Eerie Parallel to ‘Boulevard of Death’
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Re ”It’s Getting a Lot Harder to Cross Delancey” (Nov. 23): The traffic and pedestrian ills of Delancey Street sound eerily similar to those of Queens Boulevard. A few years back, I was involved in a study for the city’s Department of Transportation aimed at reducing pedestrian accidents along the so-called boulevard of death. Recommendations focused mostly on ”behavioral control,” like installing decorative fencing along medians (to prevent midblock crossings), longer green signals (to give the elderly ample time to cross) and timing the signals to allow traffic to proceed at less than 45 miles an hour. I suspect that the Delancey Street traffic study will yield similar results. It’s unfortunate that traffic engineers must sometimes resort to measures that limit pedestrian mobility. But safety should always prevail over a little shoe leather and personal inconvenience. More : query.nytimes.com |