Report: trees blocking road signage and traffic lights

If one New York State Senator gets his way Queens’ drivers will no longer have to fight tree branches just to see the rules of the road.
Senator George Onorato sent a letter to Mayor Michael Bloomberg recently asking him to make sure trees are not blocking street signs in Queens. Onorato wrote that it has become a major problem in his district and he knows of at least three car crashes that were caused by drivers being unable to see road signs and lights.
“I myself drive around and you can’t see the damn lights,” Onorato said.
Onorato recalled stopping at an accident along 24th Avenue where one of the drivers told him he could not see the lights. He said numerous citizens have contacted his office complaining about trees blocking signs and invading sidewalks.
“It should be a priority,” Onorato said. “Traffic lights should not be obstructed.”
However, Onorato admitted he has seen branches that were blocking lights being trimmed along Ditmars Boulevard in the past few weeks.
Onorato said if a citizen calls to have a tree trimmed because it is blocking a sidewalk or a traffic sign the wait can be years long. He also wants to make sure that under Bloomberg’s plan to plant more trees in the city, the locations of the new trees are planned so they do not block the lights.
According to Abby Lootens, spokesperson for the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation, pruning of trees is done by the city an entire city block at a time. However, she called trees blocking traffic lights “a top priority.”
She added the department also works with the Department of Transportation to locate a better position for the sign if necessary.
If residents know of blocked traffic lights, they may contact Onorato’s district office at 718-726-2036 and they will pass the message along to the mayor’s office or they can call 3-1-1.