Park Slope 4th Avenue redesign to begin implementation on August 19

Let the redesign commence.

On Monday, August 19, the Park Slope portion of the city Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Fourth Avenue Redesign Plan will begin to be implemented, with the full set of traffic calming measures due to be completed by Fall/Winter 2013.

The affected areas stretch between Atlantic Avenue and 15th Street; changes include reducing and altering lane widths and allowed turns in order to “discourage speeding,” adding pedestrian space in medians, shortening pedestrian crossings, and restricting left turns at highly trafficked intersections such as those at 9th Street and 3rd Street.

The full plan and specific presentations can be seen on the DOT’s website.

The Fourth Avenue Redesign Plan was approved by the full board of Community Board 6 on July 10 after months of debate, public suggestions and testimony, presentations, and multiple votes. Concerns among residents centered around the planned left turn bans and re-routed traffic away from major thoroughfares into narrower, residential streets.

CB 6’s approval was also conditional: they requested that the DOT return in a year to provide an update on the effects of the plan on traffic counts and speeds, and that they review how effective the left turn bans have been.

The next meeting of CB 6’s Forth on Fourth task force is on Tuesday, September 17, at 7:45 p.m. at the Fifth Avenue Committee office at 621 DeGraw Street.

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