By Jewish Future Alliance
The purpose of this update is to increase awareness of community issues and foster active community engagement in the democratic process. We are committed to providing frequent updates to keep everyone informed about the latest developments in the neighborhood.
Here are three important updates
1. The Department of Transportation (DOT) intends to establish a loading zone on Kingston Avenue, specifically between President and Union. As a result, many parking spots along Kingston Ave will be removed. The DOT’s decision is based on Local Law 168 of 2021, which mandates the creation of a minimum of five loading zones per year in each neighborhood tabulation area (NTA). Under the new law, the city must implement a total of at least 500 new loading zones annually for the next three years. The DOT claims that its decision-making process is driven by data and considers various factors such as population density, land use, street geometry, and operational characteristics, including crash data and double-parking violations. While we are not experts in the DOT’s methodology, we are familiar with this community and believe that establishing a loading zone on Kingston Avenue and President would be unwise.
We have expressed our concerns to the DOT, emphasizing that this loading zone would not be beneficial and may even worsen traffic issues. Kingston Avenue already faces parking challenges, especially since it serves as a popular shopping destination for the local Jewish community and is near 770 Eastern Parkway. Additionally, the recent installation of CITI bikes has already taken up a significant number of parking spaces, causing considerable frustration.
For community members who wish to provide feedback to the DOT specifically regarding neighborhood loading zones (NLZ), there is an option to do so by visiting the following link: DOT Feedback Form under the general topic of neighborhood loading zones (NLZ).
2. A primary election for the City Council is scheduled for June 27, with early voting from June 17. While most of Crown Heights won’t have a City Council race due to the absence of opponents for current members, the 41st district, covering East Flatbush and parts of Crown Heights has a race. This particular election has a shorter two-year term instead of the usual four-year term, as an election took place just two years ago. The earlier timing is a result of significant redistricting following the 2020 Census, requiring all 51 seats on the City Council to be up for election. The City Council works alongside the mayor in making decisions that impact all New Yorkers.
In addition to the council race, there will also be elections for Civil Court Judges and Delegates to the Judicial Convention on June 27th.
3. The Parks Department has confirmed that Lefferts Park will continue with community time on Fridays from 8am-8pm. During this period, they will not issue permits for groups allowing everyone in the community to make use of the field.
Truly unbelievable that we have no proper representation. Almost every month now something new comes up to make life more difficult for residents of crown heights.
Shame on us.
At least someone is doing something. Thank you JFA again.
Its obvious its a bad idea but the city is determined to do what they want regardless as we have seen before.
Wish things could be different
Why is no one doing anything about it??
They are doing something. Writing us letters what will happen next to mess up our neighborhood. Do you think our community leaders use the CitiBikes too?
We need representation that cares about us!! Where is our communoty council in all this?? Especially in the new plans to put so many homeless so close to us. Please speak on our behalf, as you were hired to do!!
Thank you to Sperlin, Halberstam, Cohen, Behrman and everyone else who works tirelessly to represent us!
The area they propose is already very bad, maybe this will improve it. Instead of many times being blocked, maybe after no parking will be smoother flow.
lots of kvetchers over here.
That block is in desperate need of a loading zone so the trucks don’t block the street and maybe it will take quicker than 15 minutes to drive up the four blocks to 770!!!
Same with the citi bikes btw! It makes me so happy to see all the frum people all the citi bikes, getting good excersice.
why all the citi bikes an why on the street not side walk
look at empire blvd and new york
Montgomery and new york etc
The sidewalks are narrow, not like on the empire and other sides.
But why they made it here inside of doing it around public places like a library etc etc
Crown heights leadership needs to take a hard lesson from Williamsburg until they do nothing will get done and the politicians will continue to take advantage of crown heights.
1. Williamsburg is full of bike lanes and has many citi bikes.
2. The stats are showing that Crown Heights Lubavitchers are using citibikes in greater numbers than the yuppies.
Where can one see the source of these “stats”?
Does NOT stand for:
Department
of
transportation,
It stand for:
Department
of
TICKETS!!!!!!!!!!!!
More reasons to get out of this forsaken city.
My car lease is terminating, I’m not leasing another car, between driving amongst these reckless bikers who cut you off indescrimnately whilst passing RED LIGHTS without a thought, 24 hour speed cameras, Citi bikes on every corner, taking away many parking spots. I’m outaa here !!!
WHAT A JOKE IS THIS COMMUNITY COUNCIL AND ALL WHO REPRESENT CROWN HEIGHTS!!!
GET RID OF THOSE REDICULOUS BIKES!ALL THEY DO IS TAKE AWAY NEEDED PARKING AREAS!!!WHEN WILL YOU SEE A FAMILY WITH 6-7-8-9- CHILDREN PADDLING ON THE BICYCLES ?!!!
ITS NOT MENT FOR FRUM AND LARGE FAMILIES !!!PUT THSE BICYCLES IN MILANIUM AREAS!!!!
Seems like Quality of life issues are beginning to take a deep dive down. Is this going to be a prime example of the new & bizarre fifteen minute city madness?
Maybe if people didn’t double park as much on that block we wouldn’t get punished
A parked mitzva tank does not fulfill its purpose
Thank you very much for this detailed current info on our neighbourhood.
I feel that until we get the drift – that the DOT, who together with our mayor,
makes these practical decisions (really, decrees) – on our neighbourhood…
until we manage to rev up a degree of anger about these things… we are like
naive sitting ducks. Because these type decisions do not fly in the face of
improvement to our neighbourhood but are targeting us NEGATIVELY and
we should consciously admit this, to have the energy to really change anything,
As mentioned – the City bike areas take important space, and the new homeless
building to be put up and now this… everything negative. It’s interesting
to note (in a separate situation) – that the mayor has decreed that a big hotel in
crowded Rockland County, home to many chassidim – is where there will be
a new migrant hotel. Also to keep in mind that Crown Heights is one of the
few neighbourhoods in the city which has been targetted to receive the “blessing”
of 5G towers.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/07/nyregion/rockland-migrants-shelter-nyc.html
We and our representatives, should wise up and realize that our sweet talking and
even, “friendly” administration is NOT FRIENDLY to us,, and it behooves us to
“smell the coffee” and start to actually get angry. Without our awareness
that we may have a problem with some officials, it can continue and maybe get
worse – as we “lie down and roll over”. It just won’t be enough to say, “We
have expressed our concerns to the DOT, emphasizing that this loading zone
would not be beneficial and may even worsen traffic issues” and to merely
remind the DOT committee, that “the recent installation of CITI bikes
has already taken up a significant number of parking spaces”. They have NOT forgotten!
We must FIRST admit there is no “friendship” in how these councils are dealing
with our (Jewish?) community at present (to say the very least) – and realize that
they DO know what they are doing. and stop believing naively in their
present “goodwill” towards us.
Wiithout community self-awareness of possible “negative” intentions towards
us, we may just not be able to muster up the necessary ENERGY to fight these
these things politically.
I have no where to park in crown heights!
Let’s do Kingston from empire till eastern Prkwy a free-from-cars block for Shabbes and Sunday
We want free of transportation street!!!
If they can close 5th Avenue for pedestrians only they defiantly can close Kingston ave.
The 43 bus stops are empty anyway on this blocks
Yes, it’s true that a few people might want a loading zone or use the bikes. But overall, it’s part of the City Council purposely punishing residents of the city, and Crown Heights in particular. They don’t like you.
Not sure when that’s going to change, but that’s the way it is, and frankly, it’s been that way for about 50 years, except for a few minutes under Giuliani and a bit of Bloomburg.
Have you seen the prices to use the citibikes? Crazy! More than the subway.
Unless you qualify for SNAP.
Then for $5 a month it’s free! Another example of our socialist leaning government.
Trying to run us out of town. Who will support all these crazy projects when the taxpayers move?
Citibikes is a franchise, that never went through NYC Charter Section 363(Franchises) and skipped over ULURP (community board review), which was required because of the franchise award having land use implications (taking up parking spots). Although community boards had a public comment period for the general public, that is not the same as a formal ULURP process, which involves a community board vote. Community board members can raise the Section 363 franchise issue for the Citibikes franchise and the cell phone LinkNYC5G issue by pushing the NYC Public Advocate to start a lawsuit. Private persons can hire a lawyer or… Read more »
(2) no such request or solicitation shall be issued unless either the department of city planning has determined that the proposed franchise would not have land use impacts or implications or such request or solicitation has been reviewed and approved pursuant to section one hundred ninety-seven-c and section one hundred ninety-seven-d
Section 363. Franchises. (amlegal.com) 363(e)(2)