Brooklyn resident and musical comedian Andrew Rose Gregory, known for the internet‑famous Gregory Brothers, has used his viral song to highlight the long‑standing congestion at Exit 31 (Wythe Avenue) on the westbound Brooklyn‑Queens Expressway. The off‑ramp merges directly onto a local street that ends at a traffic signal, causing backups that spill onto the highway and frustrate commuters daily.
Song goes viral, community reacts
Gregory, who lives in Clinton Hill, posted the tongue‑in‑cheek video earlier this month. In the clip he jokes, “Hundreds of thousands of people live in Bed‑Stuy, Crown Heights, Fort Greene, downtown Brooklyn and Clinton Hill, and a lot of people have to drive by this every day. The exit snarls up the whole road. The traffic over here is miserable.” The catchy tune quickly amassed thousands of views and comments, with many residents expressing relief that a light‑hearted approach drew attention to a serious traffic issue.
“People really connected with it emotionally,” Gregory said. “They were pleasantly surprised that I actually offered a clear improvement in the second half of the song.”
State Department of Transportation plans
During a community board meeting in 2025, the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) outlined a multi‑phase project to alleviate the bottleneck. The plan calls for a physical barrier to separate the off‑ramp from the adjacent Williamsburg Street West, a widening of the exit lane, and an optimization of the traffic signals at the merge point. According to the NYSDOT project portal, the effort remains in development, with construction slated for completion in 2028 or 2029. No official start date has been posted.
Local drivers voiced mixed feelings. “We try to be very patient and wait there, but it would be nice if they would do something,” said Brooklyn resident Ryan Vereen. The NYSDOT responded that more details will be shared soon, indicating that the agency is actively working on the design and environmental review stages.
Why the improvement matters for families and commuters
For many Brooklyn families, the Exit 31 choke point adds unnecessary travel time to daily commutes, school runs, and errands. Reducing the backup not only eases frustration but also supports local businesses that rely on smooth traffic flow. The proposed changes align with broader state efforts to modernize aging infrastructure while preserving the character of neighborhoods like Williamsburg.
Gregory hinted that a second version of his Exit 31 song is in the works, promising to keep the conversation alive until the construction is underway.
What’s next?
Residents are encouraged to stay informed through community board updates and the NYSDOT project portal. As the design phase progresses, public input may shape final details such as lane widths and signal timing. For now, the viral song has succeeded in turning a routine traffic jam into a community‑wide discussion about practical solutions.
Original reporting: Brookhaven News – ABC7 New York — read the source article.
