By Gus Saltonstall
A man was killed in October. A baby was hospitalized in November. Both incidents involved taxis driven along a four-block Upper West Side stretch.
Both elicited considerable comment from local residents who say that stretch of roadway poses significant dangers for pedestrians. But the city’s Department of Transportation says it does not meet the crash history needed to trigger DOT changes, such as adding traffic lights.
The section of blocks in question is along Riverside Boulevard from West 66th to 70th streets.
“As someone with a direct view of 66th Street and Riverside Boulevard, I witness constant disregard for the stop signs at the intersection,” Sharon Slotnick, who lives within the four-block area, told West Side Rag. “The nearby entrance to the West Side Highway and the school on our block makes the situation even more dangerous.”
Riverside Drive turns into Riverside Boulevard at West 72nd Street and then runs south adjacent to the West Side Highway until West 59th Street, where it then becomes 12th Avenue.
Upper West Side New York State Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal has been pushing to improve conditions along the Riverside Boulevard from West 66th to 70th streets, starting with the need to add a traffic light.
“I’ve been hearing from constituents for years now about the dangers on the stretch, because there are no traffic lights and cars seem to whiz by without paying attention to stop signs that are there,” Rosenthal told West Side Rag in a phone interview.
The four-block stretch is unique for more reasons than its lack of traffic lights. The corridor has a variety of elements that put pedestrians, bicyclists, cars, and children in close competition for the roadway.
It is a two-way road, meaning that there is not a passing lane for cars going in either direction, and the stretch leads to an entrance to the West Side Highway at West 72nd Street.
“Residents think people use that area as their personal raceway,” Rosenthal added in reference to the cars traveling toward the highway entrance.
In terms of added children and families in the area, there is an entrance to the Riverside South park-area at West 68th Street, a playground and public plaza just off the sidewalk on Riverside Boulevard between West 67th and 68th streets, and a pre-school and kindergarten off the corner of West 67th Street and Riverside Boulevard.
There is also a Citi-Bike station on Riverside Boulevard between West 67th and 68th streets.
Rosenthal wrote to the Department of Transportation in November of 2022 requesting two traffic lights to be installed. In response, the DOT launched a study of the string of blocks in the spring of 2023 that concluded in the summer, but reported back that they hadn’t found an issue.
Rosenthal followed up by doing a walkthrough with members of the DOT, the New York Police Department, and a local resident. Soon after, she wrote the city agency again, which agreed to restudy the area this fall to see if more kids being back at school added to the issue.
Again, though, the DOT came back with the same answer — no action needed.
“I disagree (with the DOT’s findings), and certainly my constituents also disagree,” Rosenthal said. “I feel government should be proactive and if residents notice something, we should listen to them.”
When reached for comment, the DOT reaffirmed its position of no action needed.
A person within the department told the Rag that the agency studied the location in August and found that it did not meet the vehicle volume or crash history required to warrant a traffic signal.
What does that crash history look like?
A pair of serious traffic injuries were recorded in the last two months on the Riverside Boulevard corridor, but those aren’t the only reported injury incidents in the last few years. Data from the city shows six accidents have taken place on Riverside Boulevard between West 66th and 70th streets since 2021. In those crashes, four people were injured and one was killed.
Most recently, a taxi driver hit and killed a 89-year-old pedestrian on October 26th this year at Riverside Boulevard and West 70th Street, according to police and motor vehicle collision data from the city. The cause given for the accident: “Failure to yield right-of-way.”
Less than a month later, a man and one-year-old child in a stroller were hit by a taxi four blocks away at West 66th Street and Riverside Boulevard, according to police and data from the city.
“I watch near misses daily from my window – we need DOT to take action to protect pedestrians,” said local resident Slotnick.
The reasons provided by the city for the cause of these accidents include, failure to yield the right-of-way, pedestrian confusion, and a vehicle following too closely behind another.
Five of the six incidents within the four-block stretch involved cars, while just one involved a bike.
The most common reason given by the city for the Riverside Boulevard accidents between West 66th and 70th streets?
“Driver inattention or distraction.”
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Been there since the start. Hardly anyone is doing the speed limit. And many of the drivers are looking for parking places, not paying attention to pedestrians, especially at night or now when it gets dark by 4:30pm. I’m afraid more people will get hurt, and until the city does something about it, nothing will change.
As an aside – how about putting speed bumps, two to each block? Can’t hurt.
Another causing factor is that street basically ends at a ramp to the West side Highway. And its a short cut to the ramp. Besides it doesn’t have any traffic lights to slow traffic down.
Agree, as someone who is frequently walking the neighborhood with a stroller, daylighting intersections and adding raised crosswalks to deter drivers from speeding would greatly improve pedestrian safety.
Replace the pavement with cobblestones! Ever try doing more than 20 mph on cobblestones?
I’m all for speed humps. One per block should work. Also put them on Freedom Place which has also become a racetrack.
But speed bumps and the speed humps the DOT installs are two different things. The ones NYCDOT installs are just cushions – they cause low riders to slow down considerably and unknowing drivers to slow a bit. In reality, in a modern car you can cross the speed hump at 25-30MPH relatively comfortably. A cushy SUV can cross it at 30-35mph relatively comfortably. A useful speed bump should be uncomfortable to cross at anything over 10mph and should cause a car to bottom out at 15-20mph.
So, you’re advocating adding a feature that has the potential to cause damage to a vehicle’s undercarriage, suspension, wheels and tires (cars with modern low-aspect ratio tires (40-series or lower) are particularly susceptible to wheel/tire damage from road hazards)? I’m thinking we’re probably safer if we don’t do things that might damage a vehicle and cause it to go out of control at illegal speeds.
If the price of going too fast is vehicle damage…maybe the driver should slow down?
When someone drives a car that is susceptible to damage from speed bumps, you will see them pay better attention to their travel over the speed bumps. This is the goal. You want to force legal speeds. If you plan for people to be able to safely go over the speed hump at 35mph, people will go over the speed bump at 35mph.
I live nearby and see the problems on this stretch of road all the time. Poor visibility at intersections (i.e. 69th and Riverside) due to a lack of daylighting – you fix this by removing the parking spots from the corners, and keeping them free of parked cars (not easy in this neighborhood!) Speed humps (not bumps) might also help if placed strategically. But the visibility is a big problem that needs to be solved.
I’m a pedestrian – and at least in Manhattan I don’t feel safer with “daylighting” at all.
Actually I think the removal of parking causes pedestrians to ignore the crosswalk.
Also bicyclists are constantly going through red lights and going the wrong way. And bicycles are especially dangerous to pedestrians at turns – vehicles stop to let pedestrians cross but bicycles coming whizzing around out of nowhere.
How many pedestrians have been killed by bicycles on this stretch? And how many pedestrians have been killed by cars? Do the math.
What’s the difference between a hump and a bump?
A speed hump is wider and does not produce as drastic an effect on the speed of vehicles. Easier for larger/heavier vehicles to handle, such as fire trucks and ambulances. Speed bumps are narrower and have a steeper grade, forcing drivers to slow down more than a hump does. Then there are speed cushions, which are essentially speed humps but instead of crossing the road from curb to curb, they are more like square cushions and the separation between them are spaced at a distance to match the wheel base of a fire truck so it can cross without the wheels encountering the raised asphalt.
There’s no need to remove parking. You can always add a speed bump right before the intersection so that drivers are less inclined to speed to make the light or an intersection.
I didn’t say anything about removing parking, but I do firmly believe that all intersections need daylighting. Even if there is a hump right before the intersection, the driver’s focus will be on the hump as they hit it, so they won’t be looking around to see someone about to step into the crosswalk. If you daylight an intersection, we drivers can then see a pedestrian entering the crosswalk far earlier than when a car is parked right up against the crosswalk, giving us more time to register both the presence of the pedestrian and what that pedestrian is going to do. A driver going straight in Manhattan sees little benefit from daylighting because if the driver has the green light, no one should be crossing in front, so daylighting only benefits jaywalking. But a turning driver derives great benefit from daylighting because we can then see pedestrians much earlier, as we approach the intersection, rather than first seeing them while we are already in the intersection.
Thanks Josh for the info on visibility for safe turns and different traffic calming shapes!
The problem when I am on that stretch, whichbis alnost always during daylight hours, is the trucks, Ubers, and personal cars double parked. There is a median that is then used as a driving lane. The visibility when coming around a parked boxed truck and approaching an intersection is very bad.
^^^ This. Residents are correct to think that too many drivers are using Riverside as their personal raceway… but that’s only half the problem. Residents who use Riverside as their own personal parking lot and block the only lane of traffic are equally at fault. No more illegal standing or doubleparking on Riverside, tow those vehicles and set a precedent.
“Vision Zero” doesn’t mean much anymore. Add everything to that area – lights, cameras, speed bumps!
What about all the taxis parked on 72nd and riverside in the no standing no parking zone? Why is there no enforcement?
Perfect use of “what about” – completely off-topic, irrelevant, non-sequitur, etc.
That’s for the Mosque I believe. That’s not part of the area in question, so not sure why it’s an issue.
“…not part of the area in question, so not sure why it’s an issue.”
I’m not a doctor, so I might be wrong about this, but I’d guess that a person who gets killed by a vehicle on Riverside Blvd and W 71st St is every bit as dead as one who gets killed by a vehicle on Riverside Blvd and W69th St.
That’s why it’s an issue.
Regardless whether it ss between 66 & 70th Streets, it is an issue that is ignored.
Only recently stopped pushing a stroller along this stretch, from 72 down to 62. It’s always terrifying crossing the street at commuting times (drop off and pick up) since 1. there are few cross walks, 2. drivers running the stop signs, and 3. the ebikes racing down the road / sidewalks.
Also, the lack of parking enforcement is very frustrating. Cars nearly always park in front of the ramps for strollers / wheelchairs, meaning it’s difficult to get on the street if you are encumbered. Like another post mentions, it’s also frustrating the taxis all get to park without penalty along Riverside / 72. The drivers are all visiting the Islamic center. Nothing against our friends visiting the Center, but not sure why they get a pass on illegal parking.
Bill,
That corner was relatively quiet when the Mosque first opened years ago – but the area is now much busier since the addition of Riverside South buildings, DOT traffic changes, the increase in bicycles and the increase in ecommerce delivery.
The City was well aware that taxi drivers would be using the Mosque and would be parking/standing. Remember – City DOT has also been removing parking spots.
The lane situation on that stretch is a big problem. They should ban parking on the east side of the street for those blocks, which would allow cars and trucks making stops to use the curb and avoid the need to double-park. That would help the visibility problem.
The Big Problem Here is the same problem as the big problem in many other places and contexts. Govt officials profit from what the big developers do, and the big developers profit from the access that govt officials, whom they have bought, grant them. That’s the gravy train that determines very many things in our city and in other cities.
I don’t know what to do about it. If we had pure dictatorship, the running dogs of the dictator would extract whatever they could get away with.
We need to elect politicians who make the good of the citizens their goal.
The double parking on Riverside from 70th street south to 65th has to be addressed. People leave their car in the middle of the road with reckless impunity. There is never a clear path north or south, cars are constantly weaving in and out of traffic. This must be addressed to improve safety.
We should provide ordinary citizens to opportunity to correct these problems. For example, If someone sees an illegally parked car they take a photo and send it to the police. If it is determined that a violation occured the reporter gets half the fine.
This is a great idea that’s probably very hard to implement. The average citizen has no idea how to document the offense in a way that will stand up in court. You probably know that NYC has a program like this in place for reporting idling trucks. The reporting requirements are very detailed and complex (here: https://www.nyc.gov/site/dep/environment/idling-citizens-air-complaint-program.page Scroll down to “What documentation is required…”). I’d have to think that most citizens wouldn’t bother when they see how difficult the process is.
I agree, would be great to see this happen. Would be a way for regular citizens to help traffic enforcement at low cost to the city.
My kids and I cross at 70th and Riverside every day and it is so dangerous as cars fly through the stop signs and aren’t looking for pedestrians. Why wait for more people to get hurt before making it safe?
Pretty simple. Speed bumps or traffic cops issuing tickets. Speed bumps less expensive.
Unfortunately, the limited number of traffic cops are deployed where there is much more pedestarian and vehicular traffic. Installing speed bumps would help but it’s the same problem: getting the City to acknowledge that there are sufficient violations to warrant action.
We need speed bumps.
Whenever I am in a taxi going home to 61st Street, I’m always telling the drivers to watch for people and dogs crossing and to stop at the stop signs. They say “yeah” but keep speeding.
I walk and drive on this stretch frequently. Two observations:
1. Trees obscure stop signs to southbound drivers. Solution: trim the trees.
2. On the west side of the street, there is parking south of the stop signs that obscures view by south bound drivers of pedestrians crossing in the south crosswalk and walking east. Solution: Don’t allow parking there.
These are design flaws that can easily be addressed. DOT Please fix!
We need at least SPEED BUMPS… That will slow them down.
I live around the corner on 72nd Street and garage my car in the south-facing garage on 70th between Freedom Place and Riverside Boulevard, and walk part of the stretch that is the focus of the story almost daily. While I don’t dispute the views of many who believe that cars drive too fast and disregard the stop signs, that hasn’t been my experience at all. But I do think the constant overabundance of double-parked cars is an issue. As pointed out, Riverside Boulevard is a two-way street and driving up or down it is like being on a slalom course. And it’s not just because of taxis and Ubers loading and unloading. There is a near-constant degree of the locals doing the same. I’m not blaming them. After all, they have needs, too. I don’t know what the solution is but I’m certain it’s not adding traffic lights. That will just make it worse, in my opinion.
The earlier comment, about restricting parking around building entrances on the East side of the street, makes sense for the double parking problem. It is constant and dangerous.Weaving, poor visibility around vans (and large SUVs), aggressive acceleration after stop-start blocks….all could be helped by generous “loading zone” areas in front of buildings and on corners. Endless deliveries, weekend rushes, drop off/pick ups etc. – give them all designated curb space. These buildings may be more vehicle-dependent than more central ones.. It is very treacherous just for the large numbers of busy residents activities. Then the car commuters for whom this is just a frustrating entrance ramp to their highway, not a neighborhood, make it worse. Do an early December 5 pm study – twice as crowded and dangerous as August. Or wait until Congestion Pricing pushes more drivers north of 60th Street – ugh. Plus we need an answer – do these buildings really have any jurisdiction or influence on traffic patterns or parking in these blocks? (Did this info come from G Brewer’s office?,) How could that be? Sounds like more some citizen/ action may be helpful! Keep it up, Linda Rosenthal and constituents.
One suggestion: Speed bumps. Might? accomplish a slowing of vehicles.
Before governments react, its only after a certain criteria of dead bodies. Money over peoples safety.
Or a civil disobedience there might get someone’s attention. Block the entire intersection for an hour. I certainly would participate. I’ve never seen the inside of a police van. Might be fun on a nice day.
Automated traffic cameras at all intersections with STOP signs would help a lot. Ticketing these guys will encourage them to find a different route in to and out of our city.
The least the City should do is install street bumps along the road to force drivers to slow down. Then how about adding cameras at each stop sign to ticket those who ignore the stop sign.
A simple solution: SPEED BUMPS.
What about 71st & riverside boulevard?!!!! Coming out of that cul-de-sac is a death trap bc you cannot see cars coming from 70th if you’re trying to take a left. City needs to remove three parking spaces so cars can safety turn out.
The problem is that all the visual cues give drivers the sense that this is a place where they can make a little time. The stretch reads as a parkway, not a city street. To change this, the DOT has a lot more effective tools in its toolbox than stoplights and speed bumps. We need street infrastructure like chicanes and bulbouts that force drivers to slow down and that send a clear message that this is a city street. And of course daylighting at every corner.
In January I sent a letter to Brewer when she was our council rep. about the traffic and safety issues along Riverside Boulevard. Her reply was basically just as dismissive as all the other officials noted above. She said that street is not controlled by the city but instead by the high rises along that street and there is nothing the city can do. (sound familiar – same answers as the towing problems in that neighborhood.). She said to complain to them. I just don’t understand the cities reluctance to do anything. Do you think maybe those buildings have much more influence than the neighbors? Probably.
“A person within the department told the Rag that the agency studied the location in August and found that it did not meet the vehicle volume or crash history required to warrant a traffic signal.”
Could we get a followup on this and ask DOT exactly how many kids in strollers need to be hit before they will consider taking action? What’s the number?
The worst problem is at 66th & RSB, going north. There is still a dining shed up that absolutely no one sits in. It juts into the street BLOCKING the actual stop sign. So instead there’s a child sized stop sign hung off the shed. Seriously? That’s a solution?
The DOT is as corrupt as can be. Follow the money and you’ll find the reason why there are no lights. Are 2 deaths enough? 5? 21? How many?