BY YANNIC RACK | A new stop sign is coming to busy William St., an area that has prompted serious safety concerns among residents and visitors alike.
Councilmember Margaret Chin announced on Sept. 15, together with State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and State Senator Daniel Squadron, that the sign would be installed at the corner of William and John St. within the next two weeks.
Just two months ago, a traffic study of the surrounding area by Pace University students pointed out a number of issues, such as confusing signage, countless traffic violations and fading crosswalks.
The sign at William St. was one of the measures proposed in the study, which was presented to Community Board 1’s Financial District Committee in July.
“I’m proud that we were able to work with concerned residents and the Department of Transportation to take this positive step to improve street safety in the Financial District,” Chin said in a statement.
“Every step counts, but this was also particularly important because of the burgeoning residential population in this neighborhood, which necessitates heightened scrutiny regarding the safety of pedestrians and cyclists.”
The traffic survey, which was initiated by concerned C.B. 1 board members, found several other issues at the seven intersections it studied – along William St. where it crosses at Beaver St., Liberty St., John St. and Maiden Lane and along Nassau St. where it crosses at Maiden Lane, Beekman St. and Spruce St.
It showed regular traffic violations, eroding crosswalk and vehicle stop lines, as well as dilapidated or confusing street signs, the latter often caused by scaffolding from ongoing construction works.
The survey recommended posting traffic guards on Nassau St. and Beekman St., repainting faded crosswalks in the area and installing more visible street signs.
Catherine McVay Hughes, chairperson of C.B. 1, acknowledged that the sign was an important first step, but that there were other hotspots addressed in the survey. “We’re thrilled that one sign is being installed, but clearly there’s room for more improvement,” she said last week.
C.B. 1’s committee passed a resolution in July to reach out and work with city agencies to make the surveyed area safer for vehicles and pedestrians alike, and the city Dept. of Buildings confirmed that they would be inspecting the street signs on William and John Sts.
“Specifically regarding additional plans for the area around Nassau and William Sts., Councilmember Chin will continue to listen to feedback from residents in that area to see what street safety improvements should be made, just as she did in the case of this new stop sign for William and John Sts.,” a spokesperson for Chin’s office said this week.
The New York Post recently reported that, according to the NYPD, road fatalities all over New York have gone down seven percent in the nine months since Mayor de Blasio announced his ‘Vision Zero’ program to curb traffic deaths.
