Flatlands is moving full speed ahead with a plan to slow down traffic.
The city rolled out a slate of safety improvements on Foster Avenue that would narrow and in some areas eliminate traffic lanes and residents at the May 21 Community Board 18 meeting were on board.
But part of the plan that had the most support — a proposal to give Foster Avenue’s service roads a dedicated light where they feed into the avenue at E. 87th Street — isn’t guaranteed, though locals say the change is needed.
“Its the safest thing to do,” said Canarsie resident Barbara Bieber, who holds her breath when passing through the intersection daily. “Once I make it past that intersection, I know I’m home safe.”
That specific portion of the proposal is still under investigation by the department’s Signals Division, but other aspects of the plan are on the way now that it has board approval, according to department representative Rob Viola.
The department is also calling for a wider parking lane and narrower traffic lanes along the avenue between Kings Highway and Remsen Avenue — a measure intended to discourage drivers from speeding and weaving, Viola said. The new, 12-foot parking lanes will be so wide that even double-parked cars would hardly jut into traffic lanes, creating fewer obstacles for drivers, he said.
The plan would altogether eliminate one travel lane in each direction between E. 81st and E. 88th streets, replacing them with painted hash lines or dedicated turning lanes. Plastic bollards will prevent motorists from simply driving through the hash-marked sections of the road, Viola said.
Bike lanes are not included in the proposal, but Viola said the extra-wide parking lanes will make the avenue safer for cyclists.
The improvements were recommended because the police have designated that stretch of Foster Avenue as a high-crash area. According to police department data, there have been six fatalities as a result of traffic accidents along the one-mile corridor since 2008.
“That’s a lot of fatalities for a roadway that’s this short,” Viola said.
The board’s district manager said the updated traffic patterns could not come soon enough.
“That street was configured during the horse-and-buggy days,” said District Manager Dottie Turano.
