West 6Th Street
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West 6th Street 22 Sustainable Streets Index 2011 59 ST 67 ST AV M N E 15 ST 61 ST Brooklyn AV 62 ST 66 ST 18 AV Purpose 63 ST E 14 ST 67 ST DAHILL RD 64 ST E 10 ST E 12 ST 68 ST 65 ST RYDER AV AV O E 13 ST BAY RIDGE AV • Reduce speeding 19 AV • Provide safer pedestrian crossings 70 ST 24 AV E 2 ST • Enhance the streetscape 73 ST 71 ST OCEAN PKWY Y PKWY 20 AV Area of detail Outreach 72 ST BA AV O BAY RIDGE PKWY AV P QUENTIN RD E 10 ST • Brooklyn Community Board 11 (CB11) asked DOT to explore E 9 ST W 2 ST 74 ST W 1 ST traffic calming measures on West 6th Street76 ST in November21 AV 2009 following three pedestrian fatalities E 8 ST W 6 ST 77 ST CONEY ISLAND AV • DOT presented plans to the CB11 Transportation Committee 78 ST 1 CT and local elected officials in April and May 2010 and AV R E 7 ST QUENTIN RD received feedback 79 ST E 5 ST E 4 ST • DOT presented the modified plans to the CB11 W 4 ST KINGS HWY Transportation Committee and local elected officials in May 2010 and received support for the plan MC DONALDAV E 3 ST 81 ST LAKE ST 80 ST OCEAN PKWY Approach W 7 ST 82 ST HIGHLAWN AV W 9 ST 83 ST W 11 ST • Narrowed roadway from two moving lanes to one in each AV S W 3 ST E 2 ST direction from 65th Street to 86th Street STILLWELL AV 84 ST E 1 ST W 13 ST • Installed a wide center, painted median 85 ST VAN SICKLEN ST • Installed pedestrian refuge islands and left-turn bays at key intersections BAY 28 ST 23 AV W 5 ST BAY 29 ST AV T WEST ST • Marked wide parking lanes and maintainedBENSONBAY 31 ST AVall parking • Installed high visibility markings for crosswalks at AV V three intersections 24 AV GRAVESEND NECK RD AV U Results 86 ST BAY 34 ST LAKE PL BAY 32 ST BAY 35 ST • Vehicles traveling over the speed limit decreased by 42% STRYKER ST BAY 37 ST AV W BAY 38 ST on southbound West 6th Street and by 29% on northbound 26 AV AV V LAKE ST 25 AV West 6th Street CROPSEY AV W 1 ST BAY 40 ST • Total number of crashes involvingSHORE injuries PKWY and number of 2/5 Mile AV X crashes involving injuries to motor vehicleBELT PKWY occupants and OCEAN CT E 1 ST W 8 ST HARWAY AV W 2 ST E 6 ST pedestrians lower than the average for the three prior years W 3 ST • Shorter pedestrian crossing distances AV W AV Y • Greened the corridor West 6th Street is a north-south arterial that runs through the Bensonhurst and Gravesend neighborhoods of Brooklyn. The project corridor is primarily a residential neighborhood. West 6th Street runs parallel to the N subway train just one block to the west and there are four subway stops within the project corridor: Bay Parkway, Kings Highway, Avenue U, and 86th Street. Sustainable Streets Index 2011 23 A north-south thoroughfare, West 6th Street carried fast out of the way of through traffic. The wide parking lane through-moving traffic along its two moving lanes in each allows the occupants of parked cars to more safely open direction. The 1.5 mile-length corridor connects 65th car doors. Street to 86th Street in Bensonhurst and Gravesend, Brooklyn, one block east of the N train. West 6th Street At the three locations where there was a high frequency has numerous pedestrians crossing the street to reach of pedestrian crashes, Avenue O, Quentin Road, and the subway stations located at Bay Parkway, Kings Kings Highway, DOT installed pedestrian refuge islands and high visibility crosswalk markings. The refuge Street Highway, Avenue U, and 86th Street. islands provide pedestrians with a safe space to wait th DOT began studying West 6th Street at the request of in the center of the street if they did not make it all CB11 in November 2009. At the time of the request, the way across during their signal phase. Installing the there had been three pedestrian fatalities; one at pedestrian refuge islands required banning left turns in the intersection with Avenue O, Kings Highway and the direction with the lowest existing left-turn volume at Avenue T. Another pedestrian was killed at Avenue O the three locations. Banning the left turns ensures that in early 2010. DOT met with local elected officials in cars making turns would not interfere with pedestrians in April and presented plans to the CB11 Transportation the safety refuge or with opposing left turners. Installing Committee in May 2010 and received feedback. CB11 pedestrian refuges also provides the opportunity to West 6 West approved the revised project plans in May 2010. Project beautify the street with trees in the center of the street. implementation began in late May and was completed in Six trees were planted, two in each of the three new June 2010. pedestrian refuge islands. Based on observations and data collected by DOT, Speeding decreased markedly as a result of the project. West 6th Street had excess capacity, a high incidence Radar spot speed studies were performed on West of speeding, long crossing distances for pedestrians 6th Street between Avenue V and Avenue W before and great distance between crosswalks which led to and after the project was implemented. On average, in jaywalking midblock. the northbound direction, the percentage of vehicles traveling over the speed limit of 30 mph decreased In order to calm traffic and improve safety, DOT narrowed 29% from 53% to 24%. In the southbound direction, West 6th Street to one moving lane in each direction, the percentage of vehicles traveling over the speed limit installed a wide parking lane and a 12-foot painted decreased 42% from 60% to 18%. Average speeds median with left-turn bays at key intersections. The one between Avenue V and Avenue W decreased in the lane of traffic in each direction readily accommodates northbound direction from 30.4 mph to 27.9 mph, an existing traffic volumes. The left-turn bays help organize 8% decrease and in the southbound direction speeds traffic movements by moving vehicles waiting to turn were reduced by 12% from 31.3 mph to 27.7 mph. A refuge island, high visibility crosswalk markings and Traffic calming measures applied on West 6th Street included landscaping in the north crosswalk of West 6th Street at Avenue the narrowing of the roadway from two lanes in each direction O provides a safer crossing and improves the streetscape. to one and the addition of painted center medians. 24 Sustainable Streets Index 2011 The incidence of speeding fell by more than half as a result of converting an unneeded through lane into turn lanes, a median and a wider parking lane. Analysis of the New York City Police Department crash data The safety improvements along West 6th Street benefits shows total crash rates and crash rates for motor vehicle both pedestrians and drivers by calming traffic, simplifying occupants and pedestrians after implementation were lower turning movements, installing pedestrian refuge islands, than the average for the three prior years. In addition, the while not negatively affecting the flow of traffic. annualized crash rate involving injuries to motor vehicle occupants after implementation was lower than the number of crashes in any of the 10 prior years (for crash analysis methodology, see page 68). West 6th Street Average Traffic Speeds (in m.p.h.) Avenue V to Avenue W Crashes with Injuries along West 6th Street Before After % Change 65th Street to 86th Street Northbound 30.4 27.9 -8% Southbound 31.3 27.7 -12% Before* (three previous years) After Data collected between 12 -2 p.m. on a weekday. Before data collected in Total Crashes with Injuries 36 22 27 21.5 August 2009. After data collected in January 2011. Number of Crashes with Injuries to: Motor Vehicle Occupants 15 11 14 8.8 Percentage of Vehicles Over the Speed Limit on West 6th Street Pedestrians 20 10 9 10.1 Avenue V to Avenue W Bicyclists 1 1 4 2.5 Before After % Change *Before columns show the crash history for each of the three years immediately Northbound 53% 24% -29% prior to project implementation. After column shows number of crashes since implementation (through January 2012) at annual rate. See page 68 for further Southbound 60% 18% -42% information on crash data source and analysis methodology. The sum of the three specific categories may not equal “Total Crashes with Injuries” because Data collected between 12 -2 p.m. on a weekday. Before data collected in some crashes involved injuries in multiple categories. August 2009. After data collected in January 2011. Sustainable Streets Index 2011 25.