For a long time, Austin street has been a congested street with high pedestrian traffic yet little in terms of pedestrian spaces. This has led Austin Street to become unpleasant and dangerous to pedestrians. Between Jan 2018 and Nov 2022, there have been 71 crashes, with 83 injured, 50 being pedestrians or cyclists, on Austin Street between Yellowstone Blvd and Ascan Ave (crashmapper.org).

The sidewalks are too small for the number of people on them, causing conflicts between pedestrians. This significantly harms the elderly, people in wheelchairs, parents with strollers, and others who require more space to move around. 

Car congestion on Austin Street leads to honking and idling cars, which cause harm to all pedestrians who breathe the polluted air and are subjected to noise pollution. The congestion also causes difficulties in making deliveries to businesses, leading to double parking and blocking bus stops and crosswalks. The congestion also leads to impatient drivers who end up making dangerous maneuvers as they try to escape from the gridlock. 

Finally, the crossing points on Austin Street are too far apart and too few for the large density of people and businesses, leading to people crossing the street at any point, and increasing the chances of crashes. 

For these reasons and more, we petition the New York City Department of Transportation to increase pedestrian space, safety, and quality of life on Austin Street by:

1. Widening sidewalks
2. Reducing pedestrian hazards by eliminating car congestion and honking
3. Creating outdoor seating areas
4. Allowing more businesses to have outdoor seating
5. Creating more safe crossings for pedestrians
6. Studying the possibility of fully pedestrianizing segments of the street