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Pedestrian Safety Barriers Causing Traffic Jams Under BQE, Critics Say

By Janet Upadhye | September 15, 2014 7:46am
 Recently installed barriers under the BQE in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill are causing traffic jams, locals say.
Recently installed barriers under the BQE in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill are causing traffic jams, locals say.
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DNAinfo/Janet Upadhye

FORT GREENE — Barriers recently installed to make the parking areas under the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway safer for pedestrians are causing a headache for motorists who say they create traffic jams and chaos.

The barriers, installed in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill, are part of the Park Avenue Pedestrian Safety Plan, named after the street that runs alongside the BQE.

The barriers were designed to help pedestrians walk freely beneath the expressway instead of having to dodge cars, while also stopping cars from driving from lot to lot, according to Meredith Phillips Almeida, director of Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn Partnership, which spearheaded the plan.

"People would sometimes speed down that lane making it hard for pedestrians to cross," Phillips Almeida said.

But drivers say the barriers are causing major traffic jams — especially in the morning when people leave for work.

Cars that can't find spots are forced to make a U-turn when they reach the end of the lot, creating a backup.

Then they have to squeeze out of the entrance and cause congestion on the streets that cross under the BQE.

Some drivers say the maneuvering cars are dangerous for pedestrians as well.

"People have to make several-point turns to get out of the parking lot," said Eddie Estevez, who works at Geraldo's Auto Repair on Park Avenue and parks in the lot several times a week. "It's a real pain."

Still, the DOT says the barriers will help to decrease the amount of cars in the parking lane.

"The goal is to rationalize access to the parking areas by limiting entrance and exit to one location for each parking area," a spokesman for the agency said.

Phillips Almeida, who had not yet seen the barriers, said the DOT would evaluate their effectiveness.

"The idea is to make Park Avenue safer," she said.