Breaking News! — Lincoln Road Bridge Being CLEARED OF SNOW! as Actual Subway Trains Pass Below

A neighbor applauds the crew.

Thumbs Up Gline Striker & Crew!

After a year of 311 calls, letter writing and appeals to local politicians, we’re experiencing a real success this morning. A (Supervisor Gline Straker’s) Queens-based DOT crew has arrived with shovels and blowers to clear the snow from Lincoln Road bridge. One supervisor told LinRoFORMA that he believes the bridge is being added to the list of regular sites to be cleaned in our borough. We hope this is the case. As we’ve told DOT, this is the last through street for eight blocks and a critical pedestrian corridor for the neighborhood.

Apparently the crew was directed to clear both the south side of the bridge, outside the train station and the north side but believes the MTA should be responsible for clearing the sidewalk outside their station. It’s unfortunate, but agencies pointing the finger at one another is a major cause of inefficiency in the city. Nevertheless, we should celebrate the meaningful progress made. Thanks DOT crew!

As if this wasn’t exciting enough, the MTA began running trains on the north and south bound Q & B tracks at the same time. So far, the trains have been out of service but it gives hope that this side of the neighborhood will be reconnected to the city by rail later today.

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MTA continues to act like a bad neighbor

MTA’s buses continue to idle over the 1-minute limit set in the school zone on Lincoln Road. Despite our post and the ongoing attention this page is getting (eight months later, it continues to be one of the most visited pages on this blog), MTA buses are back at it in full force. Our video, taken by camera phone at 6:50 AM the morning after Thanksgiving, demonstrates the kind of congestion and pollution that occurs on a daily basis, regardless of the warm weather, supposed holiday schedule, supervisor presence, or posted “NO IDLING” Department of Transportation sign (with accompanied threat of $2,000 fine).

We had a brief respite over the summer when it seemed as though our complaints were heard. Now, we are very disappointed that MTA continues to act like an irresponsible neighbor. The link between air pollution and respiratory diseases, cancer and decreased IQ levels has been established in numerous studies–as has the fact that young children are particularly susceptible. And yet, MTA buses continue to idle all day, every day, for sometimes up to 15 minutes at a time.

It is the rare exception that we see an MTA bus arrive, park, and have its engine shut off. We continue to see buses idling, doors wide open, with the bus driver out on the street smoking a cigarette or chatting with the scheduling supervisor. All seem oblivious to the ongoing noise, air and dust pollution their buses bring to our neighborhood every day. In one particularly egregious case, we saw a bus driver, after idling her particularly loud bus for over 5 minutes, open her driver’s window to drop a plastic wrapper on the street. Meanwhile, trash cans are available right outside, up and down Lincoln Road.

Idling buses, besides being linked to serious illnesses and environmental pollution, waste money. Earlier this year, the MTA announced that it was in such dire financial straits that it considered cutting its subsidy of student cards. It has since slashed bus routes, subway lines and prepared to lay off workers. And yet, every day, in front of our neighborhood preschool, buses waste fuel and money.

We are sending a letter to the MTA to encourage it to follow these practical recommendations:

• Respect the law and obey the 1-minute idling limit in this school zone;
• Install kill switches in their buses to ensure that buses cannot idle when parked;
• Reduce neighborhood noise pollution by scheduling quieter hybrid buses for late night/early morning runs; and
• Reduce traffic congestion by having buses run on large, high traffic streets, instead of narrow, high-density residential ones.

By following these straightforward, manageable recommendations, the MTA can be a better neighbor not just to our block, but to the environment in general.

Below is a snapshot of recent bus idle times, one noisy November day. We casually counted 12 buses idling throughout the day. At one point, 3 buses were idling simultaneously, creating an incredibly loud living environment, and adding significantly to traffic congestion.

For November 3, 2010

Bus no.	Route	Time in	Time out	Elapsed
836	B16	12:26 PM	12:32 PM	6 MINS
908	B16	1:10 PM	1:15 PM	5 MINS
4555	B43	4:42 PM	4:50 PM	8 MINS
4516	B43	4:45 PM	4:50 PM	5 MINS
928	B16	5:05 PM	5:13 PM	8 MINS
9509	B43	5:13 PM	5:17 PM	4 MINS
4523	B43	5:37 PM	5:45 PM	8 MINS
4531	B43	5:54 PM	6:01 PM	7 MINS
932	B16	5:54 PM	6:00 PM	6 MINS
4568	B43	5:54 PM	6:00 PM	6 MINS
9486	B43	6:35 PM	6:39 PM	4 MINS
950	B43	8:04 PM	8:10 PM	6 MINS

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78th Precinct Response to Inquiry About Neighborhood Youth Ejected From Prospect Park

LinRoFORMA spoke to Lt. Perone of the 78^th Precinct and shared the young men’s feelings about being ejected from the park on the Saturday before Halloween.

Lt. Perone was aware of the incident, having been part of the responding detail. He stated the following:

He was aware of the young men and has observed them playing football without incident in the same location on the weekends for some time.

A non-78^th Precinct officer assigned to a park detail for the day observed the young men playing and saw them throw the ball near a young man playing the guitar and then near a young girl.

That officer reported that the boys got involved in a verbal altercation with the father of the young girl and seemed to want to pick a fight.

The officer then told the young men they’d have to leave and called for back-up.

The officers who heard the call were not aware of the nature of the problem. When they arrived they noticed that it was not serious.

Still, they felt justified in asking the young men to leave because they were “creating a hazard.”

LinRoFORMA told Lt. Perone that the young men offered to move their game but were forced to leave the park instead and asked why this was necessary. He responded that he didn’t think the request was so specific, just that the guys were told they could not continue their game there at that time and that “tomorrow was another day.”

He also said that he will make a point of stopping to speak the young men personally the next time he sees them playing to let them know that they are always welcome in the park as long as their behavior does not create “a hazard.”

It’s good that Lt. Perone responded but probably also good to take the responding officer’s story with a grain of salt. It’s certainly good that the precinct knows that the young men were displeased with the treatment and spoke out about it and that they have community support in doing so.

The next meeting of Prospect Park’s Community Committee, of which LinRoFORMA is a member, is November 17. If any member (present or future!) of the block association is interested in park matters and would like to attend, please write to linroforma@gmail.com.

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Neighborhood Youth Complain of Police Harrassment in Prospect Park

Have you noticed these fliers, posted on our block Saturday afternoon?

They were hung by a group of young African-American men, upset by the conduct of police officers in Prospect Park. The young men were playing football on a grassy area near the Lincoln Road park entrance, as they do each weekend, when they were approached by several units of police officers. The officers told them that they were throwing the ball too close to other park patrons and demanded that they leave the park. The young men offered to move their game, but the police again demanded that they go. The young men were shocked by the number of officers involved and believe their ejection from the park was unfair. After all, the park is for everyone and the park police should encourage the responsible use of the park by all.

It’s impressive that these gentlemen channeled their frustration into an activity meant to empower the community and stimulate dialogue. Our block association is a member of Prospect Park’s community council and will bring this incident to the 78th precinct’s attention.

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It’s Been a Long Time. We Shouldn’t Have Left You Without a Dope Beat to Step To.

Lincoln Road. Months have passed since our last check-in and so much life has been lived on our little block.

There were highs and lows. To recount a few . . .

17 Lincoln Road was the spot for hydrant action in Summer 2010. Some residents complained, viewing the arcing sprays as a waste and a nuisance. But calls to 311 revealed that open hydrants are waaaaaaaaay down on the city’s priority list. Besides, the kids had a ball and many drivers seemed to appreciate the free spray down. What did you think of the summer hydrant scene on Lincoln Road?

Parking — The departure of the B48 bus line opened up some precious space on the block. Motorists are enjoying the currently unmetered parking in front of the MTA station. (Warning! Move for street cleaning Mon.-Sat. b/w 7:30 & 8 AM or contribute to the city’s coffers.)

 

We requested that DOT take advantage of the opportunity and install some new bike racks. Boy did they ever step up to the plate. There are more than a dozen new racks on our wee little block. This has been great for patrons of K-Dog, the operator and customers at Bike Life and others. A word of caution – the ample parking has attracted at least one thief. So riders, invest in good locks. Pedestrians, help the riders by keeping an eye out for suspicious activity and calling the precinct when you observe theft.

Lincoln Park Tavern Rocks the Night – Lincoln Park Tavern has become a destination for neighborhood residents and those who only wish they lived here. The vibe is welcoming, the bartenders friendly and the performances have kept the block rocking. We’ve especially enjoyed the performances by folks from the block. Ashanti and Justin rocked it and brought in diverse crowds who partied hard. And the karaoke ain’t bad either. Lincoln Road, get on the mic!

50 Lincoln Road Fire – Thanks goodness no one was hurt in the fire that ravaged a 4th floor apartment on September 18. Thanks to Ladder Cos. 113 & 123 for their professional response.

ArtMart 11225 took place on a beautiful Saturday in October. The closure of the street to traffic helped make it a day to remember. Thanks to all who signed petitions in support of the street closure, volunteered for the event and supported local vendors.

Creepy Peeper – Residents of 40 and 50 Lincoln Road have had to contend with a creepy peeping tom for months. The man has spied on and threatened female tenants young and old, from the buildings’ fire escapes. If you have been a victim of this activity PLEASE let us know and inform the 71st precinct immediately. Press your case and make sure that an actual complaint is filed, then follow up to get your complaint number. Also, keep fire escape windows locked and consider illuminating your fire escape from inside the apartment to discourage this pervert.

We’d love to hear what you’ve loved or hated on the block in recent months. Send us your words and pics and stay tuned for exciting news about the Lincoln Road Bridge!

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Cleanliness is next to . . . the bus stop.

Lincoln Road is feeling spiffy and looking better these days. Last week Papa & Sons power washed the Flatbush side of their building, leaving the brick looking spanking new. Over the weekend, friendly workers painted over the tags on the red door and door surround next to K-Dog.

We’re working on making the whole block tag-free and hope to accomplish this goal by the end of our block clean-up day. More on that rescheduled event coming soon!

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Say “Trees!”

Lincoln Road is uniting in support of its street trees!

Last Thursday, more than a dozen block members and neighbors attended the street tree care workshop delivered by the Brooklyn Botanical Garden’ Greenbridge program director, Karla Osorio. We got hands-on practice cleaning out a tree bed in front of 40 Lincoln Road and loosening that soil. It was especially fun to see so many children get their hands dirty.

When the workshop was done, a dozen people pledged to adopt trees on the block meaning they will loosen the compacted soil in the tree bed, add nutrients to the soil with compost and mulch & give the tree adequate water. All pledgers earned a tool kit including an apron, cultivator, weeder, trowel, pin and Million Trees ID card.

Some members have already acted on their pledge. Justin Cheatham, LinRoFORMA’s amazing volunteer carpenter, constructed & installed our very first tree guard to protect his adopted tree. The design looks great! If it holds up and funding is available, we hope to replicate the design to fence the remaining tree pits on our block on or before Clean & Green Day on May 15th. Have lumber or compost to donate to our project? Comment here or write linroforma@gmail.com.

The fragrant (and absolutely free) mulch in the tree pits was transported from Greenwood Cemetery. Greenwood provides free mulch to community groups who are wiling to pick it up. We hauled ours in big blue Ikea bags. Have extra Ikea bags? Let us know and we’ll pick them up to move mulch on Clean & Green day.

Members were so inspired, we decided to compete in the garden’s “Greenest Block in Brooklyn” competition. One major step will be filling the clean tree pits with beautiful plants and flowers (ones that won’t harm the trees.) Window boxes also help a building look great. Residents can participate by purchasing a window box kit from the garden. Find details and the application HERE. Orders must be submitted by April 23rd.

Two more pieces of good tree news: Kate Manwell, a resident of Ocean Ave., has offered to accept kitchen scraps contributed by block association members to add to her backyard compost project. In return, we’ll get some compost for our tree beds later in the season. If interested, write linroforma@gmail.com for more details.

Finally for now, Nina Browne, a certified citizen pruner, will evaluate the health of the trees on our block so that we can order replacements as needed. Thanks to Nina, we know that the trees on the south side of Lincoln Road near the intersection of Lincoln and Ocean are zelkovas.

Hang in there trees. LinRoFORMA’s on the job!

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Street Tree S.O.S

Street trees improve city life in so many ways. They provide shade, help cool the air, improve air quality and add beauty to our block. But the life of a street tree isn’t easy. They take abuse from our feet, our pets, our litter and our cars, just to name a few. Some of the trees on our block are struggling. Without our help, they won’t make it to maturity.

Our block association can help protect the street trees on Lincoln Road and make the pits where they’re planted more beautiful. The Brooklyn Botanical Gardens will be our first partner in accomplishing this goal.

Carla Osorio of the garden’s Greenbridge program will deliver a workshop on street tree care Thursday, 4/8. We’ll meet in the lobby of 40 Lincoln Road at 6:30 PM and work until the daylight is gone. The workshop costs nothing and is open to all. And if you participate, you’ll get a free set of hand gardening tools! Carla will also bring information on low cost garden memberships and frequent visitor passes, just in time for cherry blossom season!

Hope to see you on the block.

P.S. — Can’t attend? Here’s an informative article on tree bed care.

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Historic Lighting? Check!

The DOT crew chose this beautiful spring day to install two new street lights in the historic “bishop’s crook” style on Lincoln Road; one in front of 40 Lincoln Road and another in front of K-Dog. The site has been prepared for the installation of a third light at the corner of Lincoln & Ocean and a fourth light was previously installed near the Maple Street School. This work is the culmination of a project funded in the 2007-2008 city budget but stalled until recently. Following up to get this project completed is the second victory for our block association. Thanks to Prospect Lefferts United for Services (PLUS), the Ocean by the Park Block Association and then-Councilmember, now-Congresswoman Yvette Clarke for their efforts in spearheading this improvement and securing the funding for this project and a companion improvement project on Ocean Avenue between Parkside & Flatbush.

To install the new poles, workers had to remove the “shoe chandelier” that hung from the wires next to the bridge. But the shoes have not been lost! They are safely stored and may have a second life (or third?) life in an art project on the bridge later this year. Stay tuned!

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MTA bus idling times

The MTA recently announced massive cuts to its services and programs, including no more discounted and/or free student cards, the cancelling of two subway lines, and the restriction of bus services.

Meanwhile, buses continue to idle outside our doors, spewing toxic fumes to our children and ourselves, 24/7. Studies show that people who live near heavily-trafficked roadways face significantly elevated risks of asthma attacks and heart disease, stunted childhood lung development, adverse birth outcomes, lower IQ scores, cancer and other diseases contributing to premature death. In 2009, New York City was ranked one of the most polluted cities in the US according to the American Lung Association. What is the MTA doing to help combat this problem?

Every year, vehicles waste more than $45 million by idling. MTA’s budget woes can be addressed by saving fuel: installing automatic kill switches on its buses turn the bus off after a certain number of idling minutes. Creating incentive programs for conscientious bus drivers would also help reduce bus idling.

Here is just a partial list of MTA bus idling times with dates and bus numbers that we’ve started to collect. Look for a page soon which will allow you to add your own observations. Join us and keep the pressure on MTA to save money and respect our neighborhoods!

DATE:	BUS NO:	TIME IN:	TIME OUT:	IDLING (mins):
10/13/09	850	11:40 PM	12:03 AM	23
10/14/09	9509	11:55 PM	12:08 AM	13
10/18/09	9481	11:57 PM	12:02 AM	5
3/4/10	877	5:58 AM	6:11 AM	13
10/30/09	886	6:30 AM	6:42 AM	12
11/2/09	6605	11:38 PM	11:50 PM	12
10/21/09	9521	9:20 AM	9:31 AM	11
11/2/09	6597	9:35 PM	9:45 PM	10
10/13/09	8549	11:40 PM	11:50 PM	10
10/19/09	9301	12:08 AM	12:17 AM	9
10/21/09	854	10:25 AM	10:33 AM	8
11/4/09	7577	9:28 AM	9:36 AM	8
11/11/09	880	5:50 AM	5:58 AM	8
11/8/09	983	4:21 PM	4:29 PM	8
11/8/09	983	8:18 PM	8:26 PM	8
1/9/09	907	2:52 PM	3:00 PM	8
10/21/09	9462	5:42 AM	5:49 AM	7
11/2/09	6594	3:50 PM	3:57 PM	7

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