After Fatal Hit-And-Run, McGuinness Blvd Infamy Increases

Neil Chamberlain

The driver who fatally ran over a 28-year-old web designer in Greenpoint last Sunday remains at large, but many people in the neighborhood say the street where the accident took place is guilty, too. Williamsburg resident Neil Chamberlain was killed by a driver who sped onto Calyer Street from McGuinness Boulevard, a stretch of road so notorious for reckless driving that local activists have been studying it since last month. According to their observations, McGuinness is Brooklyn's answer to Queens Boulevard, AKA The Boulevard of Death.

"Lawless driving is a constant condition of McGuinness," Jessie Singer of Transportation Alternatives, which has been studying the boulevard with Neighbors Allied for Good Growth, tells the Daily News. "Moving violations run rampant, and the result is lives lost." According to their research, drivers violate traffic laws every 17 seconds at Nassau Avenue, where Solange Raulston was killed by a truck driver while riding her bike in December. Over the course of eight hours, volunteers observed drivers running red lights 150 times, talking on cell phones 89 times, and failing to yield to pedestrians 114 times.

City Councilman Steve Levin is calling for tougher enforcement in the area, and tells the News, "I pass this intersection quite often, and I have witnessed many nearly fatal incidents." Meanwhile, friends of Chamberlain have been mourning the most recent fatality. "It's been really rough. He was a completely unique individual," says one friend, Annegret Falkner. "At first we just [heard] it was a freak hit-and-run, but when I found out it was on McGuinness, it made way more sense."

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By John Del Signore in News on April 26, 2010 11:10 AM

Comments [rss]

Greenpoint60

I just saw a security camera on the business on Calyer where this haappened, this is not over until it's over.

bklyngrrl

Preview

I've also seen an increased police presence on McGuinness Blvd catching people speeding off the Pulaski Bridge with a radar gun. I'm glad that they're doing something to make that road a bit safer.

Greenpoint60

The Polish take the issue of drunk driving seriously, the laws are stricter over there.

Greenpoint60

Chamberlin's friends & family should speak to an attorney about posting a reward. A translation into Polish put in the local Polish tabloids as an ad might work.

HolyDiver

The police have stepped up their presence at the base of the Pulaski Bridge(Greenpoint side) lately. Which is good. On my way home the other day I stopped to ask one of the 3 officers that were pulling speeders over as they came off the bridge - to whom I could speak to mention the fact that every light on McGuinness Blvd turns green at the same time. I'm still searching the DOT for the right person to speak with.

I'm no city planner but I would think after the number of deaths, wrecks, and money spent setting up speed traps - slowing down these assholes would be the first place to start. Stagger the lights. Am I missing something? I lived near Queens Blvd for several yrs and am living on McGuinness now and can honestly say Queens Blvd has nothing on McGuinness in terms of scariness. I don't even like walking down the sidewalk on that street.

Oldmark

Everyone treats that stretch of Calyer as the Daytona 500. It's incredible. May have something to do with the fact that the last speeding ticket in Greenpoint was issued in 1958.

Greenpoint60

I saw the cops pinching drivers on McGinness

Deb88

As someone who's resided on McGuiness for 2 years, (where the accident DIDN'T occur), but I was not far from Calyer, I can confirm that yes: Trucks speed on this road and some of the lesser-traveled roads because it IS a designated truckroute. That doesn't make it legal and/or right - but if the city installed speedbumps by walkways and/or if the police handed out tickets regularly, they could solve this problem. Also, it's 100% irresponsible to be bicycling down McGuinness, since there's no bike-lane provided, no room for bicyclists, and there's several other north-south running alternatives as opposed to riding up/down this street. It might as well be the Saw Mill Parkway. Until they install bike lanes, ride elsewhere. It's not worth losing your life over.

biztsarri

The increase in truck traffic on McGuinness is because of the bike lanes on Kent Ave. This is clearly undeniable. More traffic is now funneled down McGuiness because of behaivior changes on the part of truckers.

There is no good solution here. The traffic is SO BAD during ruch hour and is highly dangerous.

Greenpoint60

If the truckers take a ticket back to the depot, the company will give them hell. Too many tickets, and they will loose their jobs.

Ph

I haven't driven on it in a while but McGuinness is a pretty big street and its also a pretty big through street linking Queens and Brooklyn which means extra caution is needed from both drivers and pedestrians.

Gotta remember in these sorts of situations that it takes two to tango. I hate to say it, but lots of pedestrians in this city, especially those that don't come from here act like complete bubbleheads when it comes to car traffic.

Ishtar

Native NYers are just as bubbleheaded when it comes to car traffic. As a previous poster pointed out, there is a whole lot of "me, me, me" going on.

Greenpoint60

Since it happened on Calyer Street odds are the driver is from Greenpoint

tsol

Hardly. Calyer gets a lot of illegal truck traffic, esp at night. Also, the driver must have been headed onto McGuiness rather than coming from it because Calyer is a one-way street.

John Del Signore

The driver would have been turning off of McGuinness onto Calyer Street; the accident occurred between Calyer and Newel Street.

Greenpoint60

in any case a local driver, the thru traffic is on Mcginness only

Greenpoint60

illegal truck traffic at late night on a weekend not at all likly, it was more than likly a drunk driver, either from Greenpoint or leaving a party in Greenpoint. The young guy who got hit was proably toasted himself

Stevennnn

Breaking traffic laws is a epic problem not just in New York City but throughout the country. The problem is getting a driver license is way too easy.

xgeyiph772

Actually Steven, it's kinda hard to pass a driving test, and many drivers outside of NYC obey traffic laws, as do pedestrians and cyclists.