CB8: More, Better on Eastern Pkwy Revamp!
Last night infrastructure was on everyone’s mind at Community Board 8’s general meeting, where the Department of Design and Construction presented on both changes to Eastern Parkway and the Water Main and Sewer Reconstruction on Atlantic between Carlton and Classon as well as Washington between Atlantic and Fulton. We told you last week Eastern Parkway…
Last night infrastructure was on everyone’s mind at Community Board 8’s general meeting, where the Department of Design and Construction presented on both changes to Eastern Parkway and the Water Main and Sewer Reconstruction on Atlantic between Carlton and Classon as well as Washington between Atlantic and Fulton. We told you last week Eastern Parkway was finally getting revamped, with green streets, a bike lane, crosswalks, a new median, and pedestrian landscaping. The crowd, however, expressed concern. One woman spoke on the bike lanes and hoped it wouldn’t become “another controversy like Prospect Park West.” Others worried about parking loss and subway closures; there will in fact be parking spots lost during the construction but no impact on subway lines, according to the DDC. As you can see in the vid above, CB Member Robert Witherwax, who overall supports the proposal, summed up the board’s disappointment regarding the plans, which he says don’t differ much from renderings for the thoroughfare’s revamp presented years ago.
Click through to read about upcoming construction on both Atlantic and Washington Avenue, as well as some safety improvements for the Washington/Atlantic intersection…
The water main and sewer replacement should begin this winter and last until summer 2012. Besides the replacements underground, sidewalks will be fixed up, with pedestrian ramps and extra street lighting added. Although roughly 90 percent of the work will be done at night, for a portion of the construction Washington Avenue will be closed between Atlantic and Fulton. (This is tentatively planned for October of this year, and should last roughly two months.) Members again expressed concern, this time about the water main construction, Eastern Parkway construction, and Atlantic Yards construction happening at the same time. DDC reps acknowledged that while it was true that there would likely be overlap, both of their projects have been years in the making and they would do their best to alert residents of inconveniences caused by construction.
On a smaller scale, the board approved safety and street improvements at the dangerous intersection of Washington and Atlantic Avenue. They also approved crosswalks and some landscaping at Park Place and Grand Street, which is the inconveniently laid-out street in front of the police annex.
Subway closures? These folks know that the subway, you know, underground while the street work happens at street level, right?
I’m sorry epkwy, did not mean to misrepresent! Will edit to include your support.
What about that dangerous Washington/Eastern Parkway corner, crossing it gives me the chills.
It’s about time that part of Eastern Parkway gets revamped. Finally, the World’s first Parkway will be as close as it ever was to Olmsted & Vaux’s vision.
I was thanking DDC for presenting on the water main and sewer work, and for detailing the construction impacts. However, I also expressed by surprise and disappointment that they did not come with more detailed renderings of the median design and the new traffic patterns. The community has not seen those plans for several years, and I felt the presentation was incomplete without them. Contrary to the implication in the post, I am quite in support of the project overall, and of the ultimate design….what I remember of it,anyway!!
I can’t hear the audio. What is Rob saying? What doesn’t he like about he EP Median plan?
dh – no doubt!
Concerning the other issue… if other projects had to wait until the Atlantic Yards project is done… well, there wouldn’t be any public works projects in the area until 2073. Well after the apocalypse.
” One woman spoke on the bike lanes and hoped it wouldn’t become “another controversy like Prospect Park West.”
bike lanes are only controversial in neighborhoods with annoying NIMBYs who have nothing else better to do except complain about some painted lines in the road.