POINT OF VIEW

Changes at Broadway have created a huge list of problems

Posted

I have lived on Broadway at West 259th Street for 45 years.

The re-lining of traffic lanes on Broadway, from West 242nd Street to Caryl Avenue in Yonkers, has caused unsafe, hazardous, dangerous conditions for pedestrians, motorists and bicyclists.

The southbound lane of Broadway, approaching Manhattan College Parkway and West 242nd, has multiple roadway lines directing traffic in a confusing pattern that causes motorists to cut each other off, not knowing which way to proceed to avoid hitting each other or the el support pillars, or the new bus bulb. Passengers exiting the bus onto the bulb must cross a line of traffic to access the subway stairs.

Very unsafe. Stopped buses bottleneck southbound traffic.

The northbound lane of Broadway at the Van Cortlandt mansion, has a line of white stanchions creating the beginning of a bicycle lane. Cars park in the northbound lane just beyond the stanchions on the traffic side. Buses pulling out from that bus stop have to swerve out into the middle northbound lane, around stanchions, and parked cars, cutting off and halting traffic.

The northbound lane of Broadway at Lakeview Place has a line of white stanchions blocking the view for drivers trying to enter the Henry Hudson Parkway North. The stanchions hide the entrance until just abreast of it, requiring a 90-degree turn to move into the entrance ramp. Very unsafe.

The southbound lane of Broadway at Lakeview Place has a left-turn lane and green arrow for cars to enter the Henry Hudson Parkway North. Two lines of stanchions block the view to that entrance, requiring a 90-degree maneuver between two lines of stanchions. Very unsafe.

The northbound lane of Broadway, under the Henry Hudson Parkway, has an entrance to Henry Hudson Parkway South. A line of white stanchions leading up to that entrance, and a line of white stanchions immediately beyond that entrance block the view of the entrance.

The green sign for the entrance is placed beyond the entrance.

Cars drive into the bicycle lane to gain access to Henry Hudson Parkway South. Very unsafe.

The northbound lane of Broadway at West 260th Street has a bus stop bulb that is barely as long as the reticulated double buses. It was dark when I was taking the bus home. I exited the bus from the rear door. I stepped off the bus right into a black SUV immediately adjacent to the bus.

I was frightened until I saw that the SUV was parked and I would not get hit by it. The car was parked within the new parking lines. The bus was longer than the bulb. I had to maneuver between the bus and the front of the SUV before the bus started moving again.

I walked around the front of the SUV into the bicycle lane in the dark before I found the curb, the grassy space, then the sidewalk. Very, very unsafe, and scary at night.

The northbound lane of Broadway approaching Caryl has lines in the roadway indicating two lanes of traffic merging into one center lane to accommodate a bicycle lane that leads to nowhere. If following the road markings to turn right onto Caryl, a driver would have to drive into the middle northbound lane, then make the right-hand turn from the left-hand lane, crossing the faux bicycle lane. Unsafe.

Broadway southbound, at the Yonkers city line, suddenly has bicycle lane markings in the southbound lane, on the traffic side of parked cars. That leaves only one southbound lane for cars, buses and trucks from Caryl to West 260th. At West 260th, bicyclists right up onto the sidewalk, endangering pedestrians.

Bicyclists also ride north on the sidewalk on the west side of Broadway, instead of using the “protected bicycle lane” on the east side of Broadway.

The narrowing of lanes on Broadway, and the removal of one lane around David Sheridan Plaza/Mosholu Avenue, caused several traffic accidents at that intersection within one month of the changes. A dedicated left turn arrow is needed for the northbound lane of Broadway onto Mosholu.

One lane of traffic has been removed from the north side and from the south side of David Sheridan Plaza. Cars are now parked in what was the second lane of traffic.

That has created a blind spot for drivers going south on Broadway and merging west onto Mosholu. Extremely unsafe.

The southbound exit from Henry Hudson Parkway onto Broadway north is surrounded by white stanchions and has multiple road markings. The stop sign is before the bicycle lane. Beyond the bicycle lane, the entrance to the traffic lane is in a blind spot created by the stanchions and requiring a 90-degree maneuver to enter traffic. Very dangerous.

The narrowing of all traffic lanes on Broadway has removed the 5-foot leeway between parked cars and traffic lanes. Very unsafe for families putting small children into car seats from both sides of the vehicle.

Very unsafe exiting the garage of my building, exiting onto Broadway, into a line of oncoming traffic.

Broadway is a major transportation route, a snow emergency road as well as our neighborhood street for those of us who live on it. It has been made more unsafe, more dangerous, more aggravating and more unpleasant because of these changes.

Leslie Hogan,

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