BENSONHURST'S PREMIER NEWS BLOG

Councilman David Greenfield, Source: Facebook

Security cameras, resurfaced streets and pedestrian countdown signals — these are just a few of the winning projects announced by Councilman David Greenfield after he asked the public for the best way to spend $1.1 million from a special discretionary fund.

The money was split between five projects and spread out over Bensonhurst, Midwood and Borough Park, according to a report by Yeshiva World News.

Bensonhurst and Midwood are each getting $200,000 worth of pedestrian crossing signals. Midwood is also getting $200,000 for security cameras.

Borough Park is getting $200,000 for security cameras to be installed at select locations by the NYPD. They are also getting $300,000 to resurface streets throughout the neighborhood.

More than 1,600 people came out to vote on the various projects that focused on the hot button issue of pedestrian safety and Greenfield was encouraged by the public participation in the initiative.

“I hope that many of the people who took advantage of this unique opportunity will stay involved in their local community and government, and I look forward to working with them again in the future. This really was democracy at its finest and showed how well government can work when we give the power back to the people of our community,” Greenfield said.

David Greenfield Source: Facebook

Somehow we missed this in our inbox, and the first two opportunities to vote have passed, so our apologies to readers and to Councilman David Greenfield. But…

The time has come to vote on the $1 million in discretionary funding for projects to improve the neighborhoods of Bensonhurst, Midwood and Borough Park. Last month we reported on Councilman Greenfield’s plan to let the public decide on the best way to spend the million bucks, and now you can vote on which project you think would best serve your community.

Each neighborhood gets to vote on their own project and voting is open to anyone over the age of 16. The projects on the ballot were selected through a months long process where residents put forward proposals focused on public safety.

Yeshiva World compiled a list of the projects on the ballots for residents to vote on and in a nice display of fairness, each neighborhood is guaranteed to have one project funded.

Residents can choose up to five of the following projects they want funded: security cameras at eight locations in Boro Park as determined by the NYPD; security cameras at eight locations in Midwood as determined by the NYPD; barriers at IS 682 in Bensonhurst to protect students and pedestrians from traffic accidents at the busy intersection of Stillwell Avenue and Avenue P; electrical upgrades at PS 99 in Midwood; rewiring of the electrical system at PS 134 in Midwood; pedestrian countdown clocks at 10 dangerous intersections in each neighborhood (Boro Park, Bensonhurst and Midwood); and street resurfacing projects in each neighborhood.

Voting started Wednesday and continues through April 7. Here is a list of the voting locations.

• Councilman Greenfield’s district office, 4424 16th Avenue on Friday, April 5, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday, April 8, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Tuesday, April 9, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Boro Park YMCA, 4912 14th Avenue, only on Thursday, April 4, from noon to 1:30 p.m.
• Brookdale Senior Center, 817 Avenue H, only on Friday, April 5, from noon to 1:30 p.m.
  • St. Athanasius Church, 2154 61st Street, on Sunday, April 7, from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
  • Bais Yaakov, 1371 46th Street, only on Sunday, April 7, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Touro College Flatbush Campus, 1602 Avenue J, only on Sunday, April 7, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Source: ign.com

Councilman David Greenfield invited the public to a participatory budgeting expo where special “budget delegates” got a chance to weigh in on the best way to spend $1 million allocated from his discretionary budget, according to a report by The Home Reporter.

Greenfield, who represents constituents in Midwood, Borough Park and Bensonhurst, promised that each area would get a piece of the pie in the form of a special project that everybody can vote on.

The three projects proposed all centered around pedestrian safety. Under consideration are traffic countdown clocks designed to take the guesswork out of crossing the street, a street resurfacing of Community Board 11, and the installation of permanent planter bollards on Stillwell Avenue to protect children from traffic accidents near Public School 682 (50 Avenue P).

Voting takes place between April 3 and 7 at locations throughout Greenfield’s district. Precise voting locations have yet to be assigned.

If it were up to me, I’d spend the money on a state-of-the-art monorail system connecting Midwood, Borough Park and Bensonhurst. Not only would there be a guarantee that the track won’t bend, brain dead slobs will be given cushy jobs! Monorail, monorail, monorail…

Source: Nigel Cox via Wikimedia Commons

From the offices of Councilman David Greenfield:

Councilman David G. Greenfield is working closely with the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) to make sure that a number of street resurfacing projects underway across the district are completed in a timely manner with as few disruptions to the community as possible. This is part of Greenfield’s focus on ensuring that the 44^th Council district, which includes Boro Park, Midwood and Bensonhurst, receives the government funding, services and resources its residents deserve.

Repaving work is being completed this week along 46^th Street between 8^th Avenue and 18^th Avenue in Boro Park, where crews have been working to resurface this important stretch of road – one of the bumpiest in the entire neighborhood. In addition, work has been completed or is planned for along 43^rd Street from 14^th Avenue to McDonald Avenue, 56^th Street from 16^th Avenue to Dahill Road, 58^th Street from 18^th Avenue to the dead end abutting Franklin Delano Roosevelt High School and 59^th Street from 16^th Avenue to 23^rd Avenue. The end result will be smooth, newly-resurfaced streets that are safer and easier to navigate for all residents, especially drivers, cyclists, and bus riders.  As work progresses, signs will be posted alerting residents of any temporary parking restrictions on their block. Anyone who does receive a ticket after their vehicle has been relocated by DOT crews to another block should contact Greenfield’s office for help fighting it.

“I am proud to have worked with the DOT to identify our worst streets and schedule them for summer repair in order to minimize the impact it has on residents and businesses. It is important that the city continues to invest in our infrastructure including local streets to protect our quality of life and make sure the neighborhood is well maintained,” said Greenfield.

The New York City budget includes $125.2 million for street repaving in Fiscal Year 2013, which began on June 30. In addition, the Brooklyn Borough President contributed $2.2 million for street repaving in Fiscal Year 2013, an increase of about $600,000 from the prior year. As co-chair of the Council’s Brooklyn Delegation, Greenfield worked closely with Borough President Marty Markowitz to make sure that street resurfacing was adequately funded in the budget, and that streets in poor condition in Boro Park, Midwood and Bensonhurst are included in the repaving schedule for the upcoming year.

The current projects come on the heels of the completion of two major local resurfacings: 50^th Street, which was long known as the worst stretch of road in Boro Park, and Avenue P, which had been the source of many complaints from Midwood residents. These two important projects were included in the DOT’s spring resurfacing program earlier this year after Greenfield personally questioned DOT officials about the condition of streets in his district and urged them to be fixed immediately. While there is generally a backlog of streets around the city that are awaiting repairs, Greenfield encourages any resident with suggestions for road repairs to contact his office at (718) 853-2704, especially if the poor street conditions are creating a safety hazard.

“It is an ongoing battle to keep our streets smooth and safe, and I will continue to fight so that we receive our share of city resources. My thanks to the DOT for its hard work, both this summer and throughout the year. We are making real progress on our goal of improving the condition of our local streets,” added Greenfield.

Source: Google Maps

Anne Cohen, the mother who was stabbed by her son earlier this week, had apparently been trying to flee the city to get away from him for a long time.

She was scared of her son, Richard Cohen, and had often mentioned moving to Florida or North Carolina, according to a friend.

Richard stabbed his mother in the torso and neck.and is currently jailed without bail.

Councilman Greenfield and Sanitation Department's Iggy Terranova

Bensonhurst, Borough Park and Midwood residents blasted the city’s handling of garbage-related issues in their areas, including fines, holiday pickup schedules and overflowing trash cans along commercial boulevards, at a town hall hosted by Councilman David Greenfield.

Greenfield spoke to an auditorium full of residents at the St. Athanasius School on March 29. The meeting was called to address sanitation and parking issues for Bay Parkway and the surrounding blocks—an area Greenfield dubbed the city’s “largest growing community.”

He began by making mention of his recent accomplishments.

“He wants to be a sanitation superhero,” quipped one elderly resident.

She’s not far off. Among other efforts, Greenfield has plunked down $1 million in capital funds to purchase snow removal equipment, including snow-ready trucks fitted with plows for the sanitation garages in his district 44 neighborhoods. He’s also responsible for writing a bill that recently became law: A ban on the impossible-to-remove neon yellow stickers stuck on car windows for violating alternate-side parking regulations.

“I know the issues here,” he said. “I live three blocks away.”

Among the residential gripes is the area near McDonald Avenue and 60th Street, which is considered by most to be an illegal commercial truck stop. Greenfield has been working with the NYPD and DOT to setup sting operations in order to catch truck drivers and stop them from leaving their commercial vehicles overnight.

He’s also urged the NYPD to put up clear signage warning of towing and ticketing for illegally parked trucks.

“Before, police were reluctant to give out tickets without the signs,” said Greenfield.

Read more about the specific complaints, and what Sanitation reps and Greenfield had to say.

The following is a joint press release from the offices of City Council Members David Greenfield and Vincent Gentile:

Council Members Greenfield, Gentile and Gonzalez
Thank DOE for Agreeing to Keep FDR High School Open

CMs Had Objected to Closure Plan in Letter to Chancellor

Brooklyn, NY – Council Members David G. Greenfield, Vincent J. Gentile and Sara M. González are pleased that the city Department of Education (DOE) has listened to the Council Members and reversed its decision to close Franklin Delano Roosevelt High School (FDR) as part of its model to turnaround 33 city schools. The DOE announced yesterday that seven schools that received at least a “B” on the city’s school report card such as FDR would not be closed as part of the city’s “turnaround” model, as had been planned. Continue Reading »

As word spreads that Governor Andrew Cuomo may go for the New York State Legislature’s most recent redistricting proposals – despite eery similarities to earlier proposals he had vowed to veto – two local pols debate the pros and cons of a “Super-Jewish” State Senate district stretching from Borough Park to Marine Park. Continue Reading »

The following is a press release from the office of Councilman David Greenfield:

Brooklyn, NY – Councilman David G. Greenfield (D-Brooklyn), Flatbush Shomrim and the family of fatal hit-and-run victim Noah Foxman are asking any local residents or businesses with a video surveillance system to immediately turn over all footage from the evening of Thursday, January 26 to Flatbush Shomrim or NYPD, which are conducting the ongoing investigation into this crime. Continue Reading »

Photo Credit: C.P. Storm via Flickr

For months, multiple media outlets have run stories regarding illegally parked trucks on Bay Parkway near McDonald Avenue.

NY1, this site, the Home Reporter, Boro Park Scoop, and now CNG have not only brought attention to the trucks themselves, but also to the lack of consistent traffic enforcement in the area.

The CNG story quotes Washington Cemetery employees who say the trucks are disturbing funerals and causing its maintenance staff, who should be more concerned with the inside of the cemetery, to spend the bulk of their time picking up urine-filled bottles and discarded furniture outside of its gates.

This is how it normally goes – NY 1 will air a segment on the trucks, the police will come in to tow and ticket a few, and within a week or two most of the offenders will have returned. Continue Reading »