In the wake of a recent north Riverdale hit-and-run that injured a child, Assembly Member Jeffrey Dinowitz and Council Member Eric Dinowitz are reviving their push for more speed bumps and stop signs in the neighborhood.
On March 4, two vehicles collided at the two-way stop intersection at West 261st Street and Huxley Ave., leaving a nine-year-old with a head injury. Both drivers got out of their respective cars, but one fled on foot and left their vehicle behind. The child, who was in the vehicle that remained at the scene, was treated at the crash location.
The lawmakers say they’ve tried for years to persuade the Department of Transportation (DOT) to add traffic calming measures between Riverdale Avenue and Broadway between West 259th Street and West 263rd Street. The area, they say, has very few four-way stops and has seen 20 traffic injuries since 2020, 17 of which occurred at intersections.
DOT denied their request in February 2024, and the recent traffic injury in their district prompted AM Dinowitz and CM Dinowitz to put more pressure on the agency. Even though the incident did not result in serious injury or death, the close call further proves that something needs to be done, they said.
“This incident makes it painfully clear that the Department of Transportation’s inaction has put our community members’ safety at risk,” CM Dinowitz and AM Dinowitz wrote in a March 5 letter to the agency.
A DOT spokesperson said the agency is reviewing the circumstances of the hit-and-run and potential upgrades to the intersection. The spokesperson did not address questions about how the DOT determines whether or not stop signs and speed bumps should be added in any given area.
Many residents support the lawmakers’ efforts to slow down neighborhood traffic, as evidenced by a 2023 petition with 100 signatures previously shared with the DOT, CM Dinowitz and AM Dinowitz said in the letter.
Traffic safety is a citywide concern that disproportionately affects the Bronx and other communities of color.
In 2024, the rate of serious injury from traffic crashes was 20% higher in the Bronx than citywide, and serious injuries from crashes were up 10% from the prior year, according to a study by the street safety advocacy group Transportation Alternatives.
Given the dangers of speeding cars on city streets and in residential neighborhoods, CM Dinowitz and AM Dinowitz are urging the DOT to reconsider its decision and take measures to prevent another frightening incident like the hit-and-run.
“We are lucky that this accident did not result in more devastating injury, but we cannot rely on luck to protect our residents from reckless drivers,” they said.
Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
