Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
DOT

#StuckAtDOT: Weeks After Truck Slams into Concrete, Residents Are Waiting For Safety

A month ago a truck driver slammed into a pedestrian refuge island at the intersection of Flatbush and DeKalb avenues. It still hasn't been fixed.

This pedestrian island was damaged on May 3. It has still not been fixed.

|Photo: Ibrahim Hersi

Safety second.

The Department of Transportation has failed to fix a critical piece of pedestrian safety infrastructure in the heart of Downtown Brooklyn for a full month — including more than a week since the damage was posted widely on social media.

On or about May 3, a truck driver slammed into a pedestrian refuge island at the intersection of Flatbush and DeKalb avenues, destroying part of a cement barricade that provided safety to pedestrians stuck in the middle of the wide street.

"It should have been repaired as soon as it occurred and the delay, without an explanation, demonstrates carelessness and irresponsibility, said Mariam Adeyi, a Flatbush resident who crosses the intersection regularly.

Reporter Liam Quigley spotted the damaged in late May, the result of a crash. Streetsblog promptly amplified the reporter's tweet, calling out the DOT for its lax response.

A DOT official, Vin Barone, responded to that May 24 tweet, "Hi there, the broken granite pieces have been removed. We're scheduling repairs for the near future."

On a visit to the site on June 3, Streetsblog confirmed that the debris had largely been removed, but the safety infrastructure has not been fixed, though perhaps the "near" future hasn't come yet.

The DOT put a plastic cone where a driver damaged key pedestrian infrastructure one month ago.Photo: Ibrahim Hersi

And safety is crucial at the intersection, where last year there were 23 reported crashes, injuring five pedestrians and a cyclist, according to city records. It's also very close to the crossing of Flatbush Avenue and Tillary Street, which Spektor Law claims is "the most dangerous intersection in all of New York State."

The DOT has long considered it a dangerous corner, given that the cement ring protecting pedestrians has been in place since at least 2011.

"I am concerned for the safety of others," added Adeyi.

Neither the DOT and the NYPD responded to requests for comment. We will update this story if either does.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Friday Video: Amtrak Is Way More Successful Than You Think

Why do so many people still treat Amtrak as a failure — and what would it take to deliver the rail investment that American riders deserve?

October 24, 2025

Hundreds of Community Groups — From the Conservatives to the Socialists! — Demand Daylighting

Two hundred New York City groups from across the ideological spectrum joined calls to ban parking at corners in order to improve safety and visibility, also known as daylighting.

October 24, 2025

OPINION: Canal Street — Not The Vendors — Is the Problem

If Zohran Mamdani becomes mayor — and is true to his vision for a fair, livable city — he will have to take on this long-ignored corridor. Here's how.

October 24, 2025

Vision Zero Cities: Bicycles Are Not Cars So They Shouldn’t Have to Follow the Same Rules

The default in nearly all states is to impose the same traffic rules on bicycles as on motor vehicles even though the needs of cyclists are so different.

October 24, 2025

Friday’s Headlines: Today’s the Day Edition

Mayor Adams's new 15 mph speed limit is officially goes into effect today. Plus more news.

October 24, 2025

Cough, Cough: DEP Considers Largest Ever Exemption Request to City’s Anti-Idling Law

Academy Bus claims no technological alternatives exist for heating and cooling buses without idling. Advocates warn an exemption would "gut" the city's 50-year-old idling ban.

October 23, 2025
See all posts