Local Residents Deliver More than 2,500 Petition Signatures Supporting McGuinness Boulevard Redesign that Reduces Speeding, Expands Space for Pedestrians and Bike Riders Ahead of NYC DOT Presentation
At least two people have been killed and 40 injured on McGuinness Boulevard in the last five years, including beloved P.S. 110 teacher Matthew Jensen
‘Make McGuinness Safe’ campaign also launches new video with Assembly Member Emily Gallagher, Council Member Lincoln Restler urging Adams administration to redesign street to reduce speeding and expand pedestrian, bicyclist safety
Thousands of petition signatures show groundswell of support in lead up to June 30 Community Board meeting where NYC DOT is slated to present data and proposals on McGuinness
BROOKLYN, NY — A year since a promise was made to redesign McGuinness Boulevard, local residents have delivered more than 2,500 petition signatures urging the Adams administration to finally implement changes to this corridor that will reduce speeding and increase safety for everyone. After a hit-and-run driver killed beloved P.S. 110 teacher Matthew Jensen last year, former Mayor Bill de Blasio committed $39 million toward a comprehensive redesign of McGuinness Boulevard. More than one year later, on June 30, NYC DOT will present its proposals for a redesign of the street.
McGuinness Boulevard is a known dangerous road within Greenpoint. With four travel lanes, two parking lanes, narrow sidewalks, and no bike infrastructure, two people have been killed while 29 pedestrians and 21 cyclists have been injured along the boulevard within the last five years. Within a quarter-mile of McGuinness Boulevard, there are 18 schools and childcare facilities. More than 3,000 children under age 18 live within a quarter-mile of the street.
“The despair felt by the North Brooklyn community after the hit-and-run crash that killed beloved P.S. 110 teacher, Matthew Jensen, was met with hope one year ago when the city announced a $39 million commitment to a full redesign of McGuinness Boulevard,” said Bronwyn Breitner, Coordinator for the Make McGuinness Safe Coalition. “But McGuinness is still unsafe and we need this death trap to be fixed urgently. Over 2,500 of our neighbors support removing travel lanes on McGuinness, which will convert this 5-lane highway back to the scale of a local street. We finally have the money to make McGuinness safe, and Greenpoint can’t wait any longer. DOT must implement this life-saving improvement. There is no time to waste.”
“After more than a decade of advocacy for a McGuinness Boulevard redesign, and after a horrific hit-and-run, the City pledged $39 million to prevent further tragedies along this deadly corridor.,” said Danny Harris, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives. “We know how to make streets safe for all of us, and it requires political leadership to put human lives ahead of moving and storing vehicles. More than 2,500 North Brooklyn neighbors agree: We must break ground on McGuinness Boulevard’s redesign without delay.”
"Our community is speaking loud and clear: no more deaths on McGuinness. Over the past year, our neighbors have turned their profound grief over the death of a beloved local teacher into action and purpose. They mobilized thousands of Greenpointers to demand the transformative redesign New York City promised us one year ago. I've been grateful for the Department of Transportation's thoughtful engagement as they've worked on a proposal but now it's time to see the results,” said Assemblymember Emily Gallagher.
"For too many years our community has been demanding to do something about the highway on McGuinness that divides Greenpoint. The longer we wait for action, the worse the traffic violence gets. I am fully committed to swift implementation of a comprehensive plan to slow down traffic and make McGuinness safe,” said Council Member Lincoln Restler.
“I was a student at P.S. 110 and losing one of my favorite teachers, Mr. Jensen, was really sad. Let’s make McGuinness Boulevard safe so we can prevent a tragedy like this from happening again,” said sixth grader Maru Matsuura. “Also, although I ride a bicycle, I don’t ride it on McGuinness Boulevard because it seems to be life-threatening to do so. But if we had protected bike lanes, I think people including myself can ride their bicycles safely.”
After Jensen’s tragic death last year, the City of New York committed $39 million in capital funding toward a comprehensive redesign of the street. Greenpoint can’t wait. Thousands of residents have signed a petition calling for a comprehensive redesign of McGuinness Boulevard, showing the broad community support for a proposal that reduces speeding and expands space for bike riders and pedestrians, that includes:
Wider sidewalks to help pedestrians as they cross the street;
A protected bike lane to protect cyclists and make the street safer for all road users;
Eliminating one lane of traffic in each direction so traffic is slowed and these safety improvements can be installed.
“Having to wait a year after the tragic crash and initial announcement to redesign has been disheartening. The community has made itself heard: 2,500 local residents have signed a petition calling for a comprehensive redesign of McGuinness Boulevard that prevents future tragedies from happening. We look forward to seeing a redesign proposal that the community so desperately deserves,” said North Brooklyn State Senator Julia Salazar (SD-18).
“There is overwhelming support and need for a redesign of McGuinness Boulevard and we should make it happen as quickly as possible,” said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. “Our city should be prioritizing plans to make our streets safer for pedestrians and cyclists, especially in areas with high instances of injuries and deaths. I support Transportation Alternatives and the Make McGuinness Safe Coalition in their advocacy.”
“McGuinness Boulevard is a highway that cuts through Greenpoint — making walking, biking, and crossing the street dangerous and deadly,” said Families for Safe Streets Steering Committee Member Rita Barravecchio. “We shouldn’t have to accept this as a reality in our neighborhood. Our leaders must remove lanes from cars to widen sidewalks and install protected bike lanes. We can make McGuinness safe and our leaders must do so without delay.”
"McGuinness Boulevard is an over-built speedway that has caused the deaths of countless pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists. For decades the community has advocated for this space to safely serve all community members and DOT has a moral obligation to create a safer environment for the thousands of school children, senior citizens, and community members who cross the street each day,” said Juan Ignacio Serra, Co-Chair of the TA North Brooklyn Activist Committee. “The road that has split the Greenpoint community for decades needs to serve the people of Greenpoint better by being designed for locals, not motorists using McGuinness as a shortcut.”
“Enough is enough. Dozens of our neighbors have been killed and untold numbers injured because of a choice made by this city to have a highway running through our neighborhood. McGuinness Boulevard has cut Greenpoint in half for 70 years,” said Kevin LaCherra, Coordinator for North Brooklyn Mutual Aid. “DOT must act now to institute a road diet and reverse this injustice. We can not bring our neighbors back, but we can protect our community today and build a road that is an investment in North Brooklyn’s climate future.”
"Since Robert Moses forced this highway through Greenpoint, against community will, in the middle of last century, residents of North Brooklyn have suffered greatly, a result of dangerous traffic conditions and local pollution. We now have city funding and a clear vision for a safer, cleaner, human centric roadway,” said Lisa Bloodgood, Interim Director of North Brooklyn Neighbors. “We are calling on the Department of Transportation to implement a robust road diet with reduced space for private vehicles, full of greenery, and safe space for pedestrians and cyclists. We are squarely in the 21st Century and McGuinness Boulevard still cuts through the heart of our beloved Greenpoint community; the time to fix it is now."
“No one should have to fear crossing a street to get to school, yet that’s exactly the situation with the hundreds of students who attend P.S. 110 and P.S. 34. The comprehensive redesign of McGuinness Boulevard, including providing more space for cyclists and pedestrians, can not come soon enough to keep our community safe. We are counting on the DOT to propose meaningful and comprehensive changes, including removing travel lanes, on McGuinness, and soon,” said Shannon Roop, PTA President at P.S. 110.
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