Accessibility

06/20/2026 - 10:58

The ubiquitous parking of personal vehicles from the FDNY on the sidewalk is an insult to the community. What should be a sidewalk by a playground is instead a parking lot that is impossible for people who use wheelchairs or strollers to navigate. The illegal combat parking of vehicles that back up over the curb onto the sidewalk makes it worse because this narrows the sidewalk where there are empty tree beds (because the cars killed the tree) that cannot be traversed. The federal government has told the city that allowing city employees to illegally block ADA ramps and sidewalks is a violation of federal law yet it persists unabated. Please install bollards all along the southside of this block to stop the sidewalk parking.

Driving

06/20/2026 - 10:53

The NYPD stores damaged vehicles in traffic lanes at an incredibly busy intersection of Bergen and Flatbush. It is mind-boggling that this has been allowed to go on for years. It is incredibly ugly, reduces throughput for drivers, and reduces visibility for cyclists.

Bike Lane Protection

06/20/2026 - 10:46

General comment for both Dean and Bergen Streets: a bike boulevard is a great idea for both heavily trafficked bike routes and would have the added benefit of reducing through traffic from vehicles that drive down Dean or Bergen at extremely high speeds. This block in particular has a school and large playground that is always packed with kids. A bike boulevard would make it much safer for children and parents, in addition to improving safety and quality of life for cyclists and residents on this block.

Unsafe Crossing

06/20/2026 - 10:42

Despite left turns from westbound Atlantic onto Hoyt St. being illegal and there being signs indicating this, cars frequently turn left from Atlantic onto Hoyt St., making it dangerous for pedestrians (many with strollers). The plastic flexposts that were installed were predictably destroyed.

Illegal Parking

06/20/2026 - 10:40

The west side of Smith St. between Pacific and Atlantic has complicated parking rules where the block is designed to be no standing/parking zone during AM rush hour, then a loading zone, but in reality it is just full-time parking for placard abusing personal vehicles associated with the courthouse and new jail construction. The west side of this block should be no parking at all times and the left turn lane onto Atlantic should take up all of what is now parking, which would ease the constant bottleneck from Atlantic down to Bergen.

Parking in Bike Lane

06/20/2026 - 10:35

The whole block from Boerum Place east to Smith St. on Dean is poorly designed as a connection point for cyclists coming from the Brooklyn Bridge, Adams St., and the waterfront until the bike lane appears on Dean St. east of Smith. With parking on both sides of the street and heavy cyclist traffic, it can be dangerous. The northwest corner of Dean and Smith, where a bike lane theoretically appears to allow cyclists to split off, is constantly parked in by cars, rendering this space unusable as designed.

Illegal Parking

06/20/2026 - 10:30

The illegal parking outside Trader Joe's creates dangerous traffic jams with a mix of pedestrians, cyclists, vehicles, and the ever-present (and illegally parked) produce vendor outside Trader Joe's. This corner should be hardened with boulders or bike racks to prevent vehicles from parking here (as it already is illegal per the street signage).

Unsafe Crossing

06/20/2026 - 10:28

There is a staggered bike lane turnoff for southbound cyclists turning right onto westbound Pacific St. from Court St. at the southeast corner of Court and Pacific. While good in theory, it is dangerous in design because the gap space before the turning spot is frequently blocked by an illegally parked car, so turning cyclists can't see vehicle traffic coming south. This spot should be hardened by a boulder or bike rack.

Bike Lane Protection

06/20/2026 - 10:25

The southbound bike lane on Adams moving into traffic and across vehicle lanes, with no protection, poor delineation, many vehicles changing lanes, and cars speding to make the light is very dangerous.

Illegal Parking

06/20/2026 - 10:22

After Schermerhorn was redesigned, the traffic pattern on the west side of Smith at Schermerhorn was not updated, so there are now police and other government vehicles double and triple parked. It is a terrible use of street space that could be used as a loading zone or dedicated ambulance parking so that these vehicles don't otherwise use the Schermerhorn bike lane in front of the courthouse (which they do instead).