Statement by Senator Golden on New Traffic Plans for Fort Hamilton Parkway

Brooklyn - State Senator Martin J. Golden (R-C-I, Brooklyn) has issued the following statement after reviewing the new plans to adjust the traffic patterns on Fort Hamilton Parkway as designed by the New York City Department of Transportation.

Senator Golden stated, “I have reviewed the plans designed by the Department of Transportation to improve traffic flow and prevent congestion, from in and around the area of the Fort Hamilton Parkway exit of the BQE, which has caused frustration for all motorists and residents of Dyker Heights. I have heard from countless residents who avoid driving in this area because of the terrible traffic and back-ups that have been regularly occurring here, causing them to be late for work and school. This has been a major problem and I am glad to see DOT creating a traffic pattern which I hope will work better and which I intend to closely monitor.”

Highlights of the new traffic plan for this intersection include:

*Changing the four phase traffic signal to a three phase traffic signal

*Cutting the barrier back so to create an extra lane

*Make it so that pedestrians cross at the north side of the corner and no longer the south side, and allow for additional time so to cross safely

*Close off the space between the guard rail, so that pedestrians can not jump between the barriers and cross the lanes separately of the crosswalk.

Residents of Senator Golden’s district attended his town hall meeting in November at St. Ephrem’s where concerns related to the new traffic regulations were discussed as being problematic in and around the entire area of 7th Avenue/Fort Hamilton Parkway Brooklyn-Queens Expressway exit. The Department of Transportation promised to review the location and devise a more suitable arrangement for the intersection. Representatives of the Department recently attended a meeting of Community Board 10's Traffic and Transportation Committee where residents continued to express frustration and urge a timely review.