Coney Island Avenue, Flatbush Avenue To Become Slow Zones, Speed To Drop To 25 MPH


by on Aug 5th, 2014
Avenue Z between E. 7 St and Coney Island Avenue (Source

Source: Allan Shweky

The New York City Department of Transportation on Friday announced 14 new “arterial slow zones,” major corridors that will see speed limits slashed by five miles per hour as part of the Vision Zero initiative. Coney Island Avenue and Flatbush Avenue are both on the list, with implementation to begin this fall.

The first slow zones were implemented yesterday on Jerome Avenue in the Bronx and 7th Avenue in Manhattan, the first phase of the program. The speed limits will be lowered to 25 miles per hour from 30, with new “distinctive” signs with blue-and-white coloring and the name of the corridor to complement the DOT’s existing Neighborhood Slow Zone program. Alongside the signage, the streets will see increased police enforcement and temporary lighted speed boards.

The entirety of Coney Island Avenue will be converted to a slow zone in September, with Flatbush Avenue from Concord Street to Hendrickson Place (near the Belt Parkway) to follow in October.

The program is part of the Vision Zero initiative, which aims to eliminate traffic fatalities citywide. Ultimately the agency will create a total of 25 arterial slow zones, according to the Vision Zero website.

Arterial roadways make up only 15 percent of the total road system but account for 60 percent of the fatalities, according to the DOT. These 14 corridors make up only 65 miles of roadway, but account for 83 fatalities.

Coney Island Avenue is 5.5 miles long, and accounted for six fatalities between 2008 and 2012, while Flatbush Avenue is 7.1 miles long and accounts for 11 fatalities.

The speed reduction required approval from Albany, which it received in June. You can find the list of all 14 arterial slow zones here.

Local pols are praising the measure, saying it will help reduce deaths at some of their district’s busiest intersections.

“Coney Island Avenue has long been a dangerous thoroughfare for seniors and others attempting to cross with a constant flow of traffic whizzing by. I’m pleased that the city is implementing these forward-thinking measures that will succeed in calming traffic and, most important, saving lives,” said Assemblymember Steven Cymbrowitz, in a DOT press release.

“Improving safety on our streets benefits all New Yorkers, and anyone who has crossed Coney Island Avenue knows how hectic and dangerous it can be. I am very pleased that pedestrian safety continues to be a priority for our city and that one of southern Brooklyn’s busiest streets is included in this plan,” said Councilman Mark Treyger in the same press release.

“This second phase of Vision Zero being implemented along Coney Island Avenue is an indication that my voice, in advocating for traffic calming measures, was heard,” said Councilman Chaim Deutsch, also in the press release. “I applaud Mayor de Blasio and Commissioner Trottenberg for improving the safety of motorists, pedestrians and cyclists throughout my district.”

Related posts

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

  • Local Broker

    This will without a doubt create more traffic, anger, accidents, road rage and stress. Its going to hurt more than help.

    • http://www.mybrooklyn.com/ MyBrooklyn

      it will also justify extortion, points on your driver license and insurance scam to continue to increase….I still don’t understand why my car insurance went up after hurricane sandy meanwhile these insurance agencies get help from government and collect money people monthly

      • Local Broker

        Yep.

      • Nick the Rat

        insurance is a scam

    • New Audi

      Just got home. Surprised I’m in one piece. I was on CIA, got cut off a few times by speeders (over 40 mph), one car pulled into the middle to make an illegal u-turn right in front of Chase Bank, and on and on it goes. If a speed limit might help, then so be it. Anything has to be better then the free for all it is now.

      • Jimmy

        This is a great law, which will curb both vehicular accidents and fatalities. If you do not like the new law, then do not operate a motor vehicle in NYC.

        • ArnietheK

          Only time will tell whether you’re correct. In the meantime, let’s wait and see before jumping to conclusions.

          • adam

            It is not about the top speed someone travels but rather the way they drive. A small minority of people in this city race from light to light and weave in and out of lanes. Very easy enforce the aggressive driving laws, require turn lights, yield to pedestrians. This program is just to raise money by ticketing the working and middle class to raise money . Nothing more. Driving down many main streets is avoiding the nuts weaving in and out. Get the BMW drivers who think they are driving the autocross off the road . Yet another reason to move.

        • guest

          You really think so. Care to explain? How will a posted lower speed limit curb accidents? If some jerkwad wants to do 100 MPH down a street, no sign is going to stop them. This is not about liking a law or not, it’s about using common sense and using ones head. This “law” will accomplish absolutely nothing.

        • adam

          On what planet are you from. The accident occur from the drivers driving 40-60 mph not the law abiding people driving 30-35 (average safe speed) Plus the NYC police accident reports states that speed was NOT the primary factor in most of these accidents. I have dash cam video of pedestrians IGNORING the law and Jay walking against the light. Are we now going to publish racial stats on the drivers getting ticketed . Most of them will be NON BLACK.

      • Local Broker

        So what makes anyone think a new law will change anything when those people dont follow the existing ones?

        • james

          A small few don’t follow the law. This is just to add speed cameras to raise money the same way Bloomberg flooded the streets with traffic agents to issue tickets. The worst part of this is he is lowering the speed limit on the streets that our city planners planed for major inter borough commuting . This will force drivers onto side streets to avoid the speeding camers. 6 deaths in 8 years on CI ave is not that many if you think about it. I bet 90% were on the turns. If you barrel around a turn accelerating at 25 mph you will do the same damage. I have been experimenting driving exactly speed limit for the past 2 months. I was cut off by a turner in a BMW from the middle lane on ocean parkway . Speed limit reduction will just create traffic congestion, lower fuel efficiency and create a new call for limiting cars due to congestion. Drive the tax payers out

  • guest

    Stupidity. This will have the reverse effect. If someone is going to speed, they are going to speed. Idiots.

    • bagels

      Agreed. And it will do nothing to slow down those damn “dollar” vans on Flatbush Ave.

    • SpeedRacer

      By that logic, laws against murder won’t stop murder, so why bother having such laws? Your point is illogical.

      It’s funny to hear the angry drivers demand the right to speed.

      • guest

        You are the problem. No one is saying they want to speed. They are saying those people that do speed are not going to pay attention to any speed limit. They don’t care. But you are so quick to accuse people who voice opinions about driving of being evil you are blind. This will solve nothing, but go ahead and keep thinking it will. It was created to bring in more money. Oh right…there’s no such things as ticket quotas.

        • adam

          The speeders don’t care if they get ticketed. The traffic accident reports state that speed is not the cause of most accidents in the city. De Blasio did an Obama and made of a reason and good sounding facts(whether true of not) to make the case for a conclusion he had before he started looking.

          What % of the accidents were caused by cab drivers who drive like animals?

          What % are caused by pedestrians not following the law?

          What % of the accidents were caused on turns? MOST

          If De Balsio (the fake italian) cared about safety, there would be a companion educational campaign about people crossing at the green and not in between, look both ways before crossing, looking up from your device while crossing the street and only crossing at cross walks. There is not, he is only interested in raising money. The new labor deals requires a 10% growth rate in city monies to pay for them. He could not get his income tax raise, this is plan B. We have so many anti-car people in the city it is a win win for De Balsi, or so he thinks

          • adam

            Excessive speeders that is . Many already have suspended license . There are also thousands of people driving without licences . I can’t tell you the last time I have gone through a dwi or licence check point in NYC. In LI and Jersey all the time

        • Andrew

          Ticket quotas? The 61st Precinct issues a grand total of one speeding ticket per day. http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/downloads/pdf/traffic_data/061sum.pdf

          The reason people speed is that they’re more likely to be struck by lightning than to be ticketed for speeding. Widespread use of speed cameras would immediately solve that problem. Yet somehow most of the commenters here don’t seem to like those either!

          Could it be that a lot of motorists simply like to be able to do whatever they like, wherever they like, whenever they like, with no repercussions?

      • adam

        Yet I bet you are against Stop and Frisk and enforcing quality of life crimes because the stats show that most of the crime is committed by those in public housing or section 8..

        The stats show that most traffic fatlities in the city are cause by the pedestrians not the driver of the car.

        • Guy

          The stats dont show that most crime is committed by those public housing or section 8, because there are no such stats. There are stats about which neighborhoods have the most crimes.

        • Guy

          Also the stats do not show that most traffic fatalities in the city are cause by the pedestrians not the driver of the car.

    • adam

      It’s going to cause the excessive speeders to speed around the people who can’t afford to pay a ticket. Plus the excessive speeders will not think twice about spraying a coating(sold on the internet and illegal in NY state) that does not allow the licence plate to be photographed. Unless the NYPD is running check points to check for it, the excessive speeders will get away with it.

      the NYPD issues 200 tickets in 2 days on the shore parkway(belt parkway service road where no people have a reason to cross) between shell road and ocean parkway in June. The place where the NYPD should be focusing and is dangerous is the turn from shell road onto shore parkway where people from 3 schools cross and how the lights are set up never give a truely safe time to cross. Not speed on the open straight away.

      Once again this law is to raise money . Nothing else. Drivers are the backbone of the city. Mostly family people.

  • jay

    Cant wait to move out of NYC. Nothing but high prices, more tickets, and a shitty way of life only getting worse.

    • joe

      so move. No one is forcing you to stay here. However if you move from NYC make sure you dont work in NYC either. im tired of all these out of towners living in Jersey, Long Island and Westchester coming in to Nyc to work and causing massive traffic and not knowing how to drive. If you dont want to live in NYC you should not work here either

      • Jimmy Rivers

        I have news for you. Your fellow Brooklynites are just as guilty of not knowing how to drive.

        • joe

          That is true I am not saying were perfect drivers but were definitely better than Jersey drivers I mean at least most ny drivers know how to use their signals. And brooklynites live here so we have to drive on these roads. People with Jersey license plates dont live here and should go drive on their own roads in their no-name rinky dink towns they live in

          • adam

            but it is the very small few that don’t and think they are race car drivers that are causing all the problems. De blasio’s solution is to go after the good drivers. I was at a UFT De Blasio rally that stated he was only interested in the quote “black and brown” people. He must never have gone out to east flatrbush, east NY and places in queens where there are middle class “black and brown” people that are nbot going to be happy getting hit with tickets and higher insurance rates

      • adam

        Most of the middle class residents from east flatbush, mill basin, Bergen Beach, Graves End, Bensonhurst, Sheepshead bay have moved. We were just lucky in sheepshead to have wealthy educated russian and asians fleeing there homeland. Mill Basin and east flatbush are crap holes. It was 20 years of prudent mayors that have built things back up a bit. Now we have Debalsio a member of the terrible Dinkins administration tearing things back down. How many years until all the educated drivers in sheepshead bay say enough is enough and they stop investing in the area and leave as well. Emmons Ave in the early 1990′s prior to the Russian invasion was getting seedier by the year. Many are two young to remember

        • joe

          I agree with you about east flatbush however Mill Basin still has some of the wealthiest people in the city living there and is still a very good neighborhood. All of the other neighborhoods you mentioned are still full with middle class working people and are still great neighborhoods. They are even safer now than they were 20 years ago when the neighborhoods were mostly Italian

    • adam

      And this mayor is fighting for affordable housing($2400 a month is considered affordable). The reason it is expensive to live here is all the taxes, fees, surcharges on everything. Electric is nearly 3 times the cost as it was in Tampa, highest CNG home heating prices in the country yet they are fighting new pipelines that will bring the price down. The repressive tolls on the mta bridges that support jobs at the mta that are no longer needed and work rules at the LIRR that allow someone to collect double pay. That is what makes the city unaffordable. They throw the blame on greedy landlords. My parents bought a house in 1970. Its the 40% increase in water rates to cover the raises for DEP workers awarded by some judge, the property tax assessment increases each year that is making things unaffordable. They don’t run the AC in the summer because the high costs

  • joe

    who cares?! There’s so much traffic on Coney Island ave that you usually cant go pass 25mph anyway. no difference

    • ShadowLock

      #truth

    • adam

      My average speed on CI ave most times of the day is between 30-35. In order to get good has millage you need to accelerate slowly to about 30-40 mph and coast. Driving in the 20-25 mph speed range cause excessive fuel usage. I can hear the one sided take a bus crowd. Taking he bus reduces my quality of life by reducing the useful hours in the day. I bike most of the time when weather permits . The city should encourage in building bike lockups for most employers. Locking a bike on the street is asking for it to get stolen of vandalized

      • Andrew

        Do you also ignore red lights in your quest to maximize fuel efficiency, or is it just the speed limit that you ignore?

  • BrooklynBus

    If the new city speed limit will be 25 mph anyway, what is the point of creating more slow 25 mph zones?

    • adam

      It is to try to sell it to the public. the new speed limit is not 25. They have the right to lower it below the state speed limit of 30 . They are using accident stats as a smoke screen for there true intentions. Adding speed cameras and revenue. The roads that should be 25 are the residential side streets. The grid system was created to encourage more inter neighborhood travel on Arterial roads. This new restrictions are just going to force people on side streets. IT is bad policy. Typical progressive twisting facts to make them fit their goals which is to tax drivers to not drive . Except the leaders drive everywhere. At least blommy took the train to work at city hall

      • Andrew

        The residential side streets aren’t where pedestrians are generally getting killed by recklessly impatient drivers. Arterials are.

  • Arthur Borko

    Dumbest fucking law ever.

  • Andrew Kent

    Ya gotta slow down just to read all the signs telling you to slow down. Very clever. 😉

  • Anonymous

    It is not proven that slowing down traffic will make motorists, pedestrians or bicycles any more aware or safer. If there was a corresponding improvement in mass transit, I might get behind this action. At the end of the day, all this law does is make it even harder to move around the city and less desirable to be here.

  • Just_Me

    So many illegal maneuvers, beside speeding going on Avenue U all the time. Never see any police around, so how are they going to enforce this law?????

  • tony

    This law is to escort more money from you ,in no time cameras will be going up .,cars have better braking systems then ever .enforce the current laws

  • Pingback: Brooklyn News Roundup | Fort Greene Focus

  • Brightonresident

    WOW! I will be able to go that fast on CIA. Can’t do it now with all the double parked cars! And how about some enforcement of jaywalking laws?

  • David the Nudnik

    I wasn’t aware you could travel at more than 25 mph on Flatbush Avenue, with the exceptions of the stretch between the Junction and the Marine Parkway (Gil Hodges) Bridge, and Empire Blvd and GAP, both directions respectively. The two-way lanes are small, and the lights, not very well synched.