By Bill Parry
It took more than a year and a half and dozens of letters and phone calls, but state Sen. Jose Peralta (D-Jackson Heights) will finally get a crossing guard replaced near PS 206 in Rego Park.
The NYPD Transportation Unit announced last Friday the 112th Precinct had finally assigned a crossing guard to the dangerous intersection of Junction Boulevard and Horace Harding Expressway, just south of the Long Island Expressway.
“There’s simply no substitute for the direct, hands-on traffic control and help that a crossing guard provides,” Peralta said. “There’s no question that there are a number of dangerous intersections in the area, with the LIE, Queens Boulevard, Junction Boulevard and the Horace Harding Expressway all intersecting or running parallel to each other in close proximity.”
Peralta explained that hundreds of children and parents navigate the dangerous crossways, making their way from LeFrak City to PS 206, at 61-02 98th St. The intersection saw 24 pedestrianinjuries between August 2011 and February 2014, according to Juan Martinez, of the advocacy group Transportation Alternatives.
“It’s very heartening to see the city respond with a crossing guard there,” Martinez said. “The mayor’s Vision Zero plan should lead us to expect immediate action at these problematic intersections.”
The new crossing guard will be hired in early June, according to a Peralta spokesman.
Meanwhile, Mayor Bill de Blasio is applauding the state Senate for passing a bill Wednesday that will add 140 speed cameras in the city, a major part of his Vision Zero plan, now pending the approval of Governor Cuomo.
“With the Senate’s vote today, our lawmakers have put forward a powerful commitment to protect our children from dangerous speeding cars on our city’s streets,” de Blasio said. “This bill will bring us a critical step closer to achieving this administration’s goal of zero pedestrian deaths in New York City.”
Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparry@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4538.
