Archive for the tag 'signs'
Councilman Michael Nelson’s office sent us a note last night that they got word from the Department of Transportation that the Operation Iraqi Freedom Way sign should be back up by the end of the day on Monday, February 22.
The stalled construction site at 2820 Avenue Z that imperils children remains dangerous. Eleven days after the Department of Buildings declared it in “Emergency Condition” and nearly two months after the fence first fell, leaving it open to children from P.S. 52 down the block, nothing has changed. We’ll be watching this one closely. There’s no reason the developer couldn’t nail up a $50 piece of plywood for the time being, and there’s no reason the city should allow this to go on for as long as it has.
Photo by Arthur Borko
… and this little guy is telling on him.
Seen in front of 2260 East 18th Street.
As Niklas, the reader who sent this in, said, “How many traffic signs are needed to get the message to a driver?”
Gross waste of taxpayer money #938
Workers from the Department of Transportation arrived at Cass Place and Neptune Avenue around noon today, and replaced the Right On Red sign that we’ve all been missing. You may recall we wrote about the Cass Place sign blowing off the pole after a mid-November storm. The sign was already damaged, with a broken rivet on the bottom. But now we’ve got a new happy, healthy sign to confuse drivers. L’Chaim!
(Thank you, Local Broker, for info and photos.)
Well, the mystery is over regarding Sheepshead Bay Road’s latest restaurant – it ain’t a sushi joint. Or at least we think it’s not a sushi joint.
Signs went up at 1794 Sheepshead Bay Road late last week reading Royal Bay Restaurant, ending a lot of “hmms” and “huhs” over who would occupy the flashy, windowless façade. Still, other than a love of coat d’arms, we don’t have much more information than that.
If you know who owns it, when it opens, or what they serve – shoot us an email!
It's a miracle! Common sense prevails in DOT sign changes at Bassett Deli
Way back in October we told you about the bad sign situation in front of Bassett Deli and Caterers on Avenue X and East 14th Street. At the time, the “Stop Sign Ahead” caution blocked the “Alternate Side Parking” sign, causing many customers to become victims of the city’s agressive ticket policies. Police stalked the intersection, waiting for unwitting violators.
Well, no longer. Local drivers and customers at Bassett Deli and Caterers won’t be victimized by this ghost sign anymore.
Early Thanksgiving week, workers from the Department of Transportation arrived to make adjustments. According to Frank Bassett, owner of the neighborhood institution, DOT sought to swap their positions, so the alternate side parking sign blocked the stop sign ahead. But an employee of the deli with a little more common sense came out and suggested that they put both signs on one post. In an amazing instance of bureaucratic clarity, they listened! They’ve removed one pole entirely, and both signs are finally equally visible. Continue Reading »
You may recall last week’s article about the confusing sign at Neptune Avenue and Cass Place allowing right turns on red. As of Monday morning the sign was missing in action. We’re not sure if the sign was upset by our article and decided to leave for greener pastures or if it was stolen by some prankster. Another possibility is the sign fell down due to damage; in fact last week the sign was swinging loose in the rain because the bottom rivet broke. Looking for answers Sheepshead Bites contacted Community Board 15 for some answers. They told us, “The sign was not removed by DOT. DOT will replace it as soon as possible.” While we wait for Brooklyn Borough Engineer to get back to us on what a “School Day” means we asked CB15 Chairperson Theresa Scavo for her opinion. According to Scavo, “It is meant to mean Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., September to June.” She goes on to say that the sign is mostly intended for weekend drivers.
At the far corner of Sheephead Bay, where it joins Manhattan Beach and Brighton Beach, is a sign that causes a whole mess of confusion, traffic backups, and horn honking. One might think it’s pretty clear: “After Stop Right Turn Permitted On Red Except 8am – 4pm School Days”. You might ask yourself what’s so confusing about this sign on Neptune Avenue and Cass Place that’s written out in pretty clear English. But many in the area can’t seem to agree on what qualifies as a school day. The corner is constantly backed up on days school is not in session due to drivers not knowing what qualifies as a school day. Summer was particularly precarious because nobody knew if summer school counts. What about snow days, Jewish holidays, and a plethora of other days? Doesn’t “school day” mean Monday through Friday or “Any Day School is in Session.” After some poking around on the DOT’s website, the only mention of school days I could find is a note that parking in a school zone is permissible when school is not in recess.
So which is it? Shouldn’t the sign just read Monday – Friday, September – June? It’s not as if there isn’t enough space, the No Parking signs in Manhattan Beach are seasonal. One must also call into question why school days even matter. The nearest school is three blocks away on Brighton 14th. Have you been caught in traffic behind this sign? What do you think?
Bassett Deli and Caterers on Avenue X and East 14th Street is a Sheepshead Bay institution and community favorite. A community they’ve been serving for many years. However there’s a problem, one that rears it’s ugly head every week on Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m: alternate side of the street parking.
Owner Frank Bassett says business dies down like clockwork as the rule takes effect during what would be their busy lunch rush. To make matters worse, the sign warning drivers that they can’t park there is completely obscured by a “Stop Ahead” sign. When asked about its placement, Bassett exclaimed, “It’s a nightmare!”
Bassett Deli made requests with the Department of Sanitation to change the placement of the signs in the past, but pleas for help fell on deaf ears. Bassett says predatory traffic officers routinely come and lie in wait for an oblivious customer to make a mistake and park there, hurting the famed business and local residents, too. In order to help his clientèle, Bassett puts out their own custom sign on Wednesdays to warn of the impending danger.
Meanwhile, the “Stop Sign Ahead” sign seems totally unnecessary. That particular block is very short, and the stop signs are clearly visible from as far as two blocks away. One of our local pol’s should look into the matter and help a local business out. The best we could hope for is a rescheduling of the street sweeping to a less intrusive time slot, and at least the Department of Transportation can switch the placement of the two signs so the street cleaning notice is clearly visible to all drivers. Just in case I’ll be returning to the spot on Monday and using the city’s new 311 iPhone-app to file a complaint that way.
