[Artists Conception of the Traffic Signal Future on Gerritsen Avenue]
Traffic signals are always a major issue in Gerritsen Beach, we only have a handful, and residents want them.
You may remember one major battle is Channel Avenue next to 277. The fight for a light there has been going on for at least 25 years. The main reason why we cant have a light is because DOT says we don’t meet the federal requirements, and cant get one until we do.
The only way we can meet the requirements is to get new data through a traffic study, which the study can only be requested every 18 months. The study’s usually include people with counters and the small traffic counter devices you see with the black strips across the road. However. in almost typical GB behavior every time DOT installs counters, without fail, those devices are destroyed, within hours or overnight. We’ve posted about it before. Some argue that they should be destroyed we dont need a light. The same people also argue that the community is split because of the devices are constantly destroyed.
Lew Fidler on behalf of the property owners, and residents concerns, have requested numerous locations for traffic signals. Including:
Seba Avenue – Constant green with push button to cross at a cross walk
Florence or Gotham Avenue – St. James Church location.
George Broadhead, President of the Propery Owners Association, has promised that he would work with whomever it may take to get a light while in office. State Senator Marty Golden has also promised to get a traffic light. If you remember, during the Green Streets meeting, after it died Marty opted to turn it into a town hall,the main issue was a traffic light at Channel Avenue, a petition was passed around and collected hundreds of signatures. Nothing came of that.
All that that being said I believe that we will never meet the traffic requirements, not because the devices are being destroyed, but because there isn’t enough traffic. I do believe at least a painted cross walk is needed at Seba Avenue Park. There are just to many people who use that location to ignore that they have to cross a street.
