Crossing Cross Bay Boulevard should be safer than crossing the bay itself. There’s no swimming involved, you can see the bottom, there’s a clearly-marked path you’re meant to follow. Safety should be a no-brainer.
Sadly, we’re not so sure if that’s the case. Of particular concern is the intersection of Cross Bay Boulevard and 157th Avenue.
So far this year, there have been six accidents at that intersection, according to the NYPD. It’s only the first full week of March – so that’s almost one a week. Doesn’t that figure seem just a little bit high? Call us crazy, but we don’t think one should be able to mark each new episode of The Office with another car accident.
Of those six accidents, four resulted in some type of injury – so it’s not as if we’re counting a little friendly nudging while trying to park as an accident. These were serious motor vehicle accidents.
Nearly one accident resulting in injury a week? Really? We’re okay with this?
Residents have complained that there isn’t enough time to get all the way across the boulevard. Yes, there is a countdown clock, but it begins counting down almost as soon as the walk signal first appears, and there is no median on which a person could safely stand and wait. What’s the use of an impossible countdown? It’s like when Lucy took the football away from Charlie Brown, only this time she’s behind the wheel of a truck.
There is an obvious problem at this intersection. An accident a week – or even almost every week – is just unacceptable. Pedestrians should feel safe crossing local streets. Even busy local streets.
Queens learned a hard lesson when Queens Boulevard gradually became known as the Boulevard of Death, due to the high number of motor vehicle accident fatalities along it.
Do we really need to learn that same lesson again?
Doesn’t the Department of Transportation have anyone keeping an eye out for dangerous driving conditions? Shouldn’t it? What about the police, or the ambulances? Surely someone must notice when they keep getting called to the same spot time and time again.
Queens already has one Boulevard of Death. Let’s not make it two.
