BrooklynSpeaks has learned that Assemblymember Hakeem Jeffries’ bill (A11431) reforming Atlantic Yards governance has passed the Corporations, Authorities and Commissions Committee.

“The BrooklynSpeaks sponsors support the new legislation and are monitoring the legislative progress closely. Today, we are beginning a public campaign to see that the legislation passes both the Assembly and the State Senate and becomes law. For the last three years, BrooklynSpeaks sponsors have advocated for transparency with respect to project governance, as well as for the involvement of the public in the decision-making process. This legislation is an important first step towards those goals,” said Jo Anne Simon, District Leader of the 52nd Assembly District. “We encourage all Brooklynites and New Yorkers concerned about accountability at Atlantic Yards to sign our online petition calling for swift passage of this legislation.”

The BrooklynSpeaks petition is available at http://www.PetitionOnline.com/reformay/petition.html.

What do Park Slope, Boerum Hill, Brooklyn Heights and Prospect Heights have in common? They all include landmark districts, they all border the Atlantic Yards Project, and they all were recently ranked among the top ten most livable neighborhoods in New York City by New York magazine.

A report released last month by the Tri-State Transportation Campaign named Atlantic Avenue the most dangerous road for pedestrians in Brooklyn with 9 deaths over the three years from 2006 to 2008. Nearby Fourth Avenue ranked third with 6 pedestrian fatalities in the same period. Both roads ranked among the most dangerous in the entire NY/CT/NJ region with Atlantic Avenue ranking third overall. With 20,000 additional car trips a day projected to be generated by the Atlantic Yards project, these numbers may get much worse.