By Helen Klein
For a full 10 blocks, motorists can cruise along Colonial Road, only stopping once for a traffic control device. That is an all-way stop at Colonial Road and 80th Street, installed by the city’s Department of Transportation (DOT) in February, 2005. This situation, says Representative Vito Fossella, needs to be looked at. The strip between 76th and 86th Streets, he notes, has been the site of numerous accidents over the years – reason enough for DOT to do a study to determine whether the addition of traffic lights or stop signs at any of the intersections could be beneficial. Most recently, on January 16th, there was a two-car accident at the intersection of Colonial Road and 83rd Street, Fossella pointed out. “Overall,” he remarked during a phone interview, “Colonial Road has been a reason for concern. I think the prime focus should be on safety. Though we can never prevent all accidents, we have to be concerned about the park and the school nearby, and how we can enhance public safety.” A study, Fossella wrote in a letter to Iris Weinshall, the commissioner of DOT, “Will help determine whether traffic mitigation devices are needed on the roadway and, if so, the most effective way to enhance safety for local residents. “The DOT has been innovative in recent years, developing solutions to address similar traffic problems in other parts of the city,” he continued. “A study of the roadway is long overdue, especially when you consider that Russell Pederson Park and Fort Hamilton High School are in the area. I believe we have an opportunity to develop a plan that will protect residents and children without impeding the orderly flow of traffic.” Kirk Tzanides, the former chairperson of Community Board 10, has lived near the intersection of Colonial Road and 83rd Street for just short of a year. In that time, he said, “I’ve already witnessed two accidents at that intersection. Cars just come barreling down at all hours. I’ve told my kids never to stand near that intersection, because I’m always afraid a car is going to jump the curb.” Indeed, he added, recently one car had done just that. “It’s definitely a dangerous intersection,” Tzanides opined. Chris Gilbride, a spokesperson for DOT, confirmed that the agency had received Fossella’s letter, and would be acting on it. “We are going to study the stretch,” Gilbride reported. “Specifically,” he added, “we are gong to do signal studies at 83rd Street and 85th Street. Certainly, we are going to look into it.”
