MTR 309, Safety Advances on Queens Boulevard

Issue 309

March 19, 2001

Safety Advances on Queens Boulevard

The New York City Department of Transportation announced another improvement for pedestrians who cross Queens Boulevard last week: longer walk times during peak traffic hours. Coupled with the Department's recent announcement of additional red light cameras and an ongoing increase in police presence, the agency seems to be moving away from its previous policy of blaming pedestrians for being hit by cars (MTR #308).

The lights will now be timed so that pedestrians have 60 seconds instead of 40 seconds to cross the Boulevard. The elderly -who live alongside the boulevard at a higher rate than the city's average - walk at 3.6 feet per second according to City DOT studies. The timing change will allow them to make it across Queens Boulevard in one light cycle at every intersection except at Yellowstone Boulevard.

According to a City DOT report released in the summer of 2000, speeding and lack of adequate time to cross the avenue were the two largest causes of accidents. So, the next short-term goal for the agency is clear: slow cars down. In the longer term, the agency should widen medians (some of which are only 4 feet) and install mid-block crossings.