Countdown timers to help you cross Fourth Avenue; a different traffic pattern and pedestrian improvements at the intersection of Union Street and Fourth; a new, safer way to enter the subway station at Ninth Street; a car-free play street at Fourth Street near Washington Park. These are just a few of the modifications already implemented or in the works around the broad boulevard of Fourth Avenue.
The Park Slope Civic Council is hosting “Moving Forward on Fourth,” a walk and talk along Fourth Avenue to better inform residents about these changes and generate new ideas for this vital street.
The event takes place on Saturday, Nov. 6, kicking off at 9:30 a.m. under the eastern underpass of the subway station at Fourth Avenue and Ninth Street. (Rain date is Sunday, Nov. 7, 2:30 p.m.) Anyone interested should register for the event by e-mailing his or her name to fofa@parkslopeciviccouncil.org.
“Moving Forward” is an outgrowth of the Civic Council’s forum “The Future of Fourth Avenue,” which drew more than 200 people to St. Thomas Aquinas Church in March. The general sentiment at that gathering was that changing the avenue would require getting organized from the ground up.
“This walk will continue those efforts to improve Fourth Avenue’s plans,” said Josh Levy, a Civic Council trustee who is organizing the walk. “It will be wonderful to get a broad perspective on those plans and get further suggestions that will benefit everyone.”
The walk will include about 10 stops from Ninth Street to Sackett Street. At each stop, an experienced member of the Fourth Avenue community will talk about new and recent changes with an eye toward soliciting more ideas. At the subway station on Ninth, for example, Civic Council President Michael Cairl will discuss opening access on the station’s east side so commuters will no longer have to cross the busy street to get to the F train, as well as possible retail development at that entrance and better use of the subway viaduct space alongside the elevated tracks.
At Washington Park, Old Stone House Executive Director Kim Maier will talk about the evolution of the park and her institution into a central space for the neighborhood, upcoming renovations, and plans to convert the cul-de-sac at Fourth Street into a traffic-free play street/plaza. Gardener Judy Janga will explore her experiences with the future greening of the now-empty lot at Sackett Street. Aaron Naperstak, co-founder of Park Slope Neighbors, will discuss the reconfiguration at Union Street.
Other topics will likely include the countdown timer at the Ninth Street intersection, a prototype for timers that will improve safety on Fourth from Flatbush Avenue to 65th Street; the risks and rewards of retail development on Fourth; and plans for the empty lots between First and Eighth Streets. After the walk and talk, there will be a Q&A session at Zora Space Café on Fourth Avenue near Garfield Place.
Changes are on the way. “Moving Forward on Fourth” is an opportunity for everyone to have a voice in what happens.
Please be sure to register for the event at fofa@parkslopeciviccouncil.org.
– David Herman
from the October 2010 Civic News