Community Board 3 last night asked the city to look at making safety improvements at several Lower East Side intersections. The resolution approved at their monthly board meeting was prompted by a campaign from local residents concerned about pedestrian safety.
In a detailed presentation earlier this month before CB3’s transportation committee, they reported that crosswalk signals at Rivington/Columbia, Rivington/Pitt and East Houston/Columbia streets are too short. At Columbia and Rivington, for example, the signal changes after just 20 seconds. The residents pointed out that there are numerous schools, churches and senior centers in the immediate vicinity.
The effort has the support of many organizations, including Masaryk Towers, Grand Street Settlement’s Coalition of Seniors, Baruch Elders Service Team and parents of P.S. 142 and Manhattan Charter School. They presented 257 petition signatures.
Leaders of the group include William Mojica, a local resident who successfully lobbied the city to make safety improvements at Pitt and delancey streets last year. He was joined by Ted Reich and Carolyn English. CB3 is asking the DOT to conduct signal timing studies at all of the intersections mentioned above.
