Brooklyn’s 10 most dangerous intersections for cyclists: report

July 30, 2019 Noah Goldberg

A young cyclist waits at the intersection Monday where Ernest Askew was struck and killed by a car last week. Eagle photo by Noah Goldberg

A young cyclist waits at the intersection where Ernest Askew was struck and killed by a car. Eagle photo by Noah Goldberg

1. Jay Street & Tillary Street. 20 injured.

Jay Street and Tillary Street. Image courtesy of Google Maps — Jay Street and Tillary Street. Image viaGoogle Maps

The most dangerous intersection in Brooklyn, according to Localize.city, is where two bustling thoroughfares — Jay Street and Tillary Street — intersect in Downtown Brooklyn.

“This is a crowded intersection along a key route for people cycling over the Manhattan or Brooklyn bridges. “While some bike lanes are marked, such a major bike route needs to be protected with better marked lanes,” said Localize.city Urban Planner Dan Levine.

2. Atlantic Avenue & Bedford Avenue. 20 injured.

Atlantic Avenue and Bedford Avenue. Photo courtesy of Google Maps — Atlantic Avenue and Bedford Avenue. Image via Google Maps

Another intersection of major streets — Atlantic Avenue and Bedford Avenue — also saw 20 cyclist injuries from 2013 to 2018, according to Localize.city.

“The bike lane on Bedford Avenue is not separated from traffic and is wedged between car-travel lanes. It’s unprotected on either side, and as riders cross the six-lane Atlantic Avenue, they’re expected to maneuver toward the curb. But often cars in a left turn lane actually turn back into traffic, creating a risk for cyclists,” said Sam Sklar, an urban planner with Localize.city.

3. Graham Avenue & Grand Street. 14 injured.

Graham Avenue and Grand Avenue. Photo courtesy of Google Maps — Graham Avenue and Grand Avenue. Image via Google Maps

“On narrow, crowded, business-lined Grand Street, riders contend with double-parked cars and trucks and blocked bike lanes,” Levine said.

4. Jay Street & Myrtle Avenue. 14 injured.

Jay Street and Myrtle Avenue. Photo courtesy of Google Maps — Jay Street and Myrtle Avenue. Image via Google Maps

A 2016 bike lane was added to make commuting via Jay Street safer, Localize.city noted.

“It is physically separated from the auto traffic and is wider than a typical bike lane,” Sklar said. “Buses do use the bike lanes, too.”

5. Roebling Street & South Fourth Street. One dead, 13 injured.

Roebling Street and South Fourth Street. Photo courtesy of Google Maps — Roebling Street and South Fourth Street. Image via Google Maps

“Before 2017, the biking expressway over the Williamsburg Bridge ended at this chaotic intersection with poorly marked and inadequate bike lanes,” Levine said. “New protected lanes feeding to the bridge should make the route safer.”