Queens Boulevard was recently named one of the most dangerous roads in downstate New York.
As Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration focuses on dramatically decreasing pedestrian fatalities throughout the city, Queens residents are urging city officials to bring relief to the borough – particularly to major thoroughfares recently named as some of the state’s most dangerous places for walkers.
The Tri-State Transportation Campaign, a nonprofit policy watchdog organization, said in a new analysis of statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that Woodhaven Boulevard, Northern Boulevard, Queens Boulevard, and Union Turnpike were the most dangerous in the borough for pedestrians. Additionally, the group reported that these four major roads were some of the most dangerous in the entire downstate region.
The new analysis found there were 115 pedestrian deaths in Queens from 2010 through 2012 – during which time there were 683 pedestrians killed on roads in the 12 downstate New York counties. Overall, 1,236 pedestrians were killed in the tri-state region during the same time period.
Between 2010 and 2012, there were eight pedestrians killed on Woodhaven Boulevard, five on Northern Boulevard, five on Queens Boulevard, and five on Union, according to the report.
“These findings make it clear once again that we need to redesign our most dangerous arterial corridors,” said Paul Steely White, executive director of Transportation Alternatives. “We can save lives by building complete streets with protected bike lanes, wider sidewalks and pedestrian safety islands.”
De Blasio this week unveiled his detailed “Vision Zero” report that is part of a citywide initiative to significant curb pedestrian deaths, and the mayor has said he aims to bring that number down to zero within a decade. The plan includes decreasing the citywide speed limit and redesigning roads that community members and city officials label as particularly worrisome.
De Blasio’s plan “must also include more consistent traffic enforcement, more thorough crash investigations, and home rule, so we can lower speed limits and increase the used of speed cameras,” White said. City officials said all of these are part of the mayor’s initiative.
While the Queens roadways were labeled as the most dangerous in the borough, it was Suffolk County that had the most dangerous road for pedestrians in the entire downstate area – as well as the tri-state region, according to the analysis. There were a reported 16 pedestrian fatalities on the county’s Route 25 – otherwise known as Jericho Turnpike – between 2010 and 2012, with half of those deaths occurring with the 11.5 mile stretch from Centereach to Ridge.
While decreasing deaths is a daunting prospect, transportation advocates said it can certainly be accomplished.
“Pedestrian fatalities are tragic but they can be prevented,” Campaign Staff Analyst Renata Silberblatt said. “Complete streets policies have to move from passage to implementation of more life saving traffic calming projects on roads throughout New York.”
By Anna Gustafson
