Lander Pulls Traffic Calming Together
City Councilman Brad Lander made good on his promise to address Windsor Terrace and Kensington residents’ long-standing concerns about pedestrian safety – made even more immediate following the tragic death of Mohammad Naiem Uddin in November.
After lobbying the city’s Department of Transportation the city agency came up with a comprehensive plan to enhance safety in the two neighborhoods. Among the highlights of the plan include:
- Street safety improvements around the soon-to-be opened PS 437, including curb extensions at Caton Avenue at E. 7th and E. 8th Streets.
- Installation of a 20 mph “slow zone” around PS 437 and PS 230 (including new signage), and a new stop-sign & crosswalk at PS 130.
- Reducing Caton Avenue to one lane from Ocean Parkway to Coney Island Avenue, with related pedestrian improvements.
- Increasing pedestrian crossing times at Caton Avenue and Ocean Parkway.
- Curb extensions and other improvements at the Church/McDonald and Fort Hamilton/McDonald intersections.
City Shells Out $17 Million in Wrongful Murder Convictions
City Comptroller Scott Stringer announced the city will pay $17 million to settle three wrongful convictions of murder that Kings County District Attorney Ken Thompson recently overturned.
The cases with three defendants involved Louis Scarcella, the retired homicide detective whose investigative tactics have come under question and whose cases that Thompson investigated.
Robert Hill, Alvena Jennette and Darryl Austin, three half brothers, spent a combined total of 60 years in prison — one died there — before their convictions, made in the 1980s, were vacated in the May.
Thompson, the Brooklyn district attorney, is examining 130 convictions, including 70 cases in which Scarcella played a key role.
Adams To Introduce Stormwater and Flood Plan
Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams is set to introduce a Brooklyn Greenway Initiative plan to prevent up to half a billion gallons of stormwater from entering the combined sewer system annually, which will contribute to a dramatic reduction in the release of raw sewage into the East River and New York Harbor during heavy storms.
The plan also recommends approaches to protect Red Hook and Sunset Park from future coastal flooding. The office of the Brooklyn Borough President has sponsored funding from the New York State Department of State for planning and implementing the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway over the last ten years, including the funding for this study.
