Senator Peralta Calls DOT’s Attention To Dangerous Queens Intersection
March 20, 2013
State Senator Jose Peralta is urging the city’s Department of Transportation to ensure the safety of children who must cross a dangerous Queens intersection to get to and from school without the help of a crossing guard.
“I am writing to urge you to take a close look at the intersection of Junction Blvd. and Horace Harding Expressway in Queens with an eye toward improving pedestrian safety, particularly that of the children of nearby P.S. 206,” wrote Senator Peralta in a letter to Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, whom he is calling upon after learning that neither of the local precincts is assigning a crossing to the intersection.
“This is a very dangerous intersection for students and it is imperative that we have proper supervision at this corner,” wrote P.S. 206 Principal Joan Thomas last summer in requesting the reinstatement of a school crossing guard at the location. “As the principal of P.S. 206, I am very concerned about the safety of my children.”
"We applaud Senator Peralta for his leadership on street safety. Every neighborhood needs safe streets to thrive—that’s why Junction Boulevard and Horace Harding Expressway in Queens need to be made safe for local children, families, and seniors," said Paul Steely White, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives.
In the letter to the transportation department, Senator Peralta recommends that the intersection be among the locations at which the proposed speed camera program is piloted. He also asks the commissioner to do whatever else she thinks is needed to protect the children of P.S. 206, many of whom navigate the intersection to get to and from Lefrak City, where they live, and school.
“There is no substitute for the direct, hands-on traffic control and help that a crossing guard can provide to children,” said Senator Peralta. “In the absence of a crossing guard, however, any measures you deem necessary and can launch promptly to ensure the safety of the P.S. 206 children will be most welcome.”
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