Tuesday, December 16, 2008

IN BALANCE .....

This blog has reported seventy-three accidents since August 20, 2007, all at the same location. (Obviously, since I cannot watch the spot 24/7, the number of actual accidents since then is higher than that.) I have also made a number of suggestions to alleviate the situation. Most radically, if money cannot be found to rebuild this dangerous access point to the BQE, I have suggested, and now suggest again, that the entrance here should be closed.

My FOIL request to the Police Department, seeking specific comparative information about the number of accidents here and the number of possible fatalities, has been ignored. It does not appear that I will be able to obtain such information without litigation. (My FOIL request can be accessed through the link given on this blog.)

But I have been encouraged in this work by a number of people -- in the media, in public office, and in the neighborhood. I would like to single out for particular appreciation The Brooklyn Paper and its editor Gersh Kuntzman, and Community Board 6 (Brooklyn) and its District Manager Craig Hammerman. I hope that the media will maintain a watchful eye, and that public officials on all levels will maintain their interest.

I will no longer try to report on each and every accident I see. Instead, I will do what I can from time to time, hoping that others will pick up the slack.

2 comments:

Gusgamashuq Abunoori said...

Hey there Werner. This is Gil. I drive a yellow cab in NYC and I keep a blog about it. I'm also friends with a family member of yours: Hannah Temple. She's ridden in the front seat for an ON DUTY tour of the city and told me about your blog. I like it. Too bad you won't be taking it much further. Perhaps start up a new project that's related to traffic, because that's my field too.

ChickenUnderwear said...

You have been doing a wonderful thing and it will eventually save lives. I am glad you are not getting discouraged and this issue has not taken over your life.

I am suppressed the auto-insurance industry has not joined you cause.

It is just money to them and they could save a lot of it.