A stretch of sidewalk on Kermit Place, right near Coney Island Avenue, has been in rough shape for a long time. To make walking--or pushing a wheelchair or stroller--even more difficult, there's a street parking sign smack in the middle of the sidewalk. The result? People end up walking in the middle of the street. When calls to 311 did nothing, neighbors contacted NY1 to get to help get it fixed.
They were unable to contact the owner of the abandoned lot next to the sidewalk, who are the people responsible for its upkeep. However, they did manage to convince the Department of Transportation to move the parking sign by the end of the week.
It's pretty sad that reaching out to the news is often the best way to get something done (even if this isn't going to get the sidewalk fixed immediately). There must be more people can do to hold someone responsible for the state of the sidewalk. If that's not what 311 is for, then what is it for?
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