Downtown Brooklyn pedestrian plaza drawing community praise

The pedestrian plaza at the corner of Hoyt and Schermerhorn streets in Downtown Brooklyn is nearing completion. The 17 by 70-foot plaza, which includes a pedestrian area secluded from traffic, along with bike paths and plantings, took just a $5,000 investment from the city to complete. Even so, the advocacy group Transportation Alternatives, is saying that the small investment is making a big difference in the neighborhood. “It’s some much-needed room to breathe on a very crowded sidewalk,” Wiley Norvell, a group spokesperson, said. “Previously, this is space that was sitting under parked cars the entire day while pedestrians squeezed onto a few feet of sidewalk.” The project will be completed and opened to the public ahead of schedule, according to the Department of Transportation.