How Would YOU Improve PLG?

Last week we got a direct mail piece from State Senator Eric Adams asking us, as his constituents, what we think would make the community a better place to live.

Instead of just sending my response to Adams, I thought I'd post my thoughts here before sending them on. Adams asked about public views on local schools, hospitals, police, etc. But rather than answer all his questions, I thought it made more sense to list specific ideas for making PLG a better place to live. If you have any ideas of your own, please leave them in the comments and also email them to Senator Adams at eadams (at) senate.state.ny.us.

IMPLEMENT TRAFFIC CALMING. Based on city crash statistics, several intersections in our area are particularly dangerous to pedestrians and cyclists. Encourage the Department of Transportation to study these intersections and come up with traffic calming solutions. The intersection of Parkside and Flatbush, for example, is a well-trod bus and commercial route and one and half blocks away from a public elementary school. During business days, the red light here seems optional. A red-light camera would be useful here. The intersection of Ocean and Parkside is also seriously flawed, as we discussed earlier. And the intersection of Empire and Flatbush needs study.

FIGHT BLIGHT. Use laws that are already on the books to crack down on absentee property owners, particularly those properties on major commercial strips, such as 205 Parkside. Abandoned buildings and boarded-up storefronts make streets less safe and reduce the options for services available in a neighborhood. Absentee owners don't clean graffiti, don't remove trash left on sidewalks in front of building, and often don't shovel snow in a timely manner. Fining them and taking other measures to fight such violations will help discourage the practice of letting buildings sit abandoned.

IMPROVE PUBLIC TRANSIT. Cut down on illegal dollar vans while actively encouraging legal public transportation options. Illegal vans are less likely to be safe and insured, and they make it difficult for public buses and other legal services to do business. Unfortunately, riders have difficulty telling a legal van from an illegal van. Perhaps licensing info could be placed on the front or side of vans instead of on back; this would make it easier for prospective riders to see.

Dollar vans thrive because their services are needed. The City should simultaneously work on improving bus service and/or provide incentives for legal van services to thrive.

MORE SAFE PLAY SPACES. Create more recreational outlets for young people. We're eager to see Prospect Park's Lakeside Center project come to life and believe that it should be fully supported... but what about a skateboard park? Skateboarding has become popular with inner-city kids in recent years yet they have few places to skate. If a skatepark isn't possible, what about adding more summer play streets in the neighborhood? One block of Hawthorne Street bordering Nostrand Avenue is closed on weekdays during the summer, for example. Kids play in the street all day there, and seniors sit outside in the shade. It's extremely popular with the families (if not car owners who park on the street).

Comments

[babs]

PLGNA co-ordinates the Hawthorne St play street each summer. In the past we have had other blocks as well but were prevented from doing so this year by the city due to the parking situation,

[Mike Hansen]

Carrie,

All these items are great to bring up with Senator Adams.

I remember that some folks talked about the use of the MTA lot at Ocean and Flatbush http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=ocean+ave+and+flatbush&sll=40.663126,-73.961163&sspn=0.011182,0.01929&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Flatbush+Ave+%26+Ocean+Ave,+Brooklyn,+Kings,+New+York&ll=40.662626,-73.962211&spn=0.001398,0.002411&t=h&z=19

Would a skatepark be good there?

[Pete]

I agree a skateboard park is an excellent idea. We would need the funds to provide some supervision and security, though.

Landlords such as 205 Parkside are a problem everyone has tried to fix. Fining them doesn't work - I'm sure 205 Parkside has hundreds of fines already. They just don't pay them. The system is overloaded with horrendous landlords - the city can't even keep up with people whose buildings don't have heat.

The city will now pay on its own tab to clean up graffiti and recently made it even easier for landlords to have this done. I'm not sure, but it may not even require the landlord's permission anymore. Check with 311.

I doubt even the owner of 205 Parkside would object to a free graffiti cleaning.