Councilman Vallone calls for solar powered traffic signals
Photo courtesy of the New York City Council
Solar-powered lights
for street safety: pol
BY JENNA BAGCAL
A northeast Queens
councilman is calling for
solar powered traffic signals,
nearly a year after the tragic
death of Madeline Sershen
who was killed by an elderly
driver in Whitestone.
At the May 29 stated
meeting, Councilman
Paul Vallone introduced
legislation directing
the Department of
Transportation (DOT) to
conduct a feasibility study
of adopting and controlling
solar powered traffic devices
on New York City streets.
During the course of the
study, the law would require
DOT to publish their findings
and recommendations.
The bill would be effective
immediately and the agency
would have to submit study
findings within one year of
the effective date.
Communities in Florida,
Massachusetts, New Jersey
and several other states
have successfully employed
solar powered traffic devices
within their own street
crossings and intersections,
according to Vallone. A
motion sensor or push button
activates the on-demand
system and displays flashing
lights to warn vehicles of
pedestrians crossing in
the crosswalk.
Last year, Vallone
discussed these safety
measures with DOT
Commissioner Polly
Trottenburg following
Sershen’s death. During the
incident, 88-year-old Sheila
Kahn Prager ran a red light
and struck the 17-year-old
Whitestone resident as she
walked in the crosswalk at
the intersection of Utopia
Parkway and 16th Avenue.
“In the critical interest
of keeping our City’s
pedestrians protected, we
must proactively look for new
and innovative ways to make
our streets safer for all,”
said Vallone. “Solar powered
illuminated crosswalks
have been successfully
implemented in other parts
of the country and would be
an effective way to improve
safety for our pedestrians.
As the Administration
continues implementing
its Vision Zero plan, this
inventive control measure
could be a critical piece of
preventing collisions like the
one that tragically took the
life of Madeline Sershen.”
On DOT’s website, data
on pedestrian safety shows
that pedestrian deaths have
declined since the start of
the mayor’s Vision Zero
initiative. But, these deaths
still consistently make up
the majority of the city’s
traffic fatalities.
“As a parent, an educator,
and a heartbroken aunt, I
believe street safety needs
to be our City’s number
one priority,” said Rita
Barravecchio, Sershen’s
aunt. “My niece Madeline
Sershen died last June in
a horrible crash where the
driver did not see her. This
new type of street design
could help make pedestrians
more visible to drivers. We
need to make our streets
safer, and by doing so, we
will save lives and prevent
tragedies like that of my
niece’s.”
According to Vallone’s
office, the councilman has
requested a hearing on this
bill in the Transportation
Committee, which is
chaired by Councilman
Ydanis Rodríguez.
Twice as nice in Bayside
Twin brothers walking to raise mental health funds
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
Two 11-year-old Bayside
twins are spreading the
message of kindness as
they prepare to walk this
Saturday in the 5K Mental
Health Run/Walk (50
states/50 days) in Coney
Island to raise funds for
mental health awareness.
William and Nicholas
Pacheco, fifth-grade seniors
at P.S. 209 in Whitestone,
created their team
“Jammers 4 Kindness” to
participate in the June 8
non-competitive event at
Coney Island’s Riegelmann
Boardwalk. Their goal is
to raise awareness, end
bullying and to simply
be kind.
“Being kind is very
important to us and to our
friends. We’ve experienced
bullying in school and in
sports,” the boys said on
their fundraising page.
“Bullying has hurt us and
some of our friends. We
think it’s important to also
be kind to the bullies and to
educate them because many
bullies have been bullied
themselves. Everyone
deserves to be treated with
kindness and respect.”
The Pacheco twins have
raised a total of $827.15 and
they’re looking forward to
exceeding their $1,000 goal
on Saturday. As of late, 15
participants have registered
to walk with William and
Nicholas, said Christina
Argyros Pacheco, the
twins’ mother.
Having participated in
past events with a team to
raise funds for an important
cause, this will be the first
time the twins will walk
in the 5K Mental Health
Run/Walk.
“When I told them about
this cause, the mental
health walk and run, they
saw some videos about it
from previous walks and
groups raising mental
health awareness,” said
Argyros Pacheco. “They
just started going into how
they know what it feels like
to be bullied and they came
up with the name ‘Jammers
4 Kindness’ after playing
around with the words.”
For Argyros Pacheco,
she and her husband find
opportunities to have an
11-year-old twins Nicholas and William Pacheco created the team
“Jammers 4 kindness” to raise funds for mental health awareness
in the 5K Mental Health Run/Walk (50 states/50 days) in Coney
Island. Photo courtesy of Christina Argyros Pacheco
open dialogue with their
boys about bullying and
speaking up for themselves.
They have also worked
together with a school
psychologist and guidance
counselor at P.S. 209, where
students receive a great
support network, she said.
Additionally, Argyros
Pacheco became involved in
sharing daily tips for mental
health awareness from the
National Alliance on Mental
Illness calendar using their
hashtag #4mind4body.
“I try to post daily from
their calendar to help
people deal with stress and
other things,” said Argyros
Pacheco. “Many people sent
me private messages saying
thank you for those posts …
Just me posting I guess they
realized that I’m posting for
a reason, like I had some
sort of connection to this
mental health awareness
and advocacy.”
As a family coping
with mental illness and
anxiety, Argyros Pacheco
is proud of her twin boys
participating in the event
that they’re excited to share
with others.
“I’m just so proud of
them. As a mom, I’m super
proud,” said Argyros
Pacheco. “Our biggest
motivator is all children.
I just tell them constantly,
‘I don’t care if you’re a
millionaire. I don’t care
what you for a living when
you grow up. I just want
you guys to be good people
and do the right thing and
be kind.’”
For the twins, helping
others is a fun and kind
thing to do, and there’s
simply “no awesome without
we,” said Nicholas.
Reach reporter Carlotta
Mohamed by email at
cmohamed@schnepsmedia.
com or by phone at
(718) 260–4526.
QNS.COM TIMESLEDGER, JUNE 7-13, 2019 3
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