By Steve Mosco
A man running for state Assembly answered the call to action on a local level.
Etienne David Adorno, who will face off against Assemblyman Mike Miller (D-Woodhaven) in a Democratic primary for the 38th Assembly District this September, joined residents in an Ozone Park community to request that the city and the local community board consider placing a stop sign at what residents call a dangerous intersection.
“We are here for the safety of our drivers and our pedestrians who cross this intersection every day,” said Adorno, standing at 80th Street and 95th Avenue. “This is also a route that parents use frequently during the school year when taking their children to and from this neighborhood’s primary school, PS 64.”
There is currently one stop sign heading eastbound on 95th Avenue, but Adorno said speeding cars coming down 80th Street are the real problem.
“We have a simple, relatively low-cost solution to this problem: Simply install an additional stop sign on 80th Street going southbound,” he said. “Avoid a possible fatality and make our children and the elderly feel safer in the area.”
Juan Guzman, a resident who has lived at the corner for 12 years, said there is an accident at the intersection at least six times per year. And according to Guzman, some of those accidents have been too close for comfort.
A brick wall on Guzman’s property has been hit numerous times, pushing the Ozone Park resident to make repairs and install metal poles as barriers — all at his own cost.
“Somebody has got to do something for the community,” he said. “I am crazy worried about this corner. I have young daughters and I’m constantly worried when they are outside. There have been too many accidents here for us to be ignored.”
Although he acknowledged a stop sign installation is a city issue, the Assembly hopeful said he plans to do whatever it takes to make sure the necessary parties hear the concerns of residents.
“It’s a city issue, but it is also an issue to residents, so it is an issue to me,” he said. “It is such a low-cost fix and it could save countless lives. How many people have to get hurt before the city takes action?”
Adorno, who also sits on Community Board 9, brought the stop sign request to the attention of the board, who told him they will forward his request to the state Department of Transportation.
A DOT spokeswoman said the intersection must be studied in order to see if it warrants a stop sign. She went on to say that from an initial request to an actual sign going in the ground, it could take up to six months for a stop sign to be installed.
Reach reporter Steve Mosco by e-mail at smosco@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4546.
