Broad Channel residents fear for their pedestrian safety

BY STEVE MOSCO

Tuesday, November 10, 2009 5:50 PM EST

Residents of Broad Channel, a small island community in Jamaica Bay, are calling for a new pedestrian barrier to be installed on a dangerous stretch of Cross Bay Boulevard where car accidents have become disturbingly common.

Local attorney Christina Andrea Hall and a coalition of residents have gathered more than 700 signatures on a petition calling for pedestrian barriers and staggered traffic signals from the Joseph P. Addabbo Bridge to East 4th Road to protect people walking along the dangerous boulevard.

“They built this beautiful section and then they went home,” said Hall. “They forgot to put up a barrier.”

Hall sent out the petition in April 2009 immediately following the death of Joanne Kodetsky of Broad Channel, who was walking her dog when she was fatally struck by an out-of-control car. The petition claims that at least one life is lost per year on the stretch and that there are memorials for the dead every 300 feet in both directions.

Hall believes that traffic signals should be installed at least the equivalent of every two blocks. And the barriers, she said, are necessary to protect those who use the path from oncoming vehicles.

“It’s a necessity,” she said. “When you see baby carriages and people walking, you know it’s a necessity.”

Jonathan Gaska, District Manager for Community Board 14, said that original plans had the pedestrian path pushed farther back from the roadway.

“The original plans had it closer to the bird sanctuary,” said Gaska. “But bird watchers were against it because they felt it would upset the birds.”

Gaska said the solution lies in a guardrail that would run at least a mile, and that it would come at a cost the city might not be willing pay. But the alternative could end up costing more in the long run.

“If it saves one life, then it’s probably worth it,” he said. “If there’s a lawsuit they might end up paying more to the family than they would have with the guardrail.”

“Doing nothing,” he continued, “in our minds, is not an option.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Transportation (DOT) said that safety is the agency’s top priority, and they are examining the location for ways to enhance safety for all street users.