Liebig Ave.’s terrible safety record

To the Editor:

As a longtime resident of Liebig Avenue near the treacherous intersection with 259th Street, I was taken aback by Community Board (CB) 8 Traffic and Transportation Committee Chairman Mike Heller’s statement that he did not know the intersection was “any more dangerous than other streets in the neighborhood” and that the Department of Transportation(DOT) had to study the area.  In fact, this intersection has been the subject of at least two requests by CB 8 for traffic calming measures. 

The first, back in 2008, resulted in a letter from DOT Deputy Borough Commissioner Constance Moran to Anthony P. Cassino, then Chairman of the Traffic and Transportation Committee, dated April 14, 2009, in which the DOT stated that, “We completed our analysis earlier this month.  

Factors such as vehicular and pedestrian volumes, accident experience, vehicular speeds, visibility and signal spacing were taken into consideration in making our determination.   Based upon our evaluation of the data collected, it is our judgment that ‘All-Way Stop controls are unwarranted at this time.” Instead of an all-way stop the DOT installed zebra stripes that exacerbated the dangerous conditions at the intersection.

On August 19, 2011 (unaware of the 2008 request), I wrote to the DOT and CB 8 requesting an all-way stop.  On the same date I wrote to The Riverdale Press stating:  “I have been a resident of Riverdale since 1998 and have lived on Liebig Avenue near W. 259th Street since 2002.  The intersection of W. 259th St. and Liebig Avenue is a death trap. Its contours create dangerous blind spots and the DOT a few years ago installed zebra stripes and a school crossing sign that confuses drivers and pedestrians who mistake it for a full stop.