State Senator Michael Gianaris, Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer joined by Dutch Kills residents and community leaders, including George Stamatiades, called on the city Department of Transportation (DOT) to demand traffic safety improvements for the area.Photo Jason D. AntosState Senator Michael Gianaris, joined by Councilmember Jimmy Van
Bramer, rallied local residents and community leaders at a particularly
dangerous Dutch Kills intersection in Long Island City to demand traffic
safety improvements for the area. Residents of Dutch Kills have grown
concerned over increasingly unsafe traffic conditions in their
neighborhood, citing a need for traffic control infrastructure and for
enforcement of existing traffic laws. In a letter to the Department of
Transportation, the senator urged the DOT to take immediate action.
“As Dutch Kills grows with the rest of Western Queens, the city must
ensure that its priority remains the safety of neighborhood residents,”
said Gianaris. “Too many accidents have occurred due to traffic planning
that has not kept up with increased strains on our infrastructure.
Immediate action needs to be taken to make our streets safer.”
Residents have observed and documented numerous car accidents in
recent weeks that might have been prevented by simple traffic safety
improvements like additional stop signs or curb extensions and stronger
enforcement of existing traffic laws.
Although none of the accidents have caused any injuries, the senator
believes that the area must be made safer before a serious injury does
occur.
“It is imperative that we alleviate issues with traffic congestion in
Dutch Kills and implement additional safety measures for the residents
and families of the neighborhood,” said Van Bramer, “My office has been
successful in securing additional resources to improve safety for the
hundreds of students who walk to and from school throughout the year. We
have also helped address issues with vehicles that have presented
hazards to pedestrians blocking sidewalks and putting pedestrians’ lives
at risk. I urge the Department of Transportation to hear our concerns
and develop solutions that will ensure the safety of the thousands of
pedestrians, motorists and cyclists who travel within this neighborhood
every single day.”
Gianaris and Van Bramer have begun circulating a petition calling for these safety improvements to be implemented.
