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April 24, 2006 - St. Paul was reversed “without maximum participation from the Pelham Bay community.”

February 3, 2010 - Community Board 10 held a Public Hearing “with maximum participation from the Pelham Bay community”. Reversing St. Paul Avenuewas a disastrous decision that negatively impacted the community and caused dangerous conditions for all the adjacent intersections. The taxpaying residents of Pelham Bay, finally realized a Public Hearing to have our voices heard. Democracy shined as “Both Sides expressed their opinions.”

Because of over-development every single street in Pelham Bay is victim to speeding drivers, not just St. Paul.

The reversal caused 100% of traffic to drive past three streets, Continental, St. Paul, and Colonial avenues. The huge problem is Pelham Parkway South becomes a dead end. We can’t drive forward and we can’t make a left turn.100% of the traffic has no other alternative but to make a right turn onto Burr Avenue a heavy tandem bus route.

In less than six weeks, three dangerous, serious events occurred that brought traffic to a dead stand still for hours.

December 20 - A bomb scare at Pelham Bay station. Stand-still traffic all along Burr Avenue around to Pelham Parkway South.

December 31 - About 9:15 a.m., two cars going faster then they should, zipped around the corner of Pelham Parkway South and Burr Avenue, slid on the snow and crashed into each other.

The tandem buses could not get around the two cars. Traffic at a dead standstill. Pedestrians got off the trapped buses and walked to Pelham Bay Station to catch a train to getwork. Residents heard a siren, and witnessed an Emergency Medical Service vehicle slowly, carefully, backing out of the congestion to attempt to arrive at the destination it was summoned to. Hopefully the EMS arrived in time to get the person to a hospital before it was too late.

Every bus had to be re-routed along Pelham Parkway onto 1-95, circle around again to get to Pelham Bay Station. At our February 23 Public Hearing meeting, a member of PBTCA, got in front of the microphone and told of her experience that day, December 31.She waited for the #12 bus in Co-op City, in the bitter cold alongside a mother holding her infant child for 55 minutes before the #12 bus finally arrived to bring them to Pelham Bay station. The delay? The re-routing of the #12 bus because of the accident on Burr Avenue and Pelham Parkway South.

January 27 - The nightmare no one should have to go through. Approximately 6:30 a.m., residents heard screaming. A couple crossing the street at Burr Avenue and Pelham Parkway South were hit by a SUV Ford Explorer. The 60 year old woman was taken by ambulance to the hospital in critical condition. NYPD, ambulance, helicopters, Bronx News, Channel 12, and the New York Daily News all covered this tragic accident. We prayed for her recovery.

A dad from PBTCA told us of a speeding car barreling down East 196th Street and almost ran down his pregnant wife and little girl. He took pictures of the skid marks that recorded the driver’s reckless driving on a residential street.

The community of Pelham Bay thank Ken Kearn and John Morano of Community Board 10 for the February 3 Public Hearing. We especially thank all the residents who braved the heavy rain so both sides could vent their strong emotions.

Our next PBTCA meeting will be on Monday, March 15, at St. Theresa’s cafeteria, 2872 St. Theresa Avenue. Join your local civic associations and united with our elected officials we will get full stop signs and speed bumps so all our streets will be safe. You can pay your 2010 dues of $10 at our March 15 meeting.

9pbtca

©2010 Community Newspaper Group