Update on speed humps coming to Hawthorne

It's been about 9 months since Community Board 9 approved a request by residents to place speed humps on the block of Hawthorne between Flatbush and Bedford. Since the Department of Transportation has been mum since then, I called today to check the status of the request. The DOT confirmed that speed humps have been approved for the block and will be installed at some point in the future. The representative I talked to, Ms. Alexander, couldn't specify a date, however, or even provide an estimated time. (Apparently, there's only one crew that installs speed humps for all five boroughs and much depends on weather and other unforeseeable conditions.) But our speed hump is definitely on the list.

For those of you on other streets or blocks, the process for getting a street hump put in are fairly simple. First, create a petition and collect as many signatures as possible from residents on your block. (I collected about 30 in an hour, going door-to-door, and that was enough.) Make a copy of the petition, then send the original to Community Board 9 at 890 Nostrand Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11225. As long as the block isn't on an emergency vehicle route (such as Rutland), the Community Board will more than likely approve the request and forward it to the DOT. The DOT will then come out and survey the site to see if a speed hump would work. If the site is accepted, your block will be added to the list, where you can enjoy the wait in anticipation of your future carefree streets.