Eight new concrete curb extensions are coming to five Brooklyn intersections after a $1 million pledge from Borough President Eric Adams.
![Curb extensions reduce crossing distances for pedestrians and help drivers make slower, safer turns. Photo: DOT [PDF]](http://www.streetsblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/bulbout.png)
Curb extensions, also known as neckdowns or bulb-outs, extend the sidewalk at intersections to shorten crossing distances for pedestrians and slow drivers as they turn around a corner.
“Our youngest and oldest Brooklynites are at particular risk when crossing some of our busiest streets," Adams said in a press release. "Redesigning our crossings through sidewalk extensions is a common-sense approach that helps take our most vulnerable out of harm’s way."
Eight concrete neckdowns will be added to five intersections in Sheepshead Bay, East Flatbush, Prospect Lefferts Gardens and Borough Park. The intersections were chosen because they are high-crash locations in areas with an above-average concentration of senior citizens. Three of the five intersections are located in areas included in NYC DOT's Safe Streets for Seniors program.
Here's the full list:
- Nostrand Avenue and Avenue Z, northeast and southwest corners
- Utica Avenue and Church Avenue, northeast corner
- Utica Avenue and Winthrop Street, northeast corner
- Flatbush Avenue, Washington Avenue, and Lincoln Road, northeast corner (currently installed as a painted neckdown)
- New Utrecht Avenue, 12th Avenue, and 50th Street. Painted neckdowns on the eastern and southern sides of this multi-leg intersection, located beneath an elevated train, will be converted to concrete curb extensions. A new sidewalk extension will be added on the northeast corner of New Utrecht Avenue and 12th Avenue.
Adams announced the new curb extensions Friday afternoon at the intersection of Nostrand Avenue and Avenue Z. A driver making a left turn there last month killed 52-year-old Carol Carboni, who died after she was knocked from her mobility scooter in the crosswalk.
“In a city with a Vision Zero policy, intersections with neckdowns and bulb-outs should be the norm, not the exception,” said Dahlia Goldenberg of Families for Safe Streets. “Too many New Yorkers have lost their lives because our current street design encourages drivers to make turns at unsafe speeds. We thank Borough President Adams for bringing these safety fixes to Brooklyn, and we call on the City’s other borough presidents to follow suit.”
