The New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) will install a pedestrian ramp and other safety improvements at the notoriously dangerous intersection of Stanhope Street and Fairview Avenue in Ridgewood.
In a letter sent to Councilmember Robert Holden, the DOT revealed they had the intention to add more safety measures after installing a crosswalk at the intersection last summer.
“In the summer of 2022, the DOT approved and implemented an all-way stop, adding crosswalks to the intersection with the intention of following with additional improvements in concrete in 2023,” the letter reads.
Holden, whose office sent a letter to the DOT requesting an additional pedestrian ramp at that intersection, stated that this safety measure was much needed in the community.
“The redesign of Stanhope Street and Fairview Street is a much-needed improvement that will benefit our community for years. Working collaboratively with residents and the DOT, we successfully advocated for safer park and high school access,” Holden said.
The intersection, which sits outside Grover Cleveland Park, grew a reputation among residences over the years for being difficult to cross due to the incoming traffic. QNS reported that in 2019 an older man died while trying to cross the intersection.
A crosswalk was installed at the intersection last year thanks to the advocacy of Crosswalk Fantasy, an organization formed to make the junction of Stanhope Street and Fairview Avenue safer through their petition, which gained 600 signatures.
The group told QNS that they were happy the DOT finally added the ramp and that they would continue to advocate for more safety measures in the neighborhood.
“We received word from the DOT that the pedestrian ramp will be installed next month, and we’re absolutely thrilled to see this project through. Our greatest hope is for the DOT to make it easier to install safety measures throughout our neighborhood by listening to the voices of the people whose lives are affected by these matters,” a statement from Crosswalk Fantasy said.
Holden thanked everyone involved who helped make this a reality.
“This accomplishment is a testament to our community’s dedication, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have contributed to this effort,” Holden said.
