Exciting new signal at Sackett & Columbia



Very good news for the normally-ignored Columbia Waterfront District -- there's now a functioning traffic signal at the oft-dangerous intersection of Sackett and Columbia.

We used to live half a block from here and it was a constant source of frustration (even before they suddenly decided one afternoon to make Columbia a one-way street, but only erect one-way signs at a few intersections, letting other drivers careen head-on into oncoming traffic.) It had very bad sight-lines, one or two bus routes (depending on if the B71 drivers took the short cut,) and lots of speeding, oversized commercial buses and trucks coming from Red Hook, which technically aren't supposed to cut through that neighborhood. Columbia went back to two-way recently, with the same lack of notification for drivers entering from any of the side streets.

In this other spectacular picture I took yesterday, you can see a bit of the smashed in fence at the art lot, one assumes from another wreck.



Heaven forbid I only say nice thing about the traffic folks. Please note that there are not yet crosswalks along the Columbia Street section of the intersection. The Columbia drivers didn't even have a stop sign previously -- so it would be nice to paint the crosswalk to help alert them of the new traffic pattern, no?

About two months ago the traffic wizards also installed new stop signs at Columbia and Summit, map, and also didn't bother to paint in a cross walk, erect signs noting the new traffic pattern -- or do something really useful like putting the new stop signs in a place that drivers can actually see them. I can't tell you the number of times cars blow through those new stop signs completely unaware there was a stop sign. The B61 also has to go through that intersection (necessitated by that ongoing Van Brunt/Columbia multi-year street reconstruction disaster) and it's nearly impossible for the bus to make that left turn onto Columbia.

OK, ending on a good note ... The reason why I have the pictures is that we were over there yesterday for lunch at Mazzat, which gets better and better each time we drop in.

Earlier: That sinking feeling on Columbia Street
More on Columbia St. one-way chaos
Living one-way on the wrong side of the BQE
Oh Columbia

Labels: brooklyn, traffic

- posted by Amy @ 2/03/2008 10:17:00 AM