Private ‘campus’ roadway for Medgar Evers College scaled back
Officials at Medgar Evers College have partially retreated on plans to convert a public roadway into a campus-style plaza, according to community leaders who opposed the measure.
The stretch of Crown Street between Bedford and Franklin avenues is also known as Medgar Evers Lane and runs through the center of much of the university’s infrastructure. Officials wanted to create a more pedestrian-friendly and college-oriented experience on the roadway, similar to Baruch College’s annexation of 25th street in Manhattan (details of the plan were recently chronicled in the Daily News).
But the thoroughfare also provides at least 60 parking spaces, and its closure would lead to further traffic congestion. Critics point to the college’s own parking lot adjacent to Crown Street, which on most school days is already filled to capacity.
Brooklyn Department of Transportation Commissioner Keith Bray heard from the Crown Heights community about the issue last month. Medgar Evers College President Rudy Crew attended the meeting, during which he advised he would respect community wishes and work with the Department of Transportation (DOT) to find ways to create a campus-type atmosphere without closing the block.