Makeover Coming To Dangerous Bed-Stuy Intersection: DOT

BED-STUY, BROOKLYN — A dangerous intersection on the Bed-Stuy border will get a makeover this month aimed at preventing crashes, according to the city.

Construction at the three-way intersection of Broadway, Lafayette Avenue and Patchen Avenue will start this month, including updates to the crosswalks, pedestrian space and changes to the layout of the roadways, according to the Department of Transportation.

The upgrades come several years after city officials first started investigating safety issues on Broadway, which is a "priority corridor" under the city's Vision Zero initiative to eliminate traffic deaths.

There were a total of 37 crashes where either a driver, cyclist or pedestrian was injured at the intersection between 2014 and 2018, according to DOT data.

Transportation officials found that most of the safety problems stemmed from disjointed crosswalks, long crossing distances and un-signaled turns off Broadway onto Patchen Avenue that encouraged speeding, according to a presentation with Community Board 3.

To improve safety, they will close a "slip lane" on Patchen Avenue to create more pedestrian space, widen Kossuth Place into a two-way road and reorganize Lafayette Avenue so it has a designated turn lane, plans show. All pedestrian ramps and crosswalks will also be upgraded as part of the project.

Read more about the project here.