Residents Ask for Safer Streets Around Schools at Pedestrian Safety Summit

Over the weekend, Make Queens Safer, Congressman Joseph Crowley and Assembly Member Francisco Moya hosted a pedestrian safety summit to discuss the rash of pedestrian deaths and street accidents in Queens. Streetsblog shares a recap of the event, where residents pushed hardest for safer streets near schools. According to Streetsblog, “Dozens of Queens schools have been designated as priority locations in DOT’s Safe Routes to Schools program, for example, but most have not received street redesigns as a result.” Residents also wished for additional crossing guards and more leading pedestrian intervals near schools. The DOT already identified I.S. 230 in Jackson Heights as a “Safe Routes to Schools” priority location, but that followed a pedestrian death that happened in the area last week. As the president of the I.S. 230’s parent-teacher association told Streetsblog, traffic safety efforts shouldn’t happen only after someone dies.

Make Queens Safer plans to ask parents to take a driver safety pledge in the near future. The organization will also attend a meeting with DOT and community board managers later this week to discuss traffic safety.

In Queens, Parents Push for Safer Streets Near Schools [Streetsblog]