Hevesi Calls on the New York City Department of Transportation to Install Additional Countdown Clocks on Queens Blvd.

Citing numerous accidents where pedestrians have been seriously injured or killed on Queens Blvd, Assemblyman Hevesi sent a letter to the Queens County Commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) urging the Department to install countdown clocks at other highly trafficked intersections of Queens Boulevard in Forest Hills and Rego Park, Queens. “The DOT took several years to allow for the use of these devices in New York City, despite evidence of successful implementation in other cities throughout the country,” Hevesi wrote. “Now that we have experienced the success of the countdown signal at 71st Avenue and Queens Boulevard, I urge, in the strongest terms possible, that the DOT take this further action immediately to protect the residents of these communities from injury and potential life threatening incidents.” Assemblyman Hevesi asks the DOT to consider installing countdown clocks along Queens Boulevard at the intersections of Yellowstone Blvd, 63rd Road, 66th Avenue, 70th Avenue, and 78th Avenue. “The simple action of installing countdown clocks has the potential to save many lives in our area,” Hevesi said. “For years, I have been asking the Department of Transportation to install countdown clocks at the intersection of Queens Boulevard and 71st Continental Avenue. Now that they have, and we have seen that they are effective, I believe we should take the next step in ensuring pedestrian safety on Queens Boulevard.”


Ms. Maura McCarthy
Department of Transportation
Queens County Commissioner
120-55 Queens Boulevard, Room 285
Kew Gardens, NY 11424-1015 December 8, 2010 Dear Ms. McCarthy I am writing to you on behalf of my constituents in the 28th Assembly district who reside in the Forest Hills, Rego Park, and Kew Gardens communities. As one of the highest motor trafficked thoroughfares in the borough of Queens, Queens Boulevard has proven to be a profound safety hazard. As you are aware, there have been 72 people hit and killed on the boulevard between 1993 and 2000, which has led to it being dubbed “the Boulevard of Death.” There have also been myriad injuries to pedestrians struck by motor vehicles. I am writing to urge the Department of Transportation (DOT) to install countdown crosswalks signals at the highly trafficked crosswalks between 63rd Drive and Union Turnpike on Queens Boulevard. In particular, the cross sections of Queens Boulevard and 63rd road, 66th, 67th, 70th, 78th Avenues as well as the intersection at Yellowstone Boulevard are in desperate need of countdown crossing lights. The DOT took several years to allow for the use of these devices in New York City, despite evidence of successful implementation in other cities throughout the country. Now that we have experienced the success of the countdown signal at 71st Avenue and Queens Boulevard, I urge, in the strongest terms possible, that the DOT take this further action immediately to protect the residents of these communities from injury and potential life threatening incidents. I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely
Andrew Hevesi
Assembly Member 28AD