Councilman David G. Greenfield is working closely with city agencies including the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Department of Transportation (DOT) to make sure that a major trenching condition (aka sinkhole) along a local street is repaired before the condition gets worse. Over the past few weeks, a large portion of 53rd Street just east of 16th Avenue in Boro Park sank and formed major cracks and depressions, leading to many complaints from residents. Councilman Greenfield has since been in constant communication with officials from both city agencies to make sure the work is completed as soon as possible, and has been assured that the approximately 100-foot by 12-foot area of damaged street does not pose a danger to the public in the meantime.

The issue was caused by a water main break three weeks ago along 53rd Street between 16th Avenue and 17th Avenue. Councilman Greenfield alerted the DEP to the water break, which promptly sent crews out to repair it. The DEP then hired a contractor to fill in the trench that was dug to access the water main and resurface the street.

However, in the weeks since, the normal process of settling that occurs beneath the street surface has been occurring, leading to the cracking and sinking condition drivers now face. This week, DEP officials informed Councilman Greenfield they are working with the DOT to bring the street back to code as soon as the settling process is complete, and have assured him that the street is not in danger of collapsing and is safe for drivers to travel over at reasonable speeds in the meantime.

“I am pleased that this important stretch of road will be repaired as soon as possible to eliminate this dangerous condition. I share the concerns of local drivers about the damage this sinkhole was causing to vehicles, and the fact that many drivers were swerving to avoid it. One of my top priorities is ensuring that our local infrastructure is regularly maintained and immediately repaired when necessary, so getting these repairs completed is a major focus of mine,” said Councilman Greenfield.

This stretch of 53rd Street is adjacent to a large synagogue and near the Boro Park Hatzolah Volunteer Ambulance garage on 16th Avenue. It is also a residential area that many residents drive through each day, making the current street condition a concern for many local drivers.

“I will continue to closely monitor this situation and work with the necessary city agencies until it is fixed to the standard our community deserves. My thanks to the public for reporting this situation to my office, and to the various city agencies for quickly responding to our concerns,” concluded Councilman Greenfield.

Since taking office three years ago, Councilman Greenfield has focused on addressing the community’s infrastructure and working with city agencies on necessary repairs. In recent years, he has secured funding for upgrades along parts of important local streets that were in especially poor condition, including 50th Street, Avenue P, 45th Street, 46th Street and Quentin Road. He has also worked closely with utility companies and authorities like Con Edison and Verizon on behalf of residents to request that the local infrastructure be upgraded, especially in areas of Boro Park that have historically been plagued by poor service. In addition, Councilman Greenfield meets regularly with officials from the DOT and other city agencies to improve the condition of all local streets and to increase safety and traffic flow.

Residents are encouraged to contact Councilman Greenfield’s district office at (718) 853-2704 to report any concerns or suggestions to improve safety and traffic flow around Boro Park, Midwood and Bensonhurst, or for help with any local issue.

(YWN Desk – NYC)