The city Department of Transportation announced plans to place a street light near the Spruce Street School, at the intersection of Beekman and William Sts. after a review of traffic patterns and pressure from local leaders and parents to make area traffic safer.
The light is tentatively scheduled for installation by July, 31, the D.O.T. wrote in a letter to State Sen. Daniel Squadron.
He praised the decision in a statement, saying, “As our community grows, our streets must change with it.”
Squadron credited Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Councilmember Margaret Chin for helping get the change.
The intersection at William St. is where many of the students cross towards the school and additional precautions may slow traffic around the building.
Pressure for more traffic controls near the school intensified in April of last year when a U.P.S. worker was struck and killed by an SUV that jumped the curb on Beekman St.
A school crossing sign was installed on Beekman a few months later in addition to the two lights installed at Beekman and Gold and at Spruce and Gold streets when the school opened.
