Midwood Residents Complain About Cars Driving Onto Concrete Island Meant For Pedestrians
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Surveillance video from the Midwood section of Brooklyn shows vehicle after vehicle drive right over a concrete island that's meant for pedestrians.
This past Tuesday, the camera caught a snow plow going over it. Even without snow, the driver of a minivan didn't see it either.
Residents told CBS2's Tracee Carrasco this has happened almost daily since the island off the Kings Highway roundabout at East 34th and 35th streets was installed last November.
"It didn't do anything, it just wasted a lot of money," resident Rebecca Kesten said.
"Cars, especially at night, cannot see that there's new cement over here," resident Simon Gifter said.
After questioning the Department of Transportation, it told CBS2, "While it is the responsibility of every driver to exercise caution while on the road, several measures, including signs and markings are in place to help guide motorists."
But as viewers can see from Mobile 2, Carrasco didn't see any signs or markings. Residents said temporary barrels were put up once, but taken away days later.
"These are important fixes, they're not cosmetic fixes, they make it all safe," resident Ari Klainberg said.
The issues there have been going on for years. CBS2 first highlighted the problem in 2014 and again in 2015 when drivers were running red lights and speeding off Kings Highway to cut through to Avenue M. The concrete island was put in as part of an effort to stop that.
"They fixed one problem and we commend them, but now they just created something else," Klainberg said.
Councilmember Jumaane Williams is hopeful once completed, the area will be safer.
"I have some faith that they're going to get it right when they finish the entire project," he said.
Residents, though, are skeptical.
"Vision Zero? It's zero vision," Gifter said.
The DOT told CBS2 it is regularly on site to monitor the progress of the project, and said it does plan to add more markers within the next few weeks.
