Greenpoint

City says ‘Slow down on McGuinness Boulevard!’

March 11, 2013 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle
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Back in the 1960s, Simon and Garfunkel sang “Slow down, you move too fast.” That warning could also be given to motorists who drive on McGuiness Boulevard in Greenpoint, according to a local lawmaker.

But Assemblyman Joseph Lentol (D-Greenpoint-Williamsburg) said drivers aren’t the only people at fault for speeding. The New York City’s Department of Transportation practically hid the speed limit signs on the busy boulevard, Lentol said.

That’s going to change, he said.

Lentol said he received a letter from DOT Brooklyn Borough Commissioner Joseph Palmieri explaining that existing speed limit signs along McGuinness Boulevard will be relocated for better visibility. The work is scheduled to be completed by May.

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There are fourteen signs along McGuinness Boulevard that display the 30 MPH speed limit, according to the DOT. Last year, when Lentol requested that additional signage be posted so that drivers would know how fast they can travel, he was told that the signs weren’t needed.

Lentol charged that several of the signs were improperly placed and were not visible.

“I have been pushing for the DOT to investigate the speed limit signs on McGuinness for almost a year, and after sending two letters they have finally decided to improve the visibility of the signs,” he said. “I am glad DOT is addressing this problem, which will hopefully slow drivers down,” he said.

Lentol also introduced legislation last year authorizing the city to install and operate speed cameras along McGuiness Boulevard. The boulevard is a four-lane arterial street stretching over one mile through the heart of Greenpoint. It is notorious for its speeding motorists, and the injuries and deaths they cause, Lentol said.

A study released by Transportation Alternatives and the McGuinness Boulevard Working Group found that 66 percent of cars speed on McGuinness Boulevard. The study also found that from 2005-2009 there were 57 motor vehicle crashes involving bicyclists and pedestrians, which resulted in four deaths.

“It’s clear to me, and to most in this community, that speeding along McGuinness Boulevard is a serious neighborhood concern. We need to find immediate solutions to prevent future, needless injuries and deaths. The DOT’s decision to improve the visibility and placement of speed limit signs will definitely improve the situation, but the introduction of speed cameras will undoubtedly also serve as an efficient deterrent,” Lentol said.

 

 


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