Riverdale residents push for traffic safety improvements on West 259th street
They say speeding drivers and motorists who fail to stop at intersections have made the roadway increasingly dangerous.
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Residents in Riverdale are calling for traffic safety improvements along West 259th Street.
They say speeding drivers and motorists who fail to stop at intersections have made the roadway increasingly dangerous.
Neighbors say the problems are concentrated along West 259th Street between Broadway and Riverdale Avenue, where they frequently see drivers exceeding the speed limit and rolling through stop signs at intersecting streets.
Kevin Sheridan said he has experienced the dangers firsthand after he was struck by a taxi while attempting to make a left turn.
"I wanted to make a left here, and I got hit, T-boned by a cab driver," Sheridan said.
Sheridan said the crash also led to higher insurance costs, despite not being at fault.
Residents say the downhill stretch of West 259th Street allows drivers to build up speed because there are no stop signs along the roadway itself. They say intersections throughout the corridor have become particularly hazardous as some motorists fail to come to a complete stop.
"Friday is like a rush day," resident Kevin Peters said. "People tend to just want to do things faster to get home."
Neighbors are now asking the city to install traffic-calming measures, including speed humps, additional stop signs or a traffic signal, to slow drivers and improve safety.
"The stop sign is a good idea, especially right here," Peters said.
"They need a light here. That's what I think," Sheridan added.
News 12 reached out to the New York City Department of Transportation.
It responded by saying, “Safety is NYC DOT’s top priority, and we will review any community requests at this location.”
