the manager at Key Food, 2245 Gerritsen Avenue,” the letter continues. “Cars travelling southbound on Gerritsen will no longer be able to turn into the Key food parking lot. In these hard economic times, they have asked that the Department of Transportation consider making a turning lane into the parking lot for the southbound cars. The Key Food as well as the other small businesses in the shopping center would then not be negatively affected by the new traffic pattern.”


From City Hall:

The grumbling from Council members and community advocates, Bloomberg’s aides say, has had no effect on the mayor’s confidence in Sadik-Khan.

“If anything, that would get you promoted around here,” one administration official quipped.

8 comments:

Taxpayer said...

Sadik-Khan's purpose is to represent the Commissar's middle finger raised to common sense and the taxpayers.

Anonymous said...

I would like to know where the money for this nonsense comes from if we apparantly do not have any. It just goes to show you the city can pull money out of the air when they want to for dumb things without any local community input. Why doesen't the DOT try to put some of that money towards things they are supposed to do like repaving some more of the crater filled roads in the city or replacing the street name signs that are missing and faded all over the place, so that people can get around in a safe manner. But that might benefit the everyday person so Bloomburg won't do it.

Detective McNutty said...

A few months ago in Astoria I was waiting at a light when the absurdity of the DOT came full circle. A cyclist was riding against the traffic in the newly painted bike lanes, when he suddenly tumbled over his handlebars. He got up and looked at this pothole that he obviously rode over. Oh this pothole is still there and I am sure some 311 has received calls about the problem, because now a small person could fit in there.

Anonymous said...

$? Up until at least a year ago, Bloomberg was spending a tremendous amount of money still adding bullpen style cubicles.

Anonymous said...

Thank the kiddies in TA because the city has empowered these clueless nerds in their effort to shoehorn more people and decrease the transit footprint.

They dont have the foggiest idea what the hell they are suggesting, but they do have a very strong sense that the city is listening to their whims, and ignoring the rest of you with hospitals and schools, which makes them somehow superior to you.

Of course, when they grow up and move to the rich white suburbs the little issue like schools and hospitals starved for bike lanes will not be THEIR problem.

Anonymous said...

A cyclist was riding against the traffic in the newly painted bike lanes, when he suddenly tumbled over his handlebars.

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Reminds me, when I was a kid at Holy Cross elementary in Whitestone, we used to refer to the male penis organ as a "bike". Therefore you could go up to a girl and ask her to "ride your bike", and you were essentially asking her to have intercourse with you. Those were the days...

PizzaBagel said...

You're doin' a heck of a job, Khannie!

Anonymous said...

This woman is a nightmare. She is the worst kind of ideologue. How about, um, say, an engineer to run DOT? I don't mind all these bike lanes but one of the commenters is right. How about make sure the riding surface is in a decent state of repair fo rall riders.