By Jean Brannum | jbrannum@queensledger.com

An application to the Department of Transportation has triggered debate among business owners, street safety advocates, community members, and nonprofits about whether to turn the Bedford Slip, into an open street on weekends.

The North Brooklyn Park Alliance, a non-profit organization that manages parks in the community district, applied to manage the Bedford Slip as an open street for Fall 2024 per request from the Department of Transportation, which is a 100-foot street near the intersection of Nassau Ave, Bedford Ave, and Lorimer St. The slip became a temporary plaza when the G Train was shut down for six months over the Summer.

The temporary plaza received mixed reviews from people who spent time in the street and the eleven businesses on it. While some said they wanted the slip to become a 24/7 plaza, a weekend open street is the only decision the DOT is considering.

During the six-week shutdown, the North Brooklyn Parks Alliance managed the slip, including installing tables and chairs, managing weekend vendors, and sanitation services. The Parks Alliance applied for the weekend closure at the DOT’s request for the Fall 2024 Open Streets program. The DOT makes the final decision on the Bedford Slip and other Open Streets applications based on information gathered during a review period, according to Katie Denny Horowitz, Executive Director of the North Brooklyn Parks Alliance.

Businesses Push Back

This debate heated up at two Community Board 1 meetings where several members of the public spoke for and against the slip. One of those places was Awoke Vintage. Owner Rachel Despeaux spoke to the board about how the 6-week closure caused her store to lose business. She said the shutdown diverted customers from window shopping and was worried that she would have to move her business if there is a weekend shutdown, which is her busiest time.

“Why would I willingly pay rent to have a street removed, have my sidewalks essentially removed, and people rerouted into the street?”

Despeux noted that all 11 businesses at the DOT meeting were against the slip. This was repeated by Mignar Tsering, owner of ID Menswear.

Tsering said he was always against the shutdown, even on weekends. He said business was down about 40% during the full-time shutdown. The lack of car access also hindered deliveries. Tsering said on weekends, he has to carry stock into his store, which includes heavy candle-making supplies and candles. He said parking is already an issue in the area and carrying supplies in would difficult.

Tsering also said that when the slip was pedestrian-only, street vendors would set up shop directly in front of his store, which led to a further loss of business. Tsering also said he did not see many people use the slip during the G-train shutdown.

“Every day we were there, and we hardly saw anybody using it, just a few people that were using other delivery guys,” Tsering, whose store is open seven days a week, said.

Lediona and Elona Zharku, who own Tired Thrift, wrote a letter to Councilmember Lincoln Restler expressing their opposition to the shutdown. The Zharku’s said that they pay rent specifically for a storefront with high foot traffic and that the closed slip diverted people from the storefront. A 2019 study from the DOT shows the slip area has one of the highest pedestrian volumes in Brooklyn at around 2,000 people. They also said they hardly saw anyone use the slip and saw more people using McCarren Park.

“We find it unnecessary to have an open street here with a public park so close by.  Also, it was very difficult to load necessary supplies and stock into our shop when the street was closed since we could not park our cars outside of the shop.”

Activists Push For The Open Street

This sentiment was a surprise for activist Benji Lampel from North Brooklyn Open Streets Community Coalition, who is for a 24/7 shutdown. He said that in the beginning of discussions about the potential open street, feedback was mostly positive. During the G train shutdown, a petition from Transportation Alternatives pushing for the Bedford Slip garnered over 3000 signatures.

“I was taken very off guard because none of them who I had spoken to had an indication that they absolutely hated it.”

Lampel said that most businesses, except for Billy’s Locksmith and one other place, were on board with the open street. Tsering from ID Menswear said he told some of the advocates that he opposed the idea.

Kevin LaCherra, another resident who was involved in advocating for the shutdown, said that many businesses lost revenue due to the G train shutdown, even outside of the slip. Other reports say the same thing since the G train is the main subway line in and out of Greenpoint.

“I believe that their business was down,” LaCherra said. “They would have no reason to lie, but I don’t think that that is because of the plaza. I think that is because the primary mode into and out of the neighborhood was cut for six weeks. “

While some businesses affirm that they are against it, those for the shutdown continue to say that the open street would help businesses. A report from the DOT in Oct. 2022 said that open streets benefitted businesses overall. LaCherra said he and others spent more money at the restaurants on the slip during those six weeks.

Dan Elstien, a Greenpoint resident who was involved in North Brooklyn Open Streets Coalition, said that while he received pushback from businesses, he thought the six-week shutdown went well and reduced congestion. Elstien said he was at the slip at least once a week.

“It was a lot safer, it was much nicer and helped the bus keep moving,” Elstien said. “We were able to do things you weren’t able to do before,  like put down semi-permanent infrastructure.”

LaCherra said that in 2020,  the idea came after an accident in which a woman was hit by a car. Many people and activist groups discussed the idea of turning the slip into a pedestrian plaza. Advocacy for Banker’s Anchor, a new pedestrian plaza, was also being discussed among residents at the time.

Crashmapper shows nine accidents at both ends of the slip between Aug 2016 to Aug 2024.

LaCherra said he was also part of a group from the Parks Alliance that helped with cleanup after events. The Parks Alliance hosted pedestrian events in the slip before the six-week pilot. When the G Train shutdown began, advocates for the open street wanted to show that the idea was good after several failed applications for the open street. LaCherra also commented that the slip would be nice on Saturdays when McCarren Park was full.

“There’s barely enough room for a picnic blanket next to the next picnic blanket,” He said referring to the crowds at McCarren Park on Saturdays.

LaCherra also said that while he ultimately wants the slip, he does not see the issue as a battle between business owners and residents. He believes that regulation of the space would make the space good for everyone. Furthermore, he said advocates for the slip have also pushed for loading zones within 65 feet of businesses.

“I think that this is something that, like most things, can be solved with some good communication and trying some things out,” LaCherra said.

 

By Jean Brannum | jbrannum@queensledger.com

Outside the DKN ReadyMix facility, Councilmember Lincoln Restler, State Senator Kristen Gonzalez, Assembly Member Emily Gallagher, and other community members spoke out against the cement mixing company for polluting the area and causing intense noise. 

The facility, which has several Department of Buildings complaints for spraying dust into the air, and banging concrete blocks against the ground causing noise and shaking, has received repeated requests from elected officials and residents to be better neighbors, the officials say. However, the facility has allegedly failed to meet with the community and has not fixed the issues. 

The situation has escalated to the point where Restler called for the company to shut down the Greenpoint location. 

“They’ve provided no substantive information, no real answers, most of all, no improvement,” Restler said. “We are gathered as elected officials, the united front, as community leaders, community-based organizations, all together demanding that this noxious business get the hell out of Greenpoint.”

Jens Rasmussen, who lives next to DKN, told Greenpoint Star in a previous interview that he saw workers slamming cement blocks onto the ground, which caused shaking and cracks in his building. The dust in the air has also caused respiratory issues for his two-year-old son. 

Another resident, Laura Hofmann, said she could write her name in the layer of dust that coats her car. She lives a few blocks from the facility. 

The DOB fined DKN $620 for performing work with a certificate of occupancy for the sale of used cars and car parts. The dispute was resolved, according to the DOB, and the certificate was corrected.

However, elected officials and residents say they have not seen improvement in the air quality or noise levels. Elected officials sent a letter to DKN demanding a meeting. The meeting was supposed to take place Aug 14 but was canceled the day before, according to Restler. He said that DKN hired a lobbying firm to assist them. There has not been a meeting, or discussion of one, since then. 

The air quality index (AQI) readings have been startling at the exact location of DKN. Lael Goodman, director of environmental programs at North Brooklyn Neighbors, saw a spike with an AQI reading over 500, which she said was worse than readings during the wildfires in Canada that turned city skies orange in 2023.  

Air quality monitors measure for particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, which is small enough to be inhaled, Goodman explained in a previous interview. An acceptable air quality reading is an average of 35 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3) over 24 hours, according to NYC Environment and Health. Air quality readings on Purple Air show the average 24-hour amount to be 59 µg/m3 as of Sept 20. The one-week average is 55 µg/m3.

The issues with DKN reflect repeated environmental justice issues in the neighborhood. Gallagher spoke about how she is tired of companies causing environmental issues for nearby residents. She also encouraged DKN to start working with the community to protect residents’ health and well-being.

“They can either work with us and keep their business, or they can work against us and see what happens,” Gallagher said.

Willis Elkins from the Newtown Creek Alliance agreed that Greenpoint already has many environmental issues from an industrial history. 

“It’s not that this is anti-business. This is being a bad neighbor, and DKN ReadyMix has this proven history of polluting our air, polluting our waterways, and congesting our streets, making it dangerous for everybody in the community, Elkins said. 

Elkins referred to DKN’s previous establishments at Maspeth Ave and in Long Island City. Riverkeeper, a nonprofit that advocates for the protection of the Hudson River and its tributaries, sued DKN in 2016 for allowing stormwater runoff from their facility to pollute nearby waterways in Long Island City. A judge ruled in favor of Riverkeeper and DKN had to pay $10,000 to the Newtown Creek Alliance.

While Restler ultimately called for DKN to relocate, he and his elected counterparts clarified that they are not against all businesses or industrial establishments in the area. He simply wants these businesses to be good neighbors. Gonzalez said that DKN can choose to comply with regulations and be a better neighbor. 

“We want a new industrial business providing good jobs to our community, who will be a good neighbor for Greenpoint, Restler said.”

DKN ReadyMix did not respond to requests for comment.

 

By Jean Brannum | jbrannum@queensledger.com

New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez announced Sept 10 that construction would begin this week on a new protected bicycle lane and other major safety improvements planned for Bedford Avenue in Bedford-Stuyvesant. 

Improvements include a 1.5-mile protected bike lane and the addition of pedestrian islands to reduce crossing distance. There will also be new loading zones to maintain curbside access for delivery vehicles. 

The DOT noted that the City has seen a 15% decrease in crashes with injuries and a 21% decline in injuries after similar redesigns. 

“The addition of a parking-protected bike lane on Bedford Avenue will create a critical cycling link in an area where bicycle ridership is booming, while making the road safer for everyone—whether you’re walking, biking, or traveling by car,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. 

Rodriguez mentioned that the decision came after outreach along the street. 

The northern part of Bedford Ave between Dean St and Flushing Ave is known for speeding, and five pedestrian deaths since 2020. 

“Biking along Bedford Avenue in Bed Stuy has been unsafe for too many years,” said Councilmember Lincoln Restler. “I’m elated that DOT has embraced a sustained campaign from community members and elected officials to install a protected bike lane on Bedford Avenue.”

At the same time, more people in the surrounding neighborhoods are cycling. Community Board 3 district is home to more than 4,000 Citi Bike annual members. In 2022, 494,000 trips began within the district’s boundaries. 

During outreach over the past two years, the DOT identified and spoke with stakeholders along the corridor. The agency hosted several meetings, walkthroughs, and site visits to ensure that the Bedford Avenue project accommodates the street’s diverse needs. 

DOT workers will begin removing the top road surface, a process called milling, of Bedford Avenue between Dean St and Lafayette Avenue this week. Streets typically remain milled for two to three weeks before being paved, a period in which utilities are strongly encouraged to do work that would otherwise require digging up the pavement. The DOT expects the entire redesign process along Bedford Avenue to be completed by the end of the year. 

At more than 10 miles, Bedford Avenue is Brooklyn’s longest street, stretching from Sheepshead Bay to Williamsburg.