In November 2014, the Kensington-Windsor Terrace community in Brooklyn lost 14-year-old Mohammad 'Naiem' Uddin, who was struck and killed by a hit and run driver in the crosswalk at Caton Avenue and E. 7th Street while crossing with the light. With the opening of the new PS/IS 437 building at Caton Ave and E. 7th Street and the existing PS 130 at 70 Ocean Parkway as well as nearby schools like PS 230 and the Prospect Charter, there will be an increased flow of children and families in this area. Clearly, there is an urgent need to make our streets safer for all who live, work and attend school in this neighborhood.

We, the undersigned, support the Caton Avenue Pedestrian Safety Improvements Project proposed by the New York City Department of Transportation as described in their presentation found at http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/2015-05-...

In brief, the project will:

1. Install new pedestrian crosswalks and signals along Caton Ave to improve access and safety
2. Create a safer pedestrian crossing at the Northbound Ocean Parkway Service road by adding a left turn signal which will delay vehicles from making a turn from Caton Ave while pedestrians cross and will reduce pedestrian-vehicle conflict
3. Build three pedestrian islands along Caton Ave to shorten crossing distance
4. Convert the Caton Ave corridor to one lane in each direction with left turn lanes to improve alignment and reduce speeding
5. Modify street directions in neighborhood (specifically E. 7th and E. 8th Streets, just North of Caton Ave) to improve mobility and accommodate school activity
6. "Daylight" several intersections to improve pedestrian and vehicular visibility and reduce traffic accidents by removing 1-2 parking spots per intersection. (Total number of spots to be removed is 5.)
7. Move Eastbound B16 bus stop from SW corner of Caton Ave & Ocean Parkway to the bridge on Caton Ave that passes over Ocean Parkway to improve bus operation and improve traffic flow

We urge Community Board 7 to vote in favor of the Department of Transportation's proposed Caton Ave Project, which we believe will make this area safer for pedestrians, drivers and cyclists alike.