Bollards

Grand Army Plaza Bollards: Saving Lives and Wrecking Cars

The scene on Monday morning at the pedestrian refuge island in the middle of Flatbush Avenue between Prospect Park and the Brooklyn Public Library.

By Aaron Naparstek

12:51 PM EST on November 8, 2006

The scene on Monday morning at the pedestrian refuge island in the middle of Flatbush Avenue between Prospect Park and the Brooklyn Public Library.

The bollards this guy smashed into surround the infamous pedestrian refuge island where the “little walk man” beckons people into the middle of Flatbush Avenue and then sadistically traps them there as heavy traffic flies by on both sides. Some say that DOT has made some improvements in the signal timing at this intersection. Others say it hasn’t changed. Calls to DOT on this question have gone unanswered for about two weeks now. More:

Pedestrians, Cyclists Demand a Safer GAP (TransAlt)
DOT Reconstructs Grand Army Plaza Traffic Island (NYC.gov)
Bollards: Making NYC’s Streets Safe for Hydrants & Pay Phones (Streetsblog)

Aaron Naparstek

Aaron Naparstek is the founder and former editor-in-chief of Streetsblog. Based in Brooklyn, New York, Naparstek's journalism, advocacy and community organizing work has been instrumental in growing the bicycle network, removing motor vehicles from parks, and developing new public plazas, car-free streets and life-saving traffic-calming measures across all five boroughs. He was also one of the original cast members of the "War on Cars" podcast. You can find more of his work on his website.