This intersection needs an intervention!
The city must paint crosswalks and put in a traffic light at a dangerous three-way crossing on 86th Street where double-parked cars, speeding bicyclists and drivers, and view-blocking buses make stepping off the sidewalk a life-threatening experience, residents say.
“I have helped my customers cross the street to go to the supermarket on the other side,” said Andrea Estevas, owner of the Bay Diner Cafe located near the intersection at Gelston Avenue, who says she has seen three car accidents there since moving into the space last October.
Pedestrians say they sometimes have to wait more than five minutes before traffic yields to them, and that the closest crosswalk — more than 100 feet away — is not easily accessible to the large senior community in Bay Ridge.
And some parents who bring their children to the neighborhood martial arts center said it is challenging to get their children across the street during the post-work rush hours.
“I won’t let my kids cross this street by themselves,” said Sandy Selmani, 38, parent of two preteens who take classes there.
The city says there have been 16 injury-causing accidents at the intersection since 2007, with two of those accidents resulting in severe injuries.
Part of the problem, residents say, is that the city installed a mid-block crosswalk on 86th Street a block and a half away to serve shoppers near the Century 21 Department store, but ignored the Gelston Avenue problem.
“That [Gelston Avenue] intersection is very dangerous, because it has no light and no crosswalk,” said Mohammed Osman, 37, who manages a food truck on the corner of 86th St. and Gelston Ave.
Drivers see a problem at the intersection as well, complaining that pedestrians often dart into the street from between cars, causing motorists to stop short, ultimately causing fender benders or more serious accidents. The B1, S53, S79, and S93 city buses also conceal pedestrians from oncoming traffic.
Of course, drivers are shielded from pedestrians by their cars, and it is pedestrians who are the most vulnerable when stepping off the sidewalk.
“Some cars are nice and stop, and some cars are jerks and keep going,” said Ridgite Giovanna Pena, a mother of two small children crossing there last week. “The bus driver was really nice today because he saw it was a lot of traffic.”
The Department of Transportation said it will look into establishing a crosswalk at the intersection.
“DOT will evaluate the location for any additional traffic control devises or safety enhancements,” said a department spokeswoman.
