Upcoming Events

Please attend tomorrow night's Brooklyn CB1 meeting to speak out in favor of the new Kent Avenue bike lane, a key route in the Brooklyn bike network and a vital link in the future Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway.

The new Kent Avenue bike lane is already filling up with cyclists. But despite broad public support, the lane has its detractors. The email below was recently sent to elected officials, the press and City Hall from very vocal opponents to the new Kent bike lane and Greenway link, and it is not the first of its kind. It is imperative that local cyclists and supporters of livable streets attend tomorrow night's meeting, sign up to and continue to speak in favor of this important transportation improvement for the neighborhood, for now and for the future.

Here is the email sent in opposition to the new lane:

To all our community leaders and elected officials

This is to inform you of a new problem that we have.
The D.O.T. posted new "NO STOPPING" any time on Kent Ave. in Brooklyn, both sides of the streets from Quay Street to Clymer Street (our problem is about 1 block in particular Kent between Broadway and Division Ave)

The signs were changed about 2 weeks ago from regular alternate sides parking to NO STOPPING anytime. Taking away over 100 parking spots on our block.

1. There are a few residential buildings and there won’t be allowed any passenger or delivery drop off or pick’s up in front of the building and the 3 block range, UPS or any other delivery company has to park 4 blocks away and walk to our building for a delivery

2. There is over 400 apt. here with no parking at all, on street. And very limited, expensive, off street parking. Therapists that come to our little children with special needs refuse to come because they can’t find a legal parking spot within a 6 block range.

3. Buses refuse to pick up our small children, car services demand us to walk 3 blocks where they can stop to pick us up, local delivery companies refuse to deliver to our block,

4. There is a school for special children on Kent cor. south 9 (the Chush school) and it will be impossible for them to pick up and drop off the kids in a safe manner.

5. The signs were put up without any prior notice to the residence leaving us no time to plan what to do and where to park our cars

6. 2 weeks we are trying to call city agencies and our elected officials, and so far no response from anyone. In the mean time our cars are being ticketed and towed away just for dropping off a passenger or unloading groceries in front of our own home.

It is the responsibility of the community board to act as advocates for the community and its residents and to solve problems as they occur.

Therefore we are asking you to help us in this matter and to request from the city to remove these signs immediately, and postpone the work for the bike lane, until they restudy our neighborhood, to make sure that its safe for our children, and that we should be able to pick up/drop off and receive deliveries to our homes, and that we shouldn't have to look for parking 6 blocks away from our home.

It’s dangerous, irresponsible, and unacceptable to leave these signs here.