Sept. 8, 2017 By Tara Law
A new traffic light has gone up at the intersection of 43rd Avenue and 47th Street, in response to complaints about reckless drivers speeding down 43rd Avenue putting pedestrians at risk.
The intersection is just a block away from Little Friends Pre-K, a 56-seat school that small children and their parents walk to. It is also an intersection used by many pedestrians who walk to the 46th Street train station.
To mark the installation, Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer, representatives of the Department of Transportation and pre-school children turned out to celebrate.
“The installation of pedestrian and traffic signals at this dangerous intersection is a huge relief for the people of Sunnyside,” Van Bramer said. “After constituents voiced concerns to me of speeding cars and with a Pre-K center and major 7 train station just a block away, I met with the Department of Transportation and highlighted this intersection for the installation of traffic and pedestrian signals.”
Van Bramer noted that the need for the light has grown, with the uptick in the number of bicyclists using the roadway and the expansion of area schools. He also said that there have been16 non-fatal injuries over the course of six years at the intersection.
DOT Queens Borough Commissioner Nicole Garcia credited Van Bramer with aggressively pushing for the traffic signal and crosswalk after he was contacted by community members.
“There is nothing more important that I do as a councilman than making our neighborhoods safer for our children,” Van Bramer said.
