Eyes on the Street: Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn

A tipster spotted this Parks Department garbage truck doing its morning rounds on the sidewalk at Plaza Street and Vanderbilt Avenue, near the Grand Army Plaza subway stop in Brooklyn today. "As far as I can tell," he writes, "the sole reason for it is so the workers don’t have to move the trash cans as far, but at the expense of safety (and propriety). There are many adults and children walking here due to nearby subway exit."

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What’s Next at Grand Army Plaza?

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The asphalt expanse where Flatbush and Vanderbilt Avenues meet at the north end of Grand Army Plaza. Photo: Google Street View We missed it in the run-up to the holidays last month, but this item in the Brooklyn Paper is worth a longer look. DOT has announced its intention to implement some safety fixes at […]

It’s Time for DOT to Think Big at Grand Army Plaza

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The view of Grand Army Plaza from Union Street. DOT has proposed converting parking on Union to another moving lane. Union Street in Brooklyn has a problem: The queue of cars waiting to drive through the intersection at Grand Army Plaza sometimes stretches as far as the eye can see. The bottleneck, which causes a […]

A Livable Streets Exhibition Opens in Brooklyn

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This Thursday will be the opening reception of "Livable Streets in Brooklyn," an exhibition at the Brooklyn Public Library. There will be a presentation by the Grand Army Plaza Coalition (GAPco) about the community-driven process that has been underway to re-envision Grand Army Plaza. And the Department of Transportation will discuss its recently announced plans […]

Pedestrian and Bike Improvements Coming to Grand Army Plaza

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Current configuration Proposed changes Here’s a look at the proposal the DOT gave to Brooklyn’s Community Board 6 on March 29th regarding safety improvements at Grand Army Plaza. The plan’s highlights include: Three new concrete islands (5,900 square feet) 2,300 square feet of new landscaping Removing a travel lane on Eastern Parkway Providing a Class […]

Grand Plans for Brooklyn’s Iconic Public Space

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In all of the uproar over DOT’s various transportation proposals for Park Slope last month (One Way? No Way! and 9th Street) this Grand Army Plaza project managed to slip beneath the radar. That’s too bad because it’s a really thoughtful and detailed piece of planning work that will help connect neighborhoods and improve the […]

Grand Army Plaza Bollards: Saving Lives and Wrecking Cars

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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 […]