Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder, center at podium, state Sen. Joe Addabb Jr., left of Goldfeder, and Councilman Eric Ulrich, right of Goldfeder, join civic leaders and parents to call on the city Department of Transportation to address what they said is a litany of problems plaguing the streets surrounding PS 232.
Photo by Anna Gustafson
Crowding around the streets outside Lindenwood’s PS 232 that residents said have long been a notoriously dangerous area for pedestrians – particularly the hundreds of young students who flood the site almost daily during the school year – elected officials and civic leaders said at a press conference Friday that they would continue to raise their voices until the city addressed the problem-plagued streets that they called a disaster waiting to happen.
“We want change now,” Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D-Rockaway Park) said during last week’s event, which drew dozens of parents and students who all agreed that action is needed around the intersection of 83rd Street and 153rd Avenue.
“If we can’t do the most fundamental thing – make our children safe – then, as a city, state, and country, we are failing,” Goldfeder continued.
For years, lawmakers, school officials, civic leaders, and parents have advocated for relief on the streets outside PS 232, but little has been done. About two weeks ago, three family members were hit by a car at the intersection, which is located by the busy Lindenwood Shopping Center, but they fortunately were not seriously injured. However, Goldfeder, state Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Howard Beach), and Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) stressed that they believed it was merely a matter of time before a tragedy occurs.
Parents, lawmakers, and civic leaders said they are particularly concerned about the safety of PS 232 students, pictured here, who have to navigate often congested streets outside the school.
Photo by Anna Gustafson
“We cannot afford to wait until, God forbid, one of these innocent children is mowed down,” Ulrich said.
The three elected officials and civic leaders are asking the city Department of Transportation to conduct a thorough investigation of the roadways surrounding the school and explore the possibility of installing a pedestrian crosswalk and speedbump to protect children and families.
Nicole Garcia, a spokesperson for the city DOT, said that, “safety is the DOT’s first priority, and the agency is currently studying the area around the school for speed bumps and other possible measures to enhance safety.”
“DOT’s safety education division also recently conducted a semester-long program with students on street safety,” Garcia continued. “We look forward to working with the community on our shared goal of making this area safer for everyone, especially using these streets daily.”
Still, elected officials said they have been frustrated with the lack of action around the school.
“The battle has been constant and led up to the unacceptable accident that affected local parents and their child,” Addabbo said. “We need to band together and start preventing accidents, not reacting to them.”
Barbara McNamara, of the Howard Beach-Lindenwood Civic, agreed with the lawmakers, saying, “we need action, and we need it now.”
“We’re asking the DOT to respond immediately, not with studies but with action,” she said.
Ulrich noted that if the city does not sufficiently address the community’s safety concerns, he would back closing the route around PS 232 during school hours in an effort to protect students.
“If we have to close this to ensure no child is put in a dangerous situation, that’s what we are prepared to do,” Ulrich said.
Elected officials too stressed that there are measures that could be immediately implemented, including speed radar and reinstating a crossing guard.
By Anna Gustafson
