Oct 13, 2009 6:09 am US/Eastern
Imagine Speed Bumps On UWS; It's Possible
If N.Y. Assemblywoman Has Her Way, Area Around Broadway In The 70s Could Soon Be Moving At A Snail's Pace
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
Speed bumps on Broadway? That could be the future for the Upper West Side if a New York assemblywoman gets her way.
It's the heart of the Upper West Side and the center of a pedestrian nightmare.
"I can't stand this intersection," Betsy Alpert told CBS 2 HD.
The intersection is where Amsterdam crosses over the north and southbound lanes of Broadway on 71st Street.
"You never know when to cross because there's cars coming from three different directions. So you kinda like wait for the light to say walk and then run!" Alpert said.
"I don't have enough time to cross the street," added another New Yorker.
CBS 2 HD watched as John Braden nearly got run over by cars as he struggled to cross Broadway.
"Like they're on a raceway. They don't go slow," Braden said.
New York Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal is proposing speed bumps, or new signage be placed at the Amsterdam-Broadway "bow tie" to slow traffic down. It's at that intersection where a speeding cab slammed into the 72nd Street subway station in August.
"Overall I think the city is more geared toward cars and motorists than it is towards pedestrians. And New York City is a city of walkers," Rosenthal said. "We have to find ways to make this city more friendly to people who walk around."
The Department of Transportation is looking into safety changes here and also along Columbus and Amsterdam avenues, where protected bike lanes are being proposed.
"Making it safer for them? They're already supposed to know what they can do and what they can't do. A lot of times when a cyclist gets hit it's his own fault," one woman said.
"Columbus and Amsterdam have a lot of restaurants and a lot of delivery operations on bikes, but in addition to that there are a lot of people who want to ride but they just can't. They don't have a safe place to go," said Tila Duhaime of the Upper West Side Streets Renaissance Campaign.
There's still a long road before the Upper West Side sees bike lanes or speed bumps. But residents said they're hoping changes come soon before someone gets hurt.
Assemblywoman Rosenthal said that back in August she sent a letter to the DOT, urging the agency to consider making the safety changes. She said the DOT has not responded.
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