“Years of Inaction” – Flatbush Community Leaders Outcry Over City’s Failure to Prevent Subway Overpass Accidents

Flatbush Overpass Truck Accidents Highlights Need For City To Take Action. 

By FrumNews.com – Exclusive Report.

On Thursday morning, a tractor-trailer truck was transporting Pesach supplies for Chasdei Lev, (a wonderful Chesed organization that gives back to those involved in Chinuch), accidentally slammed into the extra-low Subway overpass at Kings Highway and East 15th Street in Flatbush.

That photo went viral. This high-profile accident caused a traffic jam in the area for many hours, and everyone was talking about it. But as locals know, this happens at similar train overpasses in Flatbush along the MTA route of the Q and B Subway lines so often that it is hard to keep track of.

The ensuing chaos has long irritated Flatbush residents forced to cope with the resulting gridlock and aftermath debris.

The root of the problem is the same, an utter lack of leadership from city officials, who can easily solve this problem.

Non-descript, unclear warnings.

Most overpasses in New York City contain a low clearance sign, along with warning signs beforehand. These extra-low underpasses in Brooklyn don’t have much signage to inform truck drivers.

Local Askunim and Flatbush Community Leaders have been pushing for the City’s Department of Transportation to update the inadequate signage and raise awareness of it.

In the Summer of 2019, several frum legislators, including Councilman Kalman Yeger, Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein, and State Senator Simcha Felder, called on the Department of Transportation (DOT) to fix the inadequate signage.

“These trucks are ripped open like sardine cans by the time they realize they are stuck,” Senator Felder said at the time, “and as a result, residents and commuters in all the surrounding areas suffer enormous traffic delays and congestion. This aggravation is a regular occurrence and it’s about time the City did something about it.”

“The epidemic of trucks crashing into overpasses in Midwood is dangerous and must come to an end.” Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein said at the time.

For years, @NYC_DOT has refused to do anything to reduce the chances of these collisions. It’s almost like they have some kind of game there, betting on how many will happen and where. #ZeroVision https://t.co/IVDLpXb3Kn

— Kalman Yeger (@KalmanYeger) November 22, 2021

Yet in the five years since, nothing was done.

Askun Ezra Friedlander said “We need less studying and more action! Thanking Councilman Yeger, Senator Felder and Assemblyman Eichenstein for sounding the alarm!”

Flatbush activist, and Vice-Chair of Community Board 12 (in Flatbush and Boro Park), Yaakov Kaplan has been the most vocal on this pressing issue for almost 10 years now. After a similar truck incident on Ave P in 2020, he wrote on Twitter, “Not that long ago [they] asked the NYC DOT to install flashing lights at these overpasses. The DOT replied that after reviewing a study, “flashing lights are unnecessary.” This truck accident is today.”

After another incident on Ave P, he said, “If only there was a way to warn truck drivers about the elevated train overpass. Like maybe a set of flashing lights. Hey @NYC_DOT, maybe it’s time.”

Flatbush residents who spoke with FrumNews.com expressed their frustration with New York City’s lack of leadership. Yes, these overpasses may be a little lower than others in this great city, but the lack of common sense from city officials is unacceptable.

Under de Blasio’s administration, everything was mismanaged. But under Adam’s administration, and Mayor Adam’s track record of helping the frum communities, residents are optimistic that this solvable solution would be properly addressed.

This is a non-partisan, no-brainer issue. Every local resident of all backgrounds in this neighborhood does not want preventable, dangerous truck accidents to occur.

All that needs to be done is installing a few more warning signs within a one-block radius of these infamous Midwood and Flatbush overpasses, (along the Brighton Beach B/Q Subway Line, which most overpasses are shorter than the average semi-trailer truck) A bonus would be having yellow flashing warning lights to alert truck drivers.

These low-cost solutions are much cheaper for the city than continuously having emergency services respond to these preventable accidents, cleaning debris of destroyed truck roofs, inspecting the structure stability of these potentially damaged subway overpasses-bridges. And most importantly, preventing people from getting injured or killed cv”s.

We need less studying and more action! Thank u @KalmanYeger @NYSenatorFelder @SEichenstein for sounding the alarm! https://t.co/Ps1oj61c1p

— Ezra Friedlander (@EzraFriedlander) January 14, 2020

Overpass Truck accidents in Flatbush: