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RSS Morris Park man uses YouTube to get changes at dangerous Lydig and Colden intersection
Bronx Times
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Del.icio.usA Morris Park resident was able to get a problem intersection revamped, and all it took was a video camera and some internet savvy.
Vincent Ferrari has long considered the intersection of Lydig and Colden avenues to be a concern, mainly because cars coming down Lydig, onto Colden Avenue would ignore a stop sign. And if it the driver paid any attention at all, they would usually just give a cursory break pump, before rolling right through. To Ferrari, this disregard created a major safety hazard.
So on Wednesday, January 4, while he was waiting in his car, at the intersection, for his wife. Ferrari fired up the digital video camera he always carries around, and made a 25-minute video of cars disregarding the stop sign. He uploaded the video to YouTube, and the following morning posted it on Councilman Jimmy Vacca’s Facebook wall. And when Vacca checked the page, he sprung into action.
“People come down around that corner and don’t stop,” Ferrari said. He counted 43 cars going through the intersection while he was filming, and only two came to a full stop.
“It’s not the busiest street in the world,” Ferrari. “It’s not like there’s going to be a 20-car pileup, but there are kids and because it’s a hill, kids on their skateboards go flying down that hill all the time. They come down literally on their bellies. They use it like a luge track.”
Once Vacca saw the video, he reached out to the city’s Department of Transportation, and paid an visit to the intersection himself.
I saw his posting, and I was very upset by it,” Vacca said. “To be honest. As I promised on Facebook, I would meet with him by day’s end. I got there around 5:30 on Thursday evening. I can’t say most cars sped through the stop sign, but they rolled through it. Most did not come to a full stop.”
Vacca and Ferrari noticed, among other things, that lines in the street had not been repainted following a construction project several months ago. A DOT spokesperson said that those lines will be repainted in the coming weeks. Ferrari also said he noticed a police car stationed at the intersection the day following the meeting.
And unfortunately, the trend of not obeying stop signs is not limited to Lydig and Colden.
“Many people are driving too quickly and not obeying existing signs,” Vacca said. “I do think his tape was clear proof that this is too common.”
Bill Weisbrod can be reached via e-mail at bweisbrod@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 742-3394.©2012 Community Newspaper Group
D from Soundview says:
Try going to the intersection of O'Brien Ave. between White Plains Rd. and Soundview Ave. The total disregard for the law is mistifying. They treat the red lights like stop signs on a very regular basis.
Feb. 4, 8:22 pm
WALTER MADHU from clason poit says:
i agree with d from soundview. there is also a consistent problem of cars and suvs driving at . 1200 midnight doing 90 mph speeding on soundview ave, along with unlicensed motorcycles. therehas. been consistent complaints about this to the nypd.however, they are not doing anything about this . if this was a problem in throggs neck, pelham bay, city island, or country club, this problem would have been p roperly addressed. thank you. yours truly, walter madhu
March 23, 4:27 pm
Annie D'Alauro from Morris Park says:
Another street that needs a speed bump or two is Pierce Avenue from Radcliff to Williamsbridge Road. Drivers use this street as an alternative to Morris Park Avenue and the traffic lights. During the morning and evening rush cars just speed down the street without regard to children and animals. We've taken to calling it the "Pierce Avenue Speed Way." Side mirrors get swiped and there have been some fender benders. Do we have to wait until someone really gets hurt?
April 26, 3:15 pm
Debbie from Pelham Bay says:
How about Middletown Rd. @ Mayflower and also @ Middletown @ Mulford. Traffic comes one way out of Mulford Ave. onto Middletown Rd. This is fine if you're making a right but not so if you are making a left. The Middletown Rd./Westhchester Ave. green traffic light is short, not allowing enough cars to get tthrough. The cars then back up on Middletown Rd., blocking Mulford Ave. and not allowing the cars coming out of Mulford the opportunity to make a safe left as their line of sight to oncoming traffic from the right is blocked by backed up cars. This accidemt waiting to happen might be alleviated if there was a traffic light on Mayflower and Middletown Rd., as this may hold back some of the traffic blocking Mulford Ave. Mayflower Ave./Middletown Rd. has it's own safety issues with speeders coming down Middletown Rd. and poor visibility to the left when coming out of Mayflower Ave. A traffic light would help this problem immediately and make that stretch of road so much safer for drivers as well as pedestrians.
Yesterday, 9:54 pm
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