West 96th St., the treacherous thoroughfare on the Upper West Side where two pedestrians were killed in traffic accidents days apart in January, is getting a safety-promoting overhaul at its intersection with Broadway.
Work began this week on the project, which was spurred on by the deaths of Alex Shear and Samantha Lee, and fast-tracked through Mayor de Blasio’s Vision Zero push to eliminate traffic fatalities.
One of the main changes to the dangerous, congested intersection will widen a pedestrian island in the middle of Broadway so a larger waiting area is available to those crossing Broadway on W. 96th St., according to the city Department of Transportation.
Other improvements, designed to simplify and moderate traffic through the intersection, had already been established as of Friday, officials said.
There are now fewer lanes for drivers heading north and south on Broadway. And drivers heading south on Broadway or west on W. 96th St. are no longer permitted to make left turns at the crossroads.
I’m glad they are making changes, but when I look at this it makes me sad. These things should have been done long ago.
“I’m glad they are making changes,” said Dana Lerner, mother of Cooper Stock, who was the third fatality in the area in January, struck by a cab while crossing West End Ave. at W. 97th St. with his father on Jan. 10. “But when I look at this it makes me sad. These things should have been done long ago.”
Shear, 73, was hit by a tour bus at Broadway and West 96th St., also on Jan. 10. Lee, 26, was struck by an ambulance while crossing W. 96th St. between Broadway and West End Ave. on Jan. 19.
The project also features a new crosswalk between the pedestrian island on the north side of W. 96th St. at Broadway and the subway station entrance in the plaza at the center of Broadway at the southern part of the intersection. Some pedestrian crossing times at the intersection also are being increased.
Manhattan Community Board 7 gave its approval to the plan in early February, city Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg said.
Some motorists on Friday were adjusting to the newly banned left turns. Police were on hand and stopped several drivers in the middle of making now-illegal turns and told them to back up, including a plumber who cursed in frustration at being re-routed.
Pedestrian Candida Gual saw things differently.
“I’m glad something is being done,” the 62-year-old told the Daily News at the intersection on Friday. “Hopefully, we won’t lose another child.”
De Blasio’s Vision Zero initiative is a comprehensive effort to make city streets safer and includes increased police enforcement and safety upgrades to accident-prone intersections, like W. 96th St. and Broadway. City agencies have been tasked with devising other ways to help reach the program’s goal.
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Safe-streets advocates said police this year are cracking down more on reckless driving. Lerner, however, said more needs to be done to stop drivers from hitting pedestrians and to punish them if they do.
Trottenberg said Vision Zero is gaining momentum. “As Vision Zero becomes a household name and more communities across the boroughs lend their support, we’re building the coalition needed to [create] … permanent gains that will make all New Yorkers safer.”
Upper West Side resident Joan Conlon said the new turning restrictions were a good move but added that she believes pedestrians will continue to cross Broadway when they don’t have a walk signal because they are in a hurry to reach the subway. Sidewalk entrances for the 96th St. station were eliminated several years ago when the Metropolitan Transportation Authority constructed a new station entrance building on an expanded traffic island in the center of Broadway.
“People are going to continue to run across no matter what,” Conlon said. “There are traffic guards here now but who knows how long they’ll be here.”
The Daily News reported earlier this week that 51 people died in traffic accidents between January 1 and March 30 this year. That figure represents a 26% from the number of fatalities in same period last year.
pdonohue@nydailynews.com
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