DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — A nearly eight-mile stretch of Atlantic Avenue will be the first major street to have its speed limit dropped from 30 mph to 25 mph as part of the city's Vision Zero traffic initiative, officials announced.
Atlantic Avenue is the first of 25 "arterial slow zones," — major streets where the speed limit will be reduced — that the city plans to implement this year. The new speed limits on Atlantic Avenue will go into effect by the end of the month, officials said.
The plan also calls for re-timed stoplights, increased NYPD enforcement, and temporary speed boards.
The targeted stretch of Atlantic Avenue, beginning at the waterfront in Brooklyn Heights and ending at 76th Street in Woodhaven, saw 25 fatalities, including 13 pedestrians, between 2008 and 2012, according to the Department of Transportation.
“With long crosswalks and wide-open lanes, major corridors like Atlantic have too often served as barriers in our communities, especially for our students and seniors,” said DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg in a statement.
“By targeting corridors with the greatest numbers of injuries, building on our agency’s engineering expertise and partnering with communities across the city, this program marks the next step towards Vision Zero and streets that are safer for all New Yorkers.”
Trottenberg didn’t reveal the names of the 24 other locations included in the arterial slow zone program, but said it will include all five boroughs.
