Ever since Trader Joe’s opened their location on North 3rd Street and Kent Avenue (December 10, 2021), my inner dialogue on approach and departure went something like this: “To cross Kent Avenue on North 3rd or not to cross Kent Avenue on North 3rd that is the question. Whether ’tis nobler in the limbs to suffer the slings of unyielding car after car, grrr! Or give up and avoid this street of troubles.” A stop sign for traffic traveling on North 3rd Street going across Kent Avenue was the only tangible rule of the road here. The only things that would stop traffic on Kent Avenue was freedom of driver’s choice and a little known rule that went into effect in January 2022.
There is also the issue of crossing Kent Avenue’s two-way bike path on any cross street. Although strewn with stop signs and traffic lights (for the bike path as vehicular traffic is not two-way), in my experience, it is a rare cyclist that yields to signals, signs, or pedestrians encountered along this greenway.
In November 2023, Brooklyn’s Community Board 1 was notified by the NYC Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) that the study regarding the need for additional traffic controls at the intersection of North 3rd Street and Kent Avenue had been completed. The traffic signals had been approved for the location and would be installed by February 29, 2024.
On February 15, the signs of signals began to appear at this intersection, and within a week they were functioning. The traffic light for the bike lanes has an illuminated bike in red, green, and yellow to clearly indicate the audience this signal is for.
My trip home from Trader Joe’s in the morning of February 22 added to my doubts that these lights will stop cyclists. As I neared North 4th Street, a cyclist nearly hit a pedestrian crossing at that juncture. There are stop signs for both directions of bike traffic at this intersection. The cyclist did not stop, and screamed abusive insults at the pedestrian blaming her for putting herself and him in danger. Three witnesses loudly informed the cyclist that he ran through a stop sign and that the pedestrian had the right of way. Within seconds, a cyclist going in the other direction neglected to stop or yield to a pedestrian wishing to cross at this same spot.
After January 19, 2022, pedestrians wishing to cross Kent Avenue at North 3rd Street were given more protections via a new NYC DOT rule that took into consideration streets that had no traffic controls or those that were out of service.
“DOT is amending Paragraph (1) of Subdivision (b) of Section to require operators of vehicles and operators of bicycles to stop for pedestrians in crosswalks when traffic controls are not in place or not in operation, rather than yield, in order to enhance pedestrian safety. This rule amendment further clarifies that this provision applies to vehicles and operators of bicycles in any lane of travel, and that such vehicles and bicycles must stop and remain stopped for a pedestrian in a crosswalk until such pedestrian crosses a roadway.”
However, in over a hundred times I have crossed Kent Avenue at North 3rd in the past year only twice did cars yield so I could cross. It appears not many drivers or cyclists are aware of this new rule.
You can request the installation of a traffic signal by writing to the NYC DOT Commissioner. You can also request an accessible pedestrian signal, which plays audible messages to assist visually impaired users. Complaints for malfunctioning or damaged lights or signage can be given to 311.
The NYC DOT uses a detailed process called an intersection control study to determine if traffic signals or multi-way stop signs are appropriate for a location. Some of the steps in this process include: a Field Observation Report which has a checklist of conditions at the location (drivers’ compliance with existing controls, geometric or sight distance issues, violations of the speed limit, etc.); manual counts of the number of vehicles and pedestrians, usually during morning and evening rush hours.
The Greenline 