Tag Archives: pedestrian traffic

Man Hit By Truck in Battery Park City

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The intersection of North End Ave. and Murray Street was dangerous Friday evening

A man was struck by a struck on the corner of North End Ave. and Murray St. on Friday, March 4th at 6:15 PM. The intersection is considered among the most dangerous in the Battery Park City section of Manhattan, as there is no traffic light installed, forcing drivers, cyclists and pedestrians to have to rely on one another’s navigation skills and look in multiple different directions when crossing.

A reader was kind enough to supply this YouTube video of the weekend accident. It is not graphic and simply displays the commotion at the scene. Further details about the victim and his condition were not readily available.

Do you think the North End Ave. and Murray St. intersection is dangerous? What can local officials do to make it safer for users?

Dangerous intersection at Albany and West Street

Crosswalk Countdowns To Be Installed On West Side Highway

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Dangerous intersection at Albany and West Street
Albany and West Street has been a fatal intersection in our area.

We don’t have to wait for New Years Eve to see countdown clocks in Manhattan.

After several studies on pedestrian safety within the five boroughs, the New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) and Mayor Bloomberg have announced plans to install crosswalk countdown clocks at all major New York City intersections.

Added with our 1.2 Million dollar infusion of crosswalk guards in our area, multiple bridges and now the countdown clocks — theoretically we might be the safest crossing area in all of Manhattan.

According to Mayor Bloomberg, “we’ve made historic gains in reducing traffic fatalities, and this year we are seeing pedestrian fatalities decline again. But we still see too many families devastated by traffic accidents. [The] countdown signals across the city, will make streets even safer, especially for the pedestrians who, year in and year out, account for the majority of New York’s traffic fatalities.”

Battery Park City is certainly not immune to traffic fatalities. Last year 26-year-old Marilyn Feng of 200 Rector Place was hit and killed by a drunk driver while crossing the West Side Highway at Albany Street.  A notoriously dangerous six lane intersection. Before that incident, our area recorded 1-2 pedestrian injuries at year.

In response to the study, countdown clocks will be installed at every intersection crossing West street in our area.

Other interesting findings include:

Some of the key findings in the report include:

1. Pedestrian fatalities in 2009 were down nearly 20 percent from 2001.
2. In the event of a crash, pedestrians are 10 times more likely to die than a motor vehicle occupant.
3. Pedestrians accounted for 52 percent of traffic fatalities from 2005-2009.
4. Driver inattention was cited in 36 percent of crashes resulting in pedestrians killed or seriously injured.
5. Driver failure to yield was cited in 27 percent of fatal pedestrian crashes.
6. Pedestrian-vehicle crashes involving unsafe speeds are twice as deadly as other crashes.
7. Serious pedestrian crashes are about two-thirds deadlier on major street corridors than on smaller local streets.
8. Most New Yorkers do not know the city’s standard speed limit is 30 m.p.h.
9. Male drivers are involved in 80 percent of crashes that kill or seriously injure pedestrians.
10. Private vehicles – not taxis, trucks or buses – are involved in 79 percent of crashes that kill or seriously injure pedestrians.
11. Manhattan has four times as many pedestrians killed or severely injured per mile of street compared to the other four boroughs.
12. Pedestrians killed in Manhattan lived in other boroughs or outside New York City 43 percent of the time.

How do you feel about the study and new countdown clocks?

The pedestrian detour on the Liberty Street Bridge.

Pedestrian Traffic Patterns at WTC Change Today

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The pedestrian detour on the Liberty Street Bridge.
The pedestrian detour on the Liberty Street Bridge.

The Liberty Bridge has survived many years of pedestrian traffic, not to mention the events Sept. 11. Starting today, daily users of the bridge will be forced to follow the new pedestrian traffic patterns.

The Port Authority has commenced construction on a pedestrian detour that will take people off the side of the Liberty Street Bridge and stretch all the way to Church Street on the east side of the World Trade Center (WTC) site.

Traffic patterns are changing to accommodate for the construction of a new underground parking facility. The annex and pedestrian detour will add some time to your daily commute, but will ultimately help commuters to completely bypass crossing the 16-acre WTC construction zone.

According to a report from 1010 Wins, “the change will pave the way for excavation to begin for the Vehicle Security Center, the main entrance to the underground parking and delivery areas at the trade center complex.”

BPC’s Daily Pedestrian Obstacle Courses

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Pedestrian Detour Sign on Rector and West Street
Are the pedestrian detours driving you crazy?!

You have to admit. Battery Park City has the reputation of being an ostracized neighborhood. The big gaping hole we call Ground Zero doesn’t help much either.  At times, BPC is more similar to a not so far New Jersey town than, you know… an actual Manhattan neighborhood.

While traveling up and down the West Side Highway, it’s a pretty sure bet that you’ve reached the Battery Park City limits with your first approach of a pedestrian bridge. Since it’s founding in the early 80’s, the pedestrian bridges were the traffic veins into our community. Unfortunately on September 11th, we lost one of our bridges due to the terrorist attacks — which introduced a system of some lesser beautiful, but still functional introduction of new bridges to help us cross our own boulevard of death — The West Side Highway.

For anyone who uses the Rector bridge daily, it’s access has been spotty with construction on the elevator and much needed repairs on the West Side Highway. As some of the surprises have been more of a hassle, there are also some friendly new experiences — like the waft of Christmas time you smell once you step onto the ramp. Back to the hassles – What is with this roundabout detour that we’re expected to add a good 3 minutes in our daily commute? I’m sure I’m not the only one who meets with great pleasure the renegade who insists on breaking through the cross tape and string that holds the futile barricade in place. Whoever you are, you’ve become my small daily hero.

It’s hard to ignore the fact that one of the longest standing bridges, The Liberty Bridge, is undergoing what looks like the birth of a new arm or something. The fact that it spits out to Albany causes some concern for the already difficult maneuver to the C&E trains.