By Phil Corso
A confusing intersection in Flushing spurred the interest of a northeast Queens legislator hoping to make the area safer for drivers.
State Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) took to the streets last week along a section of 32nd Avenue, where he said three separate consecutive intersections between Higgins Street and Farrington Street have the word “Stop” etched into the pavement without any physical signs alerting motorists. The lawmaker called on the city Transportation Department to act quickly in addressing the dangerous conditions before there is a serious incident.
“The DOT has created a very dangerous situation here and they only have themselves to blame,” Avella said. “Why have ‘Stop’ pavement markings, but no ‘Stop’ signs?”
Drivers making their way down 32nd Avenue typically obey the “Stop” markers, but still approach them with some hesitation and confusion, Avella said. Without the actual signs marking each intersection, the senator said drivers appear unsure of which actions to take and that make for unsafe driving conditions.
“The only thing this does is create confusion for drivers, which leads to hazardous traffic conditions,” Avella said. “I have driven along this road many times recently and can attest to the fact that these missing stop signs cause real trouble for drivers.”
A spokesman for the DOT said there was no immediate threat at the intersections in question since there have not been any serious accidents there to date. Avella argued, however, that it was only a matter of time.
After hearing concerns from various constituents, Avella said he got in touch with the DOT in hopes of seeing some movement on the issue. Instead, he was told the complaint he helped file with the city was closed because the agency could not identify a problem at the intersections.
“This is just an accident waiting to happen and the DOT needs to address this issue as soon as possible,” Avella said.
Reach reporter Phil Corso by e-mail at pcorso@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4573.
