Bringing Slow Zones To Ditmas Park & Midwood

A Midwood neighbor wrote to us recently about a proposed neighborhood Slow Zone just south of Avenue H. He says:

Last year, my daughter who was 2 years old at the time was crossing Avenue I at E. 17th Street with her grandmother, when a car travelling north on E. 17th street turned left onto Avenue I without stopping and without looking for pedestrians in the crosswalk. Fortunately the car stopped just as it contacted my daughter and she was uninjured. The slow zone represents an opportunity to make our streets a little bit safer for residents, students and othe pedestrians. The proposed slow zone is, bounded by Ocean Avenue, Avenue J, the B/Q subway tracks, and the freight train tracks between Ave. H and Ave. I. Note that Ocean Ave. and Ave. J would not be included in the slow zone and are just the boundaries.

We have contacted institutions and elected officials within the proposed slow zone for support and/or sponsorship and we are also collecting signatures of adults that live within the proposed boundary ands support this plan. The proposal fits well into the DOT’s requirements for a slow zone. Anyone wishing to sign the petition for a slow zone, please email me at midwoodslowzone@gmail.com.

Below is the map of the proposed Slow Zone:

Slow Zones use speed bumps, signs, and other markings to reduce the speed limit in qualified areas from 30 to 20mph, altering driver behavior, reducing the frequency and severity of crashes, and reducing noise in residential neighborhoods. The introduction of 20mph Slow Zones in London reduced injuries by 42% as opposed to untreated areas. Five Slow Zones have been implemented in New York City to date.

Qualified Slow Zone areas cover an approximate area of a quarter square mile (about 5 by 5 blocks), are in primarily-residential, low traffic locations so as to avoid congestion, and have strong boundaries like major streets, highways, large parks, or elevated train tracks.

Want to propose a Slow Zone in Ditmas Park? Applications for Slow Zones can be submitted up until May 31. The DOT says:

Applications may be submitted by local Community Boards, civic associations, business improvement districts (BIDs), elected officials, or other community institutions such as schools or churches.

Applications must demonstrate local support for the Slow Zone. Applications that include letters of support from key community stakeholders will be prioritized. Examples of key stakeholders include the local Community Board, police precinct, civic councils, community groups, BIDs and local elected officials.

You can also attend the CB14 Transportation Committee meeting, which will be addressing the Slow Zone program, on May 30. To learn more about Slow Zone criteria and application, visit the DOT website.