
Vanderbilt Avenue
Starting in 2020 as a response to COVID-19, Vanderbilt launched an Open streets initiative, closing down Vanderbilt from 4 PM- 11 PM on Fridays and 11AM to 11PM Saturday and Sunday. This is a total of 31 hours that a major Brooklyn traffic artery is shut down to vehicular traffic,including public buses, delivery drivers, taxis and private citizens.
While Open streets has shown to have some benefits to some local businesses, 3.5 days a week for eight months is too large a burden on the community at large.
The PHNDC and DOT need to listen to the concerns of the majority of the neighborhood. During the shutdown days:
- Seniors have difficulty accessing transportation
- Differently abled community members have difficulty accessing transportation
- Businesses along Vanderbilt whose customers need vehicular or bus transportation access are losing business
- Emergency workers’ responses are hampered.
- Limited supervision and safety of motorcycles on bike lanes
- The excess traffic being pushed into side streets is creating excess harmful noise and smog pollution for residents and
- The excessive Vanderbilt Open Streets is hurting our community.
We ask that the DOT and PHNDC revisit and limit the number of days during the week Open Streets operates as well as decreasing the months of operation.
Hear from your neighbors
Have you been impacted by the changes on Underhill Avenue or have images to share of the direction repercussions of these changes? Please complete our Impact Statement Form.
As a senior citizen, I cannot gain close access to the supermarket, nor can l park near to stores anymore because of the block being shut down from Atlantic Ave to Park Pl. This is unconscionable inconvenience to the community. City government is supposed to protect the community, not inconvenience it.
No bus and my elderly mother has to walk many avenues over to catch the bus, can’t grocery shop. And most importantly, our emergency vehicles can’t get through. God forbid it’s a fire or some other emergency. I don’t understand why you need dining in the street when the boroughs biggest park is right