Which Prospect Heights, Crown Heights, PLG Projects Should The City Fund? Vote For Outdoor Gym, Street Trees, More

BROOKLYN, NY — Seems like just yesterday every red-blooded New Yorker over age 14 was racing to the polls for Participatory Budgeting Vote Week 2016, making controversial neighborhood decisions like whether to divert taxpayer money toward a "Lake Mess Monster" aquatic weed harvester for Prospect Park or a fleet of roving "mobile studios" for starving artists in Gowanus.

JK. Only a few thousand residents (at most) in each of the city's 51 districts ever bother to vote in these things. The vast majority probably don't even know they exist.

Considering how much of our own cash is on the line, though, that's kind of a shame. And some of the proposals can be pretty rad — this year, for example, Crown Heights and Bed-Stuy residents have the chance to fund a bunch of street signage in Downtown Brooklyn pointing tourists (or clueless locals) to Restoration Plaza and the Weeksville Heritage Center.

So what do you say we make 2017 the year Participatory Budgeting became the cool thing to do? You know, over a beer with a neighbor on a Friday night.

Scroll down for a list of projects in Prospect Heights, Crown Heights and Prospect-Lefferts Gardens vying for $1 million to $2 million in city funds this year.

If you're not familiar with any of them (and aren't much of a Heritage Center type), this whole process may seem like a waste of time. But think what a difference your vote could make for, say, a local school seeking a working science lab, a refurbished theater, a 3D printer or something as simple as air conditioning.

Now that we've guilted you into some good, old-fashioned community involvement: Before you vote, you'll have to figure out which City Council district you live in.

Unfortunately, because municipal governments can never do things the easy way, NYC's political districts aren't divided cleanly by neighborhood. So you'll have to plug in your address here to find your City Council district. Or, if you like to live on the edge, do your best to geolocate yourself in either the 35th, 36th, 40th or 41st district on these maps:

Once you know your City Council district — feels kinda good, doesn't it? — you can browse nearby projects in need of city funds. We've listed them below.

And once you've decided which ones you want to support, you can vote for your 5 favorites online (or in person) between Saturday, March 25, and Sunday, April 2.

That's pretty much it. Get to democratizing, you crazy kids:

PROSPECT HEIGHTS

If you live in Prospect Heights and your home is located within Laurie Cumbo's 35th City Council district, below are your options for neighborhood projects to fund. And here's where you can vote in person.

Auditorium Upgrades P.S. 9

• Replace stage lighting, sound system and seats. Install a projector, repaint auditorium and refurbish stage floor.
• 80 Underhill Avenue, Prospect Heights
• $350,000

CROWN HEIGHTS

If you live in Crown Heights and your home is located within Laurie Cumbo's 35th City Council district, below are your options for neighborhood projects to fund. And here's where you can vote in person.

Running Water for P.S. 241 Science Lab

• Create a water line for the science lab in P.S. 241 by installing one non-reactive sink, faucet and taps.
• 976 President Street, Crown Heights
• $350,000

Technology Panels for P.S. 532

• P.S. 532 New bridges Elementary school is requesting 10 Promethium ActivPanels for their classrooms
• 1025 Eastern Parkway, Crown Heights/Weeksville
• $65,000

Science Room and technology Upgrade P.S. 705

• The science room upgrade includes a built-in teacher’s station, mobile STEM labs and 3D printer.
• 443 St. Marks Avenue, Crown Heights
• $350,000

Safe Routes to School, P.S. 221

• Safe Routes helps the streets surrounding schools become safer and reduces pedestrian accidents.
• Empire Boulevard Intersection, Crown Heights/Weeksville
• $300,000

If you, on the other hand, live in Crown Heights but your home is located within Robert Cornegy's 36th City Council district, below are your options for neighborhood projects to fund. And here's where you can vote in person.

Technology Expansion #Smarttechkidsz #Techsmart

• Smart boards, smart tables, computer tables, computers, laptop carts, laptop bundles and printers for technology upgrade.
• P.S. 256, Bed-Stuy; P.S. 289, Crown Heights; and P.S. 305, Bed-Stuy
• $225,000

Outdoor Fitness Equipment at St. John’s Rec Center #FitForFree

• Create an outdoor gym to serve the fitness needs of our community #GetfitBK #Beachbody
• St. John’s Recreation Center, Crown Heights/Weeksville
• $500,000

Smooth Streets for Bed-Stuy and Crown Heights

• Resurface streets with major cracks, potholes in parts of Community Boards 8 and 3.
• Varies within the district
• $250,000

#CultureLivesHere: Celebrate Local Culture with Signs

• Directional signs to Restoration Plaza and Weeksville Heritage Center from Downtown Brooklyn to serve as cultural markers to landmark neighborhoods.
• Bedford and Crown Heights Historic Districts
• $40,000

PROSPECT-LEFFERTS GARDENS

If you live in Prospect-Lefferts Gardens and your home is located within Mathieu Eugene's 40th City Council district, below are your options for neighborhood projects to fund. And here's where you can vote in person.

A.C. for High Needs Schools

• Install air conditioning in 46 rooms at these two Title I schools, so students and teachers can focus on learning.
• P.S. 92, 601 Parkside, Prospect-Lefferts Gardens; and P.S. 139, 330 Rugby, Ditmas Park
• $250,000

Upgrade Audio/Visual System for P.S. 92

• Upgrade A/V System in this Title I school’s auditorium with video, projection, lighting, etc. (None exist now).
• P.S. 92, 601 Parkside, Prospect-Lefferts Gardens
• $300,000

Trees for Rogers Avenue

• These 4 blocks have only 7 trees! More trees help clean the air on this bus route and keep street cooler in summer heat.
• Rogers Avenue, Midwood to Winthrop, Prospect-Lefferts Gardens
• $39,900

Safety Improvements at Busy Intersection

• Sidewalk extensions and expanded southern triangle will improve pedestrian safety near busy Prospect Park station.
• Flatbush at Washington and Lincoln, Prospect-Lefferts Gardens
• $200,000

Safety Improvements at Rogers and Rutland

• Sidewalk extension and other street safety measures will protect children near Lefferts Gardens Montessori school.
• SE Corner of Rogers Avenue and Rutland Road, Prospect-Lefferts Gardens
• $524,000

Safety Improvements at Flatbush and Rutland

• Sidewalk extension and other street safety measures will protect pedestrians from cars turning off Flatbush.
• NE & SE Corners of Flatbush and Rutland, Prospect-Lefferts Gardens
• $524,000

If you, on the other hand, live in Prospect-Lefferts Gardens but your home is located within Darlene Mealy's 41st City Council district, you're out of luck: Mealy hasn't yet implemented Participatory Budgeting in her district. Let her know what you think about that here.