The intersection of 4th Avenue and 9th Street has historically acted as a connector between industrial Gowanus and residential Park Slope. With its current emphasis on automobile traffic, it is a 20th Century intersection in a 21st Century world: cars travel at excessive speeds down overly wide streets, putting both pedestrians and bicyclists at risk of injury or death. Instead, we envision the future of this intersection moving at a human pace; a sustainably designed intersection where pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles can co-exist safely.

Our re-design of the intersection has three objectives: 1) slow traffic; 2) make the intersection safer for both pedestrians and bicyclists; and 3) maintain the viability of the intersection as a transit hub and node on the local truck route.
In order to slow traffic, a through lane was eliminated in each direction, vehicle lanes were narrowed, and rumble strips were added on both streets. On 4th Avenue left turn lanes were lengthened to better accommodate large trucks and improve traffic flow.

At the intersection, bulb-outs narrow the roadway and provide pedestrian waiting space, raised crosswalks act as speed bumps, and non-conventional design forces drivers to slow down and focus more on their surroundings when navigating through the intersection. Advanced pedestrian and bicycle signals were added to give priority to these users over automobile traffic. Medians were added on 9th Street to act as a pedestrian refuge. These medians have curb ramps to accommodate all users and are sufficiently wide to comply with ADA regulations.

To increase cyclist safety, a bi-directional bicycle lane was added on 9th Street, with a 3.5 foot wide raised median both separating cyclist and car traffic and eliminating double parking in the bicycle lane. This “smart” median is designed to facilitate drainage of water and snow and reduce salt usage, while incorporating trees and greenery. To facilitate safer turns for bicyclists onto 4th Avenue, a bike box was placed in the right northbound lane of 4th Avenue at the intersection.

Two new subway entrances were added on 4th Avenue south of the intersection both to maintain the viability of the transit hub and to increase pedestrian connectivity.

Unused space under the elevated subway station was transformed into a lively and inviting meeting point to complement the existing transit node, with streetscape improvement measures, newsstands and secure bike locker facilities. The façade of the station has been given a “living wall” treatment, aiding in energy conservation, insulation, noise reduction, and pollution mitigation, while simultaneously beautifying the area.

By implementing these physical changes to the landscape, we have aimed to create a balance between users of the intersection, resulting in a safe, green, and viable intersection for the 21st Century.