Left Turn from Utica onto President Now Forbidden

The NYC Dept. of Transportation has enacted a minor new regulation that is likely to have a significant impact on the commute routes of Crown Heights’ residents: A left turn from Utica Avenue onto President Street is now forbidden between the hours of 7:00am and 7:00pm.

The reason for the regulation is likely due to the heavy traffic in both directions on Utica Ave. during those hours. Drivers wishing to make the left turn off Utica often have to wait inside the intersection for traffic to ease in the oncoming direction, which can impede the flow of traffic.

Crown Heights residents returning home from areas to the southeast of the neighborhood, such as JFK Airport, the Ohel and the Five towns, will likely be most affected by the change.

12 Comments

  • crazy

    why dont they make a left turning lane like they did at crown street and get rid of the bus lane

  • eastern pkwy/junction

    now we have to go up to eastern pkwy which is a lot more traffic or go down to crown and then up troy to go to president st, crazy, are they locking us into utica ave. what next????

  • Turn it into a one way!

    One solution would be buses only on Utica between President and Eastern Parkway in both directions.

    Second would be to convert Utica between Eastern Parkway and Empire Blvd to allow only one direction of traffic.

    Disallowing the left turn doesn’t solve the problem. A lot of the traffic pattern changes are being made by people that don’t regularly use the routes. They should be required to travel through the routes for 30 days at all times of the day before making changes.

  • appreciated one

    To the Crazy,,,,,

    Not from NY originally having seen the way “normal ppl” drive in many other states,,,
    then coming here in the 5 Towns, (haha where do I start from on this one here.)
    NY drivers are one of the most in considerate selfcentered obnoxious drivers I’ve seen anywhere, Drivers dont give a dam about anything or anyone else, drivers speeding constantly beeping like its the law to do so, on a fraction of a second as any light changes green, drivers hurrying to get no where at all, ppl carelessly cross in the middle of the street, and viciously scream at cars as if its their right of way when it says “dont walk” …… I can go on and on but its useless,

    I dont blame the DOT for any stringent implications they do here, its utterly disgusting,

    you made you bed now sleep in it

  • No left at all

    Basically if you don’t make a left on crown you will be forced to drive all the way to St Johns since there’s no left on President and Eastern parkway

  • rz

    at that section of utica, it is very narrow. most likely there is no room for a turning lane.

  • malca b

    as of now, you can NOT turn left off Utica from:
    Empire Blvd
    President St
    Eastern Pkwy

    the only place to make the turn is at Crown St

    you can go to rochester ave and make any left turn – its has made rochester very congested whereas before it was busy but not all day long

    you cant turn right from brooklyn ave on leffters during schools hours, they should do the same at president – not turns from like 7-10am and 4-7pm – rush hour

    jsut my 2c

  • Abba

    Make a left turn arrow for maybe 20 or 30 seconds.otherwise no turns.same for eastern pkwy.