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DOT recommends safety improvements for Marine Avenue

January 14, 2021 Jaime DeJesus

Image courtesy of DOT

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Increased safety measures may finally be on the way at the confusing and dangerous intersections of Marine Avenue and Ridge Boulevard at 95th Street.

Representatives of the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) met with Community Board 10’s Traffic and Transportation Committee via Zoom Jan. 5 to discuss conditions at the site and recommend improvements.

“[It’s] one of the strangest intersections in your community,” said Chris Brunson, director of safety projects and programs for DOT. “Anyone who has visited this intersection will attest that it is very unpredictable. It is what we hear from our borough engineers – that’s the group that hangs signs throughout the boroughs – that stops signs are continually knocked down at this intersection because they are put into the asphalt.”

DOT’s safety data from 2014-2018 showed that the area had five total injuries, with one severe injury to a bicyclist and one severe injury to a motor vehicle occupant.

“After looking at the traffic flow and thinking of different design options, one being a roundabout which is not feasible, we are happy to report a proposal that creates a better and more predictable intersection and a couple of crosswalks for pedestrians,” said Brunson.

The proposed safety improvements include the addition of three crosswalks to provide a marked crossing for pedestrians on the south and east sides of the intersection, and two painted curb extensions to normalize the intersection and shorten crossing distances.

The proposal also includes the installation of flexible bollards at painted curb extensions to provide a vertical element to delineate the space for pedestrians and to discourage vehicles from using the space. A “No Standing Anytime” space would be added to the northeast curb line of Ridge Boulevard to accommodate emergency vehicles.

The benefits would include slower turns for passenger vehicles and reduced pedestrian/vehicular conflict. A right-turn ban for trucks only from northbound Marine Avenue to eastbound 95th Street is also proposed.

“We are making it a lot less complex,” said Brunson.