After years of requests from local residents, elected officials and community activists, the Department of Transportation (DOT) has finally installed a speed bump in front of P.S. 95 in Gravesend.
The strip in front of the school along Van Sicklen Street, they contend, is home to speeding cars and motorists that pose a serious threat to students, parents and teachers looking to cross. The installation of the hump, Councilmember Mark Treyger hopes, will help reduce the speed of vehicles traveling along the street and greatly improve safety for those walking to and from the school between Avenue U and Gravesend Neck Road.
“The safety of our students, staff and parents as they travel to and from their school is paramount. There have been problems with drivers speeding past this building and endangering lives for many years now, so getting this speed hump installed was a top priority for me after taking office,” said Treyger. “This will help ensure the safety of the P.S. 95 community and will provide parents with a little more peace of mind as their child leaves for school each morning.”
The action was spearheaded by community activist Vincent Sampieri several years ago and was followed up by Treyger last year after he entered the City Council.
“All schools should have speed bumps and other safety measures to ensure the safety of our children,” said Sampieri. “They are the future of this great country and must be safe coming and going to school. We should not wait until someone is injured to install safety measures.”
“The installation of a speed bump in front of P.S. 95 represents the efforts of parents, school personnel, community activists and elected officials working together to make a street safer for children,” added Assemblymember William Colton, who took part in the effort and was present at the bump’s installation celebration on Wednesday, July 22.
P.S. 95 PTA President Lulu Elaza added that she thought the “hump will go a long way towards slowing down drivers” in front of the school.
“As a parent and PTA president, I am extremely happy that Councilmember Treyger understands the importance of keeping our children safe and took up this cause over the past year,” Elaza continued, “Parents of P.S. 95 students are ecstatic to know that this speed hump is in place.”
