Additional Speed Bumps Slated For 21st Ave, Says Greenfield

To slow down drivers and help prevent collisions (involving both cars and pedestrians), the NYC Department of Transportation will be installing additional street bumps on 21st Avenue in Boro Park, announced Councilman David Greenfield.

The plan includes three speed bumps, spaced about 250-300 feet apart, on the long block between 53 St/Dahill Rd and 57th street that cuts through the Washington Cemetery, confirmed Greenfield’s office.

“What really worries me is the number of schools in the area and yeshiva children getting dropped off and picked up along 21st Avenue,” Greenfield said. “Right now, many drivers speed because it’s a cemetery. That’s dangerous. Our city needs to take every precaution possible to keep our kids safe.”

In January, Assemblymember Dov Hikind announced a speed bump initiative in Bensonhurst. The initiative called for speed bumps on 21st Avenue from 53rd Street to 60th Street. The three new additional speed bumps (as part of Greenfield’s announcement) are being added into the initial proposal.

There have been 38 reported injuries between 53rd and 60th Streets/21st Avenue between 2010 and 2016.

According to a statement from Greenfield’s office, a lot of concerned Brooklynites have called about the 21st Avenue and 57 Street intersection.

“Lots of drivers start speeding up, thinking that there’s not much traffic going to the cemetery,” Greenfield wrote. “The problem is that 21st Avenue abruptly ends at 53rd Street, and cars have to either turn or suffer a collision, making this one of the most dangerous intersections in the neighborhood.”

The installation process is set to begin at the end of July.