Dangerous Prospect Expressway Intersection To Get Upgrade

FLATBUSH, BROOKLYN — A dangerous Prospect Expressway intersection that has claimed two lives in the past six years may finally see safety upgrades with a new Department of Transportation initiative to speed up a local bus.

The corner of Church Avenue and Ocean Parkway, which officials described as "one of the most crash-prone in Brooklyn," will get Vision Zero upgrades this summer as part of the Better Buses Action Plan to increase speeds on the B35 bus, the Mayor announced Monday.

The intersection, where 73-year-old librarian Ngozi Agbim and an unidentified man were both killed in collisions with trucks and 102 people have been seriously injured in the past five years, has long been a source of outrage and fear in the community.

Proposed upgrades include new curb extensions, widened concrete medians, new turn restrictions and an extended head start for crossing pedestrians.

City Council member Brad Lander — who's been calling for an upgrade to the intersection since 2018 — was one of several local officials to celebrate the announcement.

"I am excited for the necessary changes on Church Avenue,"said Lander. "[The changes] will get the bus moving faster and increase safety at Ocean Parkway and Church Avenue."

Department of Transportation officials will begin presenting the plan, "Better Buses -- First Stop, Church Avenue"to local community boards in Flatbush and Kensington this month, officials said.

Its focus is the B35 bus — one of the city's slowest at an evening travel speed of 3.6 mph —which runs on Church Avenue between Flatbush Avenue and Ocean Parkway, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Monday.

This stretch of Church Avenue has seen 481 serious injury crashes and two crash-related deaths in the past five years, according to city transit data.

About 45,000 daily bus riders face traffic jams caused by double parking, trucks loading, and difficult turns onto the hectic avenue, officials said.

The new plan calls for new curbside dedicated bus lanes, new and adjusted truck loading zones and changes to metered parking, officials said.

“We are taking action to get New Yorkers moving and saving them time for the things that matter,” said Mayor de Blasio. “With guidance from riders, our new Better Buses advisory group will come up with innovative solutions to get our bus routes up to speed.”

The Better Buses plan will be lead by a panel of 15 elected officials including Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, State Senator Andrew Gounardes, Assembly Member Walter T. Mosley and Council Member Laurie Cumbo.

The route is one of 20 New York City routes included in the to increase speeds by 25 percent by 2021.