New York city DOT just notified us that this coming spring, it will change the timing of the left turning light for the 57th street westbound traffic from the beginning of the green cycle where cars conflict with pedestrians to the end of the green cycle which minimizes the conflicts .
This is terrific news for this intersection which is so dangerous. There were 144 Collisions over 29 months at 9th Avenue and W57th Street with 19 pedestrian/bicyclists injuries (NYPD stats).
It was not easy: CHEKPEDS had identified this measure called a lagging green turn arrow, as critical in November 2003 and has advocated for it at every chance ever since. In the Hell’s Kitchen Traffic Study, in the Senior DOT study and in the Westside Study that covered 57th Street.
Dan Leers, member of the CHEKPEDS board, took the lead last year on elevating this issue, with a letter to the DOT, a CB4 letter to the DOT, and a Council Member Gale Brewer’s letter to the DOT on this matter. You can imagine how many phone calls had to be made to get a result.
Bravo to Dan for his persistence and let’s keep an eye on this change. We want to see it installed before we celebrate.