This Week: Sixth Ave Protected Bike Lane, Empire Blvd Plazas

There are two big community board votes this week, both on Wednesday.

The Manhattan CB 4 transportation committee will decide whether to endorse a protected bike lane for Sixth Avenue from 14th Street to 33rd Street. DOT brought this plan to the table in response to years of community advocacy. CB 4 was among the local community boards that asked DOT to study protected bike lanes on Midtown avenues and has a record of backing street safety improvements, but a strong show up support will help push this project through.

Update: This meeting has been postponed until December 16. In Brooklyn, the CB 9 transportation committee will again take up a street reconstruction project that will add public space and make it safer to walk at two intersections on Empire Boulevard: at East New York Avenue, Remsen Avenue, and Utica Avenue; and at Franklin Avenue and Washington Avenue. From 2009 to 2013 there were 490 injuries at the two locations combined — an average of one injury every three days — including 29 serious injuries. The CB 9 transportation committee has supported the plan, but the full board tabled a vote when some board members and residents complained the redesign would interfere with their personal driving habits.

Community board votes are supposed to be advisory, but DOT rarely moves forward with a safety project over a board’s objection. It’s crucial that CB 9 and DOT hear from people who want a safer Empire Boulevard.

Calendar highlights below. Check our complete listings for more events.

• Tuesday: DOT hosts a workshop to solicit public input on safety improvements for Atlantic Avenue between Georgia Avenue in East New York and Rockaway Boulevard in Ozone Park. 5:30 to 8 p.m. DOT is also accepting comments online.
• Tuesday: State Senator Dan Squadron and other electeds, along with Riders Alliance and Manhattan community boards 1, 2, and 3, hold a town hall on MTA bus service. 6:30 p.m.
• Wednesday: The Manhattan CB 4 transportation committee will vote on a protected bike lane for Sixth Avenue from 14th Street to 33rd Street, and discuss safety improvements at 29th Street and 11th Avenue. 6:30 p.m.
• Wednesday: Topping the agenda for the Brooklyn CB 9 transportation committee will be the Empire Boulevard Reconstruction Project, which would create two new pedestrian plazas by simplifying complex intersections. Update: This meeting has been postponed until December 16.
• Thursday: DOT and DDC will present the preliminary design for the reconstruction of the triangle at the intersection of Flatbush and Eighth Avenues and St. Johns Place to the Brooklyn CB 6 transportation committee. 6:30 p.m.

Keep an eye on the calendar for updated listings. Got an event we should know about? Drop us a line.