As part of on-going efforts to improve traffic safety in Rockaway, Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D – Far Rockaway) announced new crosswalk markings at Beach 9th Street and Roosevelt Court, and that an additional speed bump on Beach 17th Street would soon be installed to help protect students and pedestrians in the area.

“These are tremendous improvements to areas that have long been a concern in Far Rockaway,” said Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder. “The new crosswalk markings will make Beach 9th and Roosevelt a safer, less confusing intersection for our families and the speed bump on Beach 17th will slow down speeding cars and protect pedestrians as they walk to school.”

In a letter to Assemblyman Goldfeder, Department of Transportation (DOT) Queens Borough Commissioner Nicole Garcia wrote that, following a site inspection by agency’s Highway Design Unit, crosswalk markings will be installed at the intersection of Roosevelt Court and Beach 9th Street. According to the letter, the work will be completed in spring 2016 as part of DOT’s crosswalk painting contracts in the borough.

The Commissioner’s letter is in response to an inquiry sent by Goldfeder last November calling for the traffic safety upgrade. At the time, the Assemblyman’s office received complaints from local residents over safety at the busy intersection. Last April, Goldfeder led Queens DOT officials on a walkthrough in the community to lobby for further improvements to area streets. Commissioner Garcia was among the officials present during the tour.

Just last week, DOT also began to take additional safety measures in the area, with plans to install a new speed bump on Beach 17th Street between Brookhaven and Plainview Avenues. The Assemblyman praised the decision as a way to help improve safety on the blocks surrounding St. John’s Episcopal Hospital, the only hospital facility on the Rockaway Peninsula.

“Time and again, Commissioner Garcia has proven to be a strong advocate for our families in Far Rockaway,” concluded Goldfeder. “I applaud her dedication to improving safety in our community and look forward to partnering with the Commissioner and her team on the many traffic issues still facing our neighborhoods.”

(YWN Desk – NYC)