Gothamist: Queens Boulevard Hit-and-Run Victim Dies

Blah

Wed, 04 Oct 2006 13:41:14 -0500

In Jersey City, John F. Kennedy Boulevard near the Journal Square PATH station has crossing lights that tell you how many seconds you have to cross the street before the lights change.

bklynd

Wed, 04 Oct 2006 12:56:59 -0500

Here is an irrelevant question that I've been wondering: Does it seem like fatal car, ped, and bike accidents get more coverage than they used to? You get the impression that they are up, but is coverage up? (Inspired by the Bowling for Columbine bit about the "summer of shark attacks." Shark attacks were statistically down, but coverage was way up.) Let me just add the caveat that "I'm just thinking out loud here" (aka "being a wanker.")

ken

Wed, 04 Oct 2006 11:32:12 -0500

like reality, i live a few blocks from the scene of the hit and run. there seems to be many reasons why people are struck by cars on queens blvd. one reason is the timing of traffic lights. whereas lexington ave has lights timed so that drivers drive at a steady and safe speed, queens blvd does not have any kind of pattern. you can be sitting in front of a red light and the next light can be green. then when your light turns green, the next light immediately turns red. frustrated drivers try to race through the yellows or run through the reds just to avoid this traffic (mis)pattern. you see it all the time.

reality

Wed, 04 Oct 2006 10:35:54 -0500

I live in forest hills 3 blocks from this scene, and have lived in the neighborhood on and off for most of my life - that being said, the city and DOT have missed the boat on this problem and made it far worse. Their solution was to add traffic lights at almost every single intersection, add a parking lane in the service road, and mis-time all the lights. The real solution would be to reduce the number of lights and lengthen the crossing time substantially. They have created a situation where the cars in an effort to get moving and make the lights are racing the short distances; add to that the limit on available lane space in the service road and you have a potentially deadly scene at every crossing.

dhex

Wed, 04 Oct 2006 10:34:57 -0500

yes because the government can fix bad drivers! can't stop terrorism, but bad drivers? no fucking problem!

Jason Gooljar

Wed, 04 Oct 2006 10:18:35 -0500

Far too many people have died on the Boulevard of death. It seems that the state or the city refuses to do anything about it. Where are NYC council people on this issue? Where are the state senators and assembly people on this issue?