Community Board 3 Meets

Community Board 3 held its monthly meeting last night to a full house, convened by its Board Chairman Henry Butler, at Restoration Plaza.

Each committee presented updates, and there were several community announcement regarding upcoming holiday events. But dominating the evening’s discussion was a presentation given by Robert Thompson, New York City planner at the Department of Transportation, regarding changes to the B44 Select Bus Service and a proposal to eliminate a turning lane on Atlantic Avenue.

INFORMATIONAL PRESENTATION:

The Infrastructure and Environmental Protection Committee Chair Nelson Stoute introduced guest speaker Robert Thompson, senior project manager for the Transit Development Division of Planning and Sustainability at the Department of Transportation.

Thompson came to share with CB3 the final design and construction schedule of the Select Bus Service that is coming to Nostrand, Rogers and Bedford Avenues.

The Select Bus Service (SBS) project is a partnership between the New York City Department of Transportation and MTA NYC Transit. SBS also is the brand name for Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), a general term for any high-performance surface transportation system that incorporates features of rail transit. SBS will operate as such:

• You pay BEFORE boarding with new fare machines located at the stops
• You board via the front and back doors
• There will be dedicated bus lanes
• "Traffic Signal Priority" will be given to buses at traffic light intersections.

SBS service already has been implemented on select routes in the Bronx (2008) and Manhattan (2010). According to DOT, so far the faster, scaled down service has produced 15-20 percent faster trips, 10 percent reduction in all other travel time, 33 percent reduction in time spent at bus stops and over 90 percent customer satisfaction.

For the B44, SBS will replace the B44 Limited; B44 local route will remain the same; northbound SBS will travel on Rogers Avenue instead of New York Avenue. All SBS fares will remain the same as a regular bus fare.

Also, the DOT is planning to eliminate the left turning lane for all traffic traveling eastbound on Atlantic, turning onto Bedford Avenue. This final point raised by Thompson drew the ire and concern of many at the meeting.

Some of the questions and concerns raised by board members and other participants included:

Q: “Will there be a public education campaign?”

A: There will be all of the regular outlets (brochures on the busses, audio messages, signs in subway stations and media buys); and personnel will not issue tickets for several weeks.

Q: “Once you eliminate the left turn from Atlantic going northbound onto Bedford, where will the commercial vehicles end up?”

A: We looked at the traffic volumes and found that this should not cause a big affect on traffic. But it’s something we’ll continue looking into

Q: “The Select B44, how will that affect the B49. Will they share a bus stop?”

A: The 49 will not be affected. You will pay on the bus on the 49 and 44 Local. So it sounds confusing, but it really isn’t. At each stop, there will be one sign and one birth for the 44 SBS and 44 Local, and they’ll stop in different places. And the fare machines will be where the SBS stops

Q: “Related to removing the left turn on Atlantic on Bedford… with the additional traffic from the stadium, Bedford Avenue is a main access way to reach the feeder streets. The Atlantic Avenue under the LIRR already is wrought with traffic and its difficult to make any turns off of Atlantic as it is. I vehemently urge you to reconsider eliminating that left turn. It may serve the downtown areas, but it doesn’t serve the residents of Bedford Stuyvesant.”

A: We can certainly take a look at it and meet with the Transportation Committee.

Q: “How will these machines affect seniors and the disabled who use paper transfer cards?”

A: You can continue. So all of the transfers that you can do at fare box, you can do at the machines. In a way, it’s better, because there’s an audio jack for the visually impaired, messaging in English and Spanish. So the machines do have a lot of good functionality in that regard.

Q: “Wouldn’t deleting the left turn on Bedford defeat the purpose of calming traffic on Classon Avenue, which has been a problem over the past few months for both Bed-Stuy and Clinton Hill residents. The left turn already has been eliminated at Vanderbilt and Washington Avenue. So where are you expecting traffic to turn?”

A: We can certainly take a look at it and meet with the Transportation Committee.

Henry Butler: “Before things move forward, we’d like to have a meeting sometime early next year.”

Nelson Stoute: “This board will need to have a special meeting about this before this rolls out in the spring.”

COMMITTEE UPDATES

Ms. Tillard, of the Economic Development Committee: We will hold the first MWBE certification workshop on March 13.

Mr. Hampton, of the Civic and Public Safety Committee: Moving forward we will be focused more on civic responsibility. We’re looking forward to having more of you join our committee in assisting us in planning and increasing the activism. Will meet Tuesday, December 6, at 6:30pm

Someone from the Post Office at Restoration Plaza announced that they were able to successfully save the post office! However, she reminded board meeting participants that postage will be going up a penny around January 1. “So buy your ‘Forever Stamps’ now. Remember, they are good forever!”

Robert Cornegy of the Health and Social Service Committee: “We had a very healthy and robust meeting, so I encourage everyone to come out to our next meeting on Jan 4th, where will be mounting a serious effort to have Interfaith Hospital remain a community hospital. There’s been some talk about refiguring its internal structure.”

Ms. Gregory, of Education and Youth Services Committee: “We meet the second Thursday every month. This time, we will not meet on December 8, but the following week on Thursday, Dec. 15, at 7:00pm.”

Mr. Nelson Stoute, of the Infrastructure and Environmental Protection Committee: We will meet next Tuesday, Dec. 13 in the board office, at which time we will discuss the position of bike lanes and where we think they are best located for us.

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Ms. Joe, is the new multicultural and affordable regional director for Chase Bank; her role was recently created: “I wanted to let you know we are here in the community. Michelle Domens will be on hand at Restoration Plaza, and we will be featuring homebuyer seminars, home sustainability, how to purchase and keep a new home, credit economic seminars. I look forward to working with you. The first seminar will be in February.”

Michael McCasland of the Marcy Tennis Club: “I’m pleased to announce that we just received a sizeable grant, so all of the hard work has finally paid off! With that said, I wanted to give thanks to Henry Butler, Tish James, Robert Corney, Wayne Devonish, and the presidents of Tompkins Houses and Lafayette Gardens for writing letters on our behalf. We now will begin teaching in LG, and the fourth site will be determined. Hoping to teach up to 200 kids. Using tennis for mentorship and community building. Are beginning the board member application process to be on the board of directors.”

Joceyln Cagler, represents an SCS program, a supplemental educational service-provider for schools that are low performing in NYC area. We are enrolling kids now into the self-tutoring program utilizing the tools to use throughout the school year at no cost to parents.

Ms. Kaplan, trained by a non-profit based in Manhattan that trains people to captured feral cats, spade and neuter them and then return them to their former habitat: “I know of 11 cats on the corner of Nostrand and Dekalb. It’s good to return them as opposed to exterminating them. So I’m planning a trapping on that corner. Also will plan an art exhibit in the spring. There also will be educational workshops. We will be teaching kids about kindness to animals. I’m asking for the community for help. Because we need a holding area two days before and after their surgery, 646-331-5506.

Pink Lady Gourmet Cheesecake in Bed-Stuy: “This is the season for cheescake, please call and I’ll have it ready for you for the holidays. Mention you were at this meeting, and get half off!” Contact Carole@PinkLadyGourmetCheesecakes.com, website:  www.PinkLadyGourmetCheesecakes.com.

Tremaine Wright, owner of Common Grounds Coffee House: “On behalf of Common Grounds, I would like to invite everyone out for Tompkins Night Out this Friday, December 9. Your receipt from one store gets you a discount at another store. We will be taking pics of Santa and Mrs. Klaus, at the Party Rental store, and there will be caroling karaoke at Common Grounds.”

Vyra Jones, director of the Bed-Stuy Music Coalition: “For those of you who are African art-lovers, we are trying to launch an African-American Art museum in  Bed-Stuy called, “Symbols of Tribal Spirits: The Bed-Stuy Museum of African Art. “This museum needs to happen for the young people. We have been trying to get this museum open since 2002. We already have a phenomenal collection. Will come back and bring 10 pieces, and make an extensive presentation at the next board meeting.”

Monique Greenwood: “For 12 years the Shops of Lewis Avenue (SOLA), has done a tree lighting ceremony. Each year the tree costs us $1,200. We just felt that in this time of need, we could not spend $1,200 on a tree. So we will be putting up a wreath instead and making two financial donations—one to The Bed-Stuy Campaign Against Hunger, and the other to Children of Promise. We will still have a reception this Friday at St. Phillip’s Church, from 7:00pm – 9:00pm, where we will be giving away toys, refreshments and entertainment.

A representative from the office of Ed Town announced: Thursday, Dec. 15, is Congressman Ed Towns’s annual Holiday Party, 6:30pm – 10:00pm a the Brooklyn Job Corps Academy, 585 DeKalb Avenue, from more information, call 718-363-2972.

ACTION ON THE PUBLIC HEARING OF NOV. 7, 2011

Edna Johnson, chair of Health and Social Services Committee-- A request for a letter of support from Central Brooklyn Community Services, Corp for HRA’S RFP for the sponsorship of the multi-services center, at 1958 Fulton street: “After meeting and a lot of thought, this is the recommendation letter we are requesting.”

CB3 took a public vote.

--New officers were nominated and elected (an update will be provided in next report)

Community Board 3 meets the first Monday of each month. The next meeting will be Monday, January 2, 2012 at Restoration Plaza.