Today Kicks off National Work Zone Awareness Week

Today, April 4, is the kickoff of National Workzone Awareness Week, a national campaign that signals the start of construction season, encouraging safe driving around highway construction sites.

Now that the snow has melted in the city and spring is settling in, roadwork also will begin to move into full gear, with crews returning to highways to repair winter damage and beginning other roadway improvements.

For the New York City Department of Transportation, the national campaign is an opportunity to raise awareness of a road safety practices around for the city's residents.

The campaign’s important messages resonate year-round, as men and women work diligently 365 days a year, seven days a week, to maintain the streets, roadways, highways, tunnels and bridges that comprise the nation's infrastructure.

On average, more than 40,000 people are injured each year as a result of motor vehicle crashes in work zones. DOT will begin running print, radio and outdoor public service announcements to promote work zone safety and remind New Yorkers that road workers deserve the same safe work environment as any professional.

Drivers play a crucial role in keeping work zones safe. Here’s how you can help:

• Drive at or below the speed limit posted in a work zone
• Give the road your full attention! Avoid distractions such as changing radio stations and using mobile phones.
• Pay close attention to merge signs and do not change lanes within a work zone. Merge before you reach a lane closure.
• Watch out not only for workers in the zone, but also for their equipment.
• Be patient! Road workers are working to make repairs and improve road safety for everyone.

Additionally, DOT is working on state legislation to increase penalties against drivers who are convicted of either killing or injuring construction workers in work zones. Read additional work zone safety tips from the New York State Department of Transportation. 

To follow are construction work zones in and around Bed-Stuy:

• Atlantic Avenue between Ralph Avenue and Utica Avenue: One lane may be closed westbound except peak hours between 9pm and 3am weekdays. One lane may be closed eastbound except peak hours between 2pm and 9pm weekdays. These closures are limited to the actual work area, two blocks at a time, to facilitate MTA-LIRR viaduct rehabilitation project until the end of 2011. One lane will be maintained westbound between Ralph Avenue and Buffalo Avenue on the weekends from 10pm Friday to 5am Monday.
• Belt Parkway over Ocean Avenue: Starting April 4 through June 30, 2011 NYCDOT Bridges will perform rehabilitation work. One of three lanes in each direction may be closed 10am to 2pm, 10pm to 5am Monday to Friday, 11pm Friday to 6am Saturday and 11pm Saturday to 8am Sunday. Two of three lanes in each direction may be closed 1am to 5am Monday to Friday, 1am to 6am Saturday and 2am to 8am Sunday.
• Pacific Street between 6th Avenue and Carlton Avenue: This street was converted from two-way to one-way westbound as of March 8, 2010 through summer 2012 to facilitate the Atlantic Yards project.
• Fifth Avenue between Flatbush Avenue and Atlantic Avenue; Pacific Street between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue; Pacific Street between Vanderbilt Avenue and Carlton Avenue: These streets were permanently closed as of March 8, 2010 to facilitate the Atlantic Yards project.
• Sixth Avenue between Flatbush Avenue and Pacific Street: This street was converted to two-way traffic as of March 8th, 2010 through April 2012 to facilitate the Atlantic Yards project.
• Flatbush Avenue between Atlantic Avenue and Dean Street: There will be three lanes northbound and two lanes southbound from 7am to 10am Monday to Friday, and three lanes southbound and two lanes northbound all other times to facilitate upgrade to the MTA ventilation along Flatbush Avenue as part of the Atlantic Yards project. This new traffic pattern started Friday August 20, 2010 and continues through early 2012.
• Atlantic Avenue between Flatbush Avenue and Sixth Avenue: Two lanes will be maintained eastbound and three lanes westbound to facilitate new building construction by private developer/contractor through October 2012. Intersection work may also occur at Atlantic Avenue and Flatbush Avenue, and along Atlantic Avenue overnight from 10pm to 6am to facilitate water main work.