From a peer organization fighting open streets on Berry St.:

Hi All,

All the local politicians that have been ignoring us for over the last year and half will be at this party 6pm-8pm tonight at Kent Ale House (51 Kent Ave).  As you know Lincoln Restler is not in office yet and he has actually been available to talk to us which we believe shows great character and democracy.  

Recently we discovered that Noel Hidalgo founder of North Brooklyn Open Street Community Coalition (NBK_OSCC) and Kevin LaCherra involved with Make Meeker Move which removed residential parking held a fundraiser on June 3, 2021 for Antonio Reynoso (CouncilMember for DIstrict 34 & Brooklyn Borough President Nominee). Most likely they are trying to get a seat on our community board through Antonio Reyonoso. While Noel and his group have avoided any accountability by our local politicians, Brooklyn CB1 or NYC DOT he is listed on here as if a prominent figure in our community. 

We can not sit back and be silent. We need to speak up and confront local politicians for working exclusively with their favorite people and political allies at the expense of the constituents they are supposed to represent. 

We have blocked stopped signs on Berry St., Barricades that are non-ADA compliant, and therefore for some of our residents ,not possible to move when needing to access their homes. The Open Streets Program (OSP) are barely used during the week compared to the 151,000 residents that live here, OSP causes diverted traffic, delay emergency response, the barricades have remained in the street during every single "severe weather" event over the last 18 months (since March 2020), The barricades are in direct conflict with our Alternate Side Parking days blocking sanitation from street cleaning,  etc. This program is supposed to be revisited annually and we would like it to stop on Berry St as we believe it is not a good fit and has not been managed or led by our community.  

N6th St. Open Culture St was designated with a top-down approach that creates crowds and noise, etc. We want this street immediately taken off the Mayors list of Open Culture Streets.

If we allow politicians to ignore us they will. We need to start showing up and speaking up. They have endorsed and enabled our community life to be dominated by party crowds, destination crowds and tipped the balance between residential life and business presence to favore businesses. We have a human & civil right to access Berry St without non-ADA compliant barricades and enjoy the peace and quiet of our homes.  Many neighbors have simply given up and relocated outside the neighborhood. We are here, many of us rooted here for generations, we need to push back.