Politics & Government

Atlantic Terminal Traffic Changes Go Into Effect Sunday

Major traffic changes are being implemented in anticipation of Atlantic Yards.

In anticipation of car crowds at the new Barclays Nets arena, developer Forest City Ratner has proposed a series of .

The major changes go into effect on Sunday and include:

  • Reversing Pacific Street from one-way westbound to one-way eastbound between Fourth and Flatbush avenues. 
  • Installation of a traffic signal at Pacific Street and Flatbush Avenue, as well as a crosswalk.
  • The ability for motorists to make a right or left turn from Pacific Street to Flatbush Avenue. 
  • Truck traffic will be barred from Pacific Street. Northbound Fourth Avenue truck traffic will be diverted to Third Avenue via Atlantic to get onto Flatbush.

The conversion of Fourth Avenue into a one-way street going southbound between Atlantic and Flatbush avenues only goes into effect on July 31.

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With the changes, "vehicles will have more time with a green light on Flatbush Avenue, and pedestrians will have more time to cross the street," according to the Atlantic Yards website.

Developers hope that arena-goers will come down Fourth Avenue, cut down Atlantic to Third Avenue and then continue on Third Avenue past State and Schermerhorn streets to Flatbush Avenue.

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At an Atlantic Yards traffic meeting last month, Forest City Ratner traffic consultant Sam Schwartz admitted the intersection at Atlantic Terminal had “perplexed traffic engineers for about 100 years."

Residents at that meeting were far from pleased.

They worry that not only will the blocks between Atlantic and Flatbush Avenue – largely quiet and residential – become saturated with traffic, pollution and noise, but that drivers will likely skip Fourth Avenue and travel largely down Third Avenue, crowding what is in comparison a small street.

“The traffic flows will be enormously increased,” said State Street resident Jonathan Glazer.

Some said that with the change of Third Avenue to a one-way street, the avenue has already become unbearably overcrowded with cars.

“There’s traffic all the way up Third,” said Drew Jarrett, 50, another State Street resident. “It’s already jammed.”

A full copy of the plan presented to the community is available at the Atlantic Yards’ project website.


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