Should Williamsburg's Bedford Ave Be Pedestrian-Only?

WILLIAMSBURG, BROOKLYN — An idea to make part of Williamsburg's busy Bedford Avenue a pedestrian-only throughway isn't necessarily new, but with a recent shout-out by City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, it could finally be time for the proposal to gain some traction, transit advocates said.

Johnson included the pedestrianization of Bedford Avenue — or closing the road to cars and making it only accessible by pedestrians and bicyclists — as one of many proposals in the 104-page transit report that accompanied his first State of the City address earlier this month.

The avenue, like others mentioned in report, is one of a few in the city that is "ripe for pedestrianization" given its increase in crowding and history of closing to cars for summer events or block parties, Johnson said.

The mention has already started to revamp a local conversation about the idea, which has floated around the neighborhood for several years. Transportation activists who have long touted the safety, transportation and business benefits of pedestrianizing the street said Johnson including the idea could help it finally move from idea to a real change.

"I was really happy to hear him say that — I’ve also been tossing it out into the world anytime I get a chance," said Max Sholl, the social coordinator for Transportation Alternatives' North Brooklyn Volunteer Activist Committee. "I could definitely see it becoming a reality, there's support from a lot of people for something like this...It's a great chance to take back a street that has been dominated by cars for so long now."

Sholl, like Johnson, said pedestrianizing Bedford would help adapt the street to fit the culture of the neighborhood, which has grown more crowded with people as it transitions from a manufacturing to multi-use area.

The avenue's narrow sidewalks have made it so pedestrians have started to overflow on the streets already, he said, increasing the chance for them to be hit by cars.

Closing the street to cars would make it so people can walk more safely and could even help boost local businesses, he said.

"It would slow people down a little bit and have them consider doing more shopping there," he said. "(It could have) a great economic impact on the businesses on Bedford."

Sholl, like Johnson, said Bedford would make a good option for pedestrianization given it has already tried out the idea and, although it is crowded with people, it rarely backs up with cars.

He first considered the idea when he visited the street for one of the Williamsburg Walk events back in 2012. The walks close down a section from Metropolitan Avenue to 9th Street.

"It was pretty magical," he said. "People were able to walk freely in the streets...it was just way more comfortable than the way it is now."

The idea isn't without its critics, though.

The proposal already sparked somewhat of an uproar when Councilman Antonio Reynoso brought it up at the Community Board 1 meeting this month. The councilman was met with some applause, but also many groans, when telling the board that Johnson had mentioned it in his report.

Reynoso said he thinks it would help businesses and improve safety, but some board members seemed worried it would cause more problems for the avenue.

Some brought up the possibility of reckless bicyclists causing further safety issues or that, because there are bars and restaurants on Bedford, that it would become a rowdy outdoor bar scene.

"What businesses are on Bedford Avenue? Bars," board member Thomas Burrows said. "So, it will be a pedestrianized bar-road."

Sholl said people are already free to walk from bar to bar on Bedford Avenue and that eliminating cars might actually make it safer for them to do so.

He and Reynoso also both maintained that more bicyclists hasn't proved to mean more safety problems. While there are about 200 traffic-related deaths each year by pedestrians getting hit by cars, there have been none caused by bicyclists in the last three years, Reynoso said.

"We have a car culture in this city and it makes it very difficult for us to get passed the fact that being a driver is a privilege not a right," he told board members. "What I want to do is make sure people know that the roads belong to them and it's a courtesy that we give it to vehicles. I want safety above all, not just above anything."

Should the idea become a reality, it would need to come to both the community board and the city council for discussion, he added.

How it would impact buses and loading or unloading zones for businesses would also need to be discussed, Sholl added. He suggested the pedestrianization stretch from Metropolitan to North 9th Street, and possibly around North 7th and Driggs, and that the B62 bus route be given limited access or be rerouted to another nearby street.

Reynoso encouraged board members, both for and against, to develop their arguments about the idea and be ready to present them should it come up for discussion.

"I want to let folks know so you can keep an open mind and hear them out," he said. "Why hold out to the last minute that this might be coming down the pike in three months when I can give you a heads up now? I want to make sure you're prepared for it and be transparent."