CB8 approves traffi c light study in wake of fatality
A BY JASON COHEN dangerous three-way
intersection in Riverdale
where a longtime
resident was killed in a
traffic accident last month is
already a safer place for commuters
and pedestrians, with
potentially more improvements
on the way.
On Oct.5, the Community
Board 8 Traffi c and Transportation
Committee approved a
resolution that supports the city
Department of Transportation’s
(DOT) proposal to study a traffi c
signal and improve lighting at
the Kappock Street and Johnson
Avenue intersection.
Keith Kalb, deputy borough
commissioner of the DOT, told
the committee that DOT has already
completed the installation
of left-turn calming measures at
the intersection, refurbished the
crosswalk markings, upgraded
the pedestrian ramp, and plan
to move the lamp post to make
the intersection more visible;
DOT is also looking to add a
traffi c light at the intersection.
Traffi c calming measures are
rubberized bumps that help encourage
drivers to make the left
turn onto Johnson Avenue at a
safer angle and slower speed.
In September, Ruth Mullen, a
well-known activist and writer
from Riverdale, was struck and
killed by an MTA bus at Johnson
Avenue and Kappock Street.
A preliminary investigation revealed
that the bus was traveling
south on Kappock Street and
turned left onto Johnson Avenue
when it hit Mullen, 68, while
she was crossing the street.
Based on eyewitness accounts,
the bus rolled through the stop
sign and hit Mullen. The driver,
unaware, kept driving and only
after someone yelled did the bus
fi nally stop.
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, O 16 CT. 15-21, 2021 BTR
Democrat City Councilman
Eric Dinowitz and Democrat
state Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz
both praised the DOT for
acting quickly to make the intersection
safer.
“I’m pleased the DOT is
working with the community
and working with us,” the assemblyman
said.
Local residents have long
expressed concern about pedestrian
safety at the Johnson-
Kappock intersection, which
is a frequently used thoroughfare
that connects the Spuyten
Duyvil neighborhood with
nearby Kingsbridge. It is also a
common pass-through for people
connecting from the Henry
Hudson Parkway to the Major
Deegan Expressway as well as
the Broadway Bridge. The intersection
also serves as a bus stop
for several major bus routes, including
the Bx10, Bx20, BxM1,
BxM2 and BxM18 lines.
Riverdale Resident Mary Ellen
fully supports a traffi c light
at the intersection and hopes
it happens sooner rather than
later.
“What are the chances of
actually getting a light?” she
asked. “I lived there as a kid.
People always come fl ying
down. I strongly feel a traffi c
light should be there.”
However, others like resident
Sue Dodell feel the issue is more
about enforcement of the area.
She said if more cops were stationed
at that intersection and
in the community maybe less
people would speed.
The full board voted Oct. 12
to support the DOT proposal to
study a traffi c signal and improve
lighting.
The dangerous three-way intersection at Kappock Street and Johnson Avenue that DOT plans to study to
determine whether adding a traffi c light is warranted. Photo Adrian Childress