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Cars Keep Injuring UWS Pedestrians, Despite City Crackdown
By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Mar 25, 2014
Modified Mar 25, 2014
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David Torres
By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Mar 25, 2014
Modified Mar 25, 2014
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Though the Department of Transportation and the NYPD have pledged to crack down on pedestrian deaths and injuries at dangerous Upper West Side intersections, at least 14 people were struck by drivers in the area last month, according to NYPD data.
The UWS has been the site of several recent pedestrian fatalities, including 9-year-old Cooper Stock, who was killed by a taxi driver while crossing West End Ave at 97th Street in January. That taxi driver was issue a given a citation for failure to yield, but did not have his license suspended. That same weekend, Alexander Shear, 73 was fatally struck by a tour bus driver while crossing at West 96th and Broadway, and the next week Samantha Lee, 26, was fatally struck by two drivers while crossing midblock at 96th Street between Broadway and West End Ave.
Earlier this year, the DOT proposed a number of changes to the intersection of 96th and Broadway, including limiting left hand turns, expanding pedestrian space and creating a new crosswalk. The agency has also reportedly installed a speed reader on 96th between Broadway and West End; the NYPD, which launched a massive crackdown on jaywalking pedestrians after Lee's death, says they've shifted their efforts towards cracking down on speeding drivers. "We are focusing on speeding on the less congested corridors," Capt. James Dennedy of the 24th Precinct told the Daily News.
Meanwhile, NYPD data shows that 14 people were struck by cars in the area between February 17th and March 16th. And though Mayor de Blasio has pledged to cut down on pedestrian fatalities via his Vision Zero initiative, data shows that 28 pedestrians have been killed thus far this year.
Tagged
department of transportation
dot
nypd
Upper West Side
uws
vision zero
west 96th street
Rebecca Fishbein
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