Assemblyman Lentol and Community Board 1 Members Do Site Visit with Brooklyn Borough DOT Commissioner to Discuss Traffic Concerns at Wythe Avenue, Flushing Avenue Intersections.

Assemblyman Joe Lentol (D – North Brooklyn) met with Rabbi Abe Perlstein, First Vice Chair of Community Board 1, Simon Weiser, Co-Chair of the Community Board’s Transportation Committee, Gerry Esposito, the Community Board’s District Manager, and Brooklyn Borough Department of Transportation Commissioner Keith Bray last week for a site visit to review the traffic congestion and safety problems at the intersection of Wythe Avenue and Williamsburg Street West and at the Flushing Avenue exit on the eastbound side of the BQE.

“The problem is that you have traffic exiting the BQE and merging with traffic from Williamsburg Street West,” said Lentol.  “Half the people want to turn on Wythe Avenue and half want to go straight through, but the merge is what makes it difficult.  As for Flushing Avenue, the backup during peak hours is tremendous and a huge inconvenience for people who get stuck there.  We’re trying to find creative solutions to these problems.”

(left to right) Rabbi Abe Perlstein, Samuel Stern, Simon Weiser, DOT Brooklyn Borough Commissioner Keith Bray, Assemblyman Joe Lentol, and CB 1 District Manager Gerry Esposito

The community Board members agreed that it was a productive meeting.

“I'm thankful to Brooklyn CB1 Chair Dealice Fuller and Manager Gerry Esposito for arranging for the on-site visit.  A special thanks to Borough Commissioner Keith Bray for making the time for the visit, and thoroughly analyzing the problem and possible solutions,” said Rabbi Abraham Perlstein, First Vice Chair of Community Board.  “We were pleasantly surprised that on a quiet August Friday, Assemblyman Lentol was on call and hard at work, showing up to assisting in improving the traffic and safety in the area.”

“The bottleneck at the BQE Flushing Avenue exit is unbearable to the neighborhood, and it often backs up the BQE.  The Wythe Avenue exit also needs improvements.  I'm thankful to DOT Borough Commissioner Bray for taking his time to review the problems, and for working on improvement to mitigate the traffic nightmare on Flushing Avenue,” said Rabbi David Niederman, President of the UJO of Williamsburg and North Brooklyn.  “A special shout out to Assemblyman Joe Lentol, for his personal devotion to improve the traffic movement in the area, by securing funding for the South Williamsburg Transportation Study, working on trouble-blocks in the area, and for joining us now to review and seek solutions for the traffic issues at the BQE exits.  I'm also very thankful to the Community Board Chair Fuller, Manager Esposito, and the members who are working tirelessly on these issues.”

Source: Press Release by Assemblyman Lentol's office.