MOST DANGEROUS INTERSECTIONS: FIVE UWS ‘HOT SPOTS’ SEE LARGE NUMBER OF CRASHES
Five people were injured in a February crash on 96th street between West End Avenue and Riverside Drive. Photo by Christian.
By Joy Bergmann
Capt. Marlon Larin of the 24th precinct announced at a Community Board meeting the five intersections that saw the most crashes during the period of January 1 through September 30, 2015. (This includes just the intersections in the 24th precinct, which stretches from 86th to 110th street.)
- 96th Street & West End Avenue: 26 collisions
- 96th Street & Amsterdam: 24 collisions
- 97th Street & Columbus: 24 collisions
- 100th Street & Columbus: 23 collisions
- 86th Street & Broadway: 22 collisions
“The bulk of our enforcement comes from the 96th Street corridor, it’s our biggest issue along with its evil twin, 100th Street,” said Larin. Committee co-chair Andrew Albert said CB7 was still working with New York City Department of Transportation [NYC DOT] to get better signaling at 96th & West End.
As for improving other hot spots and achieving CB7’s goal of reducing injuries by one-third in 2016, committee member Richard Robbins volunteered to help dig deeper into the statistics provided by NYPD, noting that the raw numbers do not distinguish the severity of collisions, the extent of injuries (saying “something hurts” counts as an injury whether medical attention was sought or not, according to the captain), the type of vehicle involved be it commercial, taxi, private, or details about time of day and movement of traffic. Closely looking at, say, three problematic intersections may yield insights that could improve results throughout the area, he noted.
Captain Larin pledged to continue evaluating trouble-spots and make recommendations to the NYC DOT via Traffic Intelligence Reports seeking structural improvements like improved lighting, clearer pavement markings and curb extensions. “We don’t always get what we ask for,” he said, asking CB7 to also keep DOT accountable to the community.
No DOT representatives attended the three-hour meeting.
Can we get the same stats for the lower part of UWS? 20th Precinct? ?
I use the 96th St/Broadway subway. There are 2 cops often standing on the mid plaza at the subway entrance on the south side Many cars are turning into Broadway from both WEA/95th entrance and Amsterdam entry to Bway. The drivers who are turning into Bway ignore the lights and the cops. I spoke to the cops about their not paying attention to the dangerous traffic from all sides, They do not do their job because they are talking to each other every time I am there.They were nasty, laughed, and ignored me. They do not belong in that job!
I can’t remember the last time I saw a cop give a ticket for a moving violation on the UWS. I think they think it is beneath them to do traffic duty.
So here’s a suggestion: Change the law that says that only NYC Police can give tickets for moving violations and let traffic enforcement agents have that honor. At least do a test of this concept.
I’m sure that the increased revenue from the fines would pay for the extra (wo)manpower and training.
I toured the 96 Street and West End Avenue with Helen Rosenthal after the DOT changes were made to WEA, pointing out the dangerous intersections. It was like talking to a pol interested only in her own propoganda. She talked non-stop about how older people could now cross WEA at 97 Steet using the new island for safet. Didn’t listen to a word I said however.I suggested that she stard drafting letters of condolance for upcoming pedestrians hit just crossing their own street. She referred me to the DOT.
The DOT repeated the same bs. NOBODY just standson the sidewalk for a day to observe. They do love their statistics and computers though.
I posted this on another story, but I’m gonna post it here as well in case someone who can do something is reading this:
Everyday, every single day, I see traffic violations so egregious that they could easily end in the death of a pedestrian or biker, but even if they did, these drivers would barely be fined, let alone arrested.
On a daily basis, giant trucks back up into crosswalks with human people walking (with the right of way) through them. Every day, I see trucks and school buses blow through the red lights on broadway (especially 86th and 79th) barreling through full crosswalks and yelling at the pedestrians and bikers who have the right of way. Everyday, I see things like this.
AND THERE’S MORE FOLKS:
A few weeks ago, I was crossing 87th street on the east side of Columbus and a car was driving in the bike lane, oh, and it was going north! Yes, NORTH, on Columbus. In the bike lane.
A few weeks before that, a driver crossing 86th street at Amsterdam turned the wrong direction and began driving south! She drove into the south crosswalk and people were yelling and she proceeded to back up into the intersection with crosstown traffic coming straight for her. This is actually the second time in 6 months that I’ve seen someone turn the wrong way on Amsterdam and drive through a full crosswalk. There isn;’t even a red light camera on 86th street, let alone a traffic officer.
If you’re keeping count, I, one person out of 8 million in this city, have seen three separate automobile drivers drive their cars the wrong way on a one way avenue in less than a year. Nothing is working here. Pedestrians are sitting ducks at the mercy of drivers who don’t care and are not held accountable for their incredible ineptitude.
Another intersection on the UWS that’s very dangerous is on West End Avenue and West 70th Street. An island in that intersection would solve a lot of the problems caused by traffic violations by cars and bicycles that ignore pedestrians crossing when the lights are green. An island was installed on West End Avenue and West 66th Street a few years ago and that made a big difference in safety of pedestrians crossing in that intersection.
I have suggested the very same thing u are talking about to the DOT NUMEROUS times. Plus also suggested doing something to stop the drivers from speeding down W 71st onto WEA. May as well have been talking to a brick wall.
Love how Capt Larin calls out the “evil twin,” 100th Street. He should follow up by saying “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go double park my private car on the sidewalk or in the middle of the street or wherever the hell I want in front of the 24th precinct on 100th Street.”
Amen. It kills me that there is so much crime on 100th street!
The other VERY dangerous intersection is 96 and CPW. There is no visibility turning onto 96 st from south, as traffic coming south, and maybe turning onto 96 blocks drivers views. There is a lot of traffic going into the transverse, and many people walking into the park or going to the playground
Council members Levine and Rosenthal have been unresponsive. Their districts end at 96 st.
I agree with so many of the comments below. I see so many traffic violations, speeding cars, and I’ve had a friend hit in a crosswalk on 96 st and west end while it was her turn to cross and this was not picked up by the news because thankfully she lived. Why can’t we have “all walk” crosswalk options at major intersections such as 96 and Amsterdam, 96 and west end, 86 and Broadway, etc. I know this would be likely cause more traffic and cars would have to drive slower but aren’t people’s lives worth taking a little longer to travel. It may actually encourage some people to take mass transit or bike instead of driving. (I’m not sure what the term is but what I mean is when it the light red for all directions and people can cross both ways). Also there should be a left or in some cases right turn signal (and you can ONLY turn when it is green). Most of these accidents seem to be from cars not yielding to pedistrians in crosswalks which is very scary because then how can you protect yourself as a pedestrian when you are following the rules.
I ride a scooter The intersection at West End Avenue and 79th Street is a particular nemesis. It is the rare occasion when cars do NOT run the red light going eastbound on 79th.
I have never seen a cop there giving tickets. It would be like shooting fish in a barrel.
Turning left on WEA going south I always wait at least 3-4 seconds after the light turns red so I don’t get wacked
96 Street has between West End and Riverside Drive has those gas stations where people back out without being able to see where they are going. The ought to be required to reconfigure the pumps so people can drive around in a U and come out facing traffic, or they MUST station a person on the edge of the street to signal the cars in the station when it is safe to leave — and be ticketed for every failure to do so.
As a clear demonstration of Commerce over public safety: at times there is someone stationed on the edge of the street…
…to signal the cars INTO the station to ensure maximum sales and car traffic.
Said person don’t care a whit about signalling the cars OUT of the station for safety. There’s no money in that, you know.