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Finally: Sweeping Safety Improvements Planned For Dangerous Delancey Street
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Feb 8, 2012
Modified Feb 8, 2012
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Gothamist
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Feb 8, 2012
Modified Feb 8, 2012
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The Department of Transportation will announce initiatives to improve safety along Delancey Street at a special meeting of Community Board 3 tonight. Four people familiar with the project told DNAinfo that the changes will include wider sidewalks, different signal timing, and improved traffic patterns. "We're going to see significant safety improvements on Delancey Street in months, not years," State Senator Daniel Squadron said. "This is a quick and dramatic proposal."
Last month, 12-year-old Dashane Santana was killed crossing Delancey Street near the mouth of the Williamsburg Bridge, the latest fatality on a street that is one of the most dangerous for pedestrians in the city. Squadron, along with other state and municipal representatives, formed the Delancey Street Safety Working Group, and last month Sheldon Silver asked the DOT to place crossing guards along the corridor. It's unclear if that will be part of the DOT's initiative.
By increasing the size of the sidewalks, the DOT will shorten crosswalks on Essex Street, Chrystie Street, and Forsyth Street, but Clinton Street's will be impacted the most, as it will shrink from 125 feet to 75 feet. Some parking will be eliminated, and cars traveling on the westbound service road off the Williamsburg Bridge will be forced to turn onto Clinton.
"The proposal we will present tonight is the most concerted effort that’s ever been brought to bear on Delancey Street and will really help to elevate safety on the Lower East Side," the DOT's Commissioner, Janette Sadik-Khan noted in a statement.
For a look at just how dangerous the intersection of Delancey Street and Clinton Street is for pedestrians and cyclists, check out DNAinfo's interactive comparison of that intersection with other major intersections in New York City. For instance, people are given 22 seconds to cross 10 lanes of traffic on Delancey, but 32 seconds to cross 6 lanes of traffic at Broadway and Canal.
Tagged
cyclists
daniel squadron
delancey street
Lower East Side
pedestrian fatalities
pedestrian safety
pedestrians
traffic
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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