Berry Street Bewilderment

Planned street improvement implementation has begun and has brought confusion

Berry Street is in a transition phase.  In recent months, it has been repaved, painted, curbs extended with street furniture (granite blocks, bike corrals, and planters), and the direction of some streets are being reversed.

None of the above is a surprise.  Community outreach for a redesign of Berry Street began in February 2021.  From then onward there have been community design workshops (in person and virtual) and presentations at Brooklyn Community Board 1 (BkCB1) meetings.  As reported in GREENLINE’s September 2022 issue, there are those who are enthusiastic for the redesign, those who are protesting it, and those who land somewhere in the middle.

More recently, the ways that Berry Street would change was announced at a New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) March 2023 update presentation to BkCB1.  However, dealing with this implementation in the physical world has been a challenge.  Change is a challenge and takes time to get used to.  It is up to the community to decide if the change is for the better or if the design needs further adjustment.

Here are some things to be aware of if you haven’t visited Berry Street in a while.

Two-way cyclist markings:  At each intersection are road markings on each side of the street indicating cyclists (all forms) can travel both directions.  This has made some pedestrians pause as there are no pedestrian markings in the street.  The NYC DOT’s March 2023 update states, “Support for two-way cycling and pedestrian oriented infrastructure” and “Enhance pedestrian safety and priority”.  There are also signs posted intermittently, one on North 7^th Street, that show pedestrian and bicycle glyphs and state “Share the road.”

I continue to see pedestrians and runners use Berry as an open street.  However, from what I’ve noticed, there are fewer pedestrians/runners since the recent implementations.  This is a personal observation gathered on weekend mornings in the same section of Berry Street comparing the present circumstance with past — not conducted scientifically. On first seeing the two-way cyclist markings, I was unsure if pedestrians were allowed to travel in the street, so I stuck to the sidewalk.  But even before these changes walking in the street for me was determined by how much cycle traffic was there.  During dinner and lunch delivery peaks – I often noticed Berry turn into a speedway for delivery cyclists, who under most circumstances do not follow the 5 mph rule.

Traffic flow change: In the Northside, North 5^th Street to North 7^th Street has reversed its direction: traffic moves southward.  This was addressed in the DOT’s March presentation, in addition Metropolitan to Grand Street and South 5^th Street to Broadway also will have a southward traffic flow.  These changes are to discourage drivers from using Berry as a through street.

More signage: new and increased signage makes the speed limit (5 mph) and other rules of the road clear.

Berry Street is still a work in progress. These new implementations are scheduled through Fall 2023.  There will continue to be ongoing evaluation and opportunities for public input.