Advocates raise hazard sign for deadly intersection in The Hub
TransAlt told News 12 it has advocated for the implementation of curb extension, daylighting, and raised sidewalks at this corner.
A joint study of collision data by the advocacy organizations Transportation Alternatives (TransAlt) and Families for Safe Streets found that Bronx residents are more likely to be in a traffic crash than New Yorkers who live in any other borough. On Tuesday, cyclists will bike across the South Bronx in honor of the lives lost, making stops at intersections like East 149th Street and Brook Avenue where a man hit by an MTA bus and died in February.
The 57-year-old cyclist and the bus collided when sources close to the investigation say the driver allegedly made a prohibited turn. Two months later in April, at the same intersection, a fender bender turned into an alleged assault—then an FDNY ambulance hit the victim and left without stopping. The driver was placed on modified duty, according to FDNY.
TransAlt told News 12 it has advocated for the implementation of curb extension, daylighting, and raised sidewalks at this corner.
“There really isn't enough space for pedestrians.” said Alexa Sledge with Transportation Alternatives said. She said Bronx cyclists with the organization refer to The Hub where this busy corridor sits as the “Times Square of The Bronx. “There's all of these really simple and quick fixes that could be done here that would save lives, and they haven't happened.”
The NYC Department of Transportation said in a statement: “All New Yorkers deserve safe streets; that’s why in 2020 NYC DOT completed a redesign of the E.149th Street corridor with a focus on improving bus speeds while also calming traffic, and the project has reduced pedestrian injuries by nearly 35 percent across the corridor. The intersection of E.149th Street and Brook Avenue received safety upgrades including no left turn restrictions and we continue to monitor the success of this project.”
Sources say the agency is exploring the possibility of raised crosswalks and sidewalk extensions.
