A shot from the 2019 parade. Photos courtesy of the Bayside Saint Patrick’s Day Parade
TIMESLEDGER | 2 QNS.COM | MARCH 13-19, 2020
BY JENNA BAGCAL
A dangerous intersection
in Glen Oaks will get a muchneeded
traffic light this summer,
according to the Department
of Transportation.
An agency spokesperson
confirmed that DOT would
install the traffic calming
device at the Grand Central
Parkway and 267th Street.
Patch reported that the intersection
is a notorious
“blind spot” and that drivers
often ignore a posted
sign that prohibits left turns
from 267th Street onto the
parkway.
“Following requests from
community residents, DOT
studied this intersection and
found that it qualified for a
traffic signal. The signal is
scheduled for installation in
June,” a DOT spokesperson
said.
According to city data, a
crash in 2017 resulted in one
motorist death and two injuries.
There is an existing
stop sign at this intersection,
which is down the road from
North Shore Towers.
DOT conducts an intersection
control study in order
to determine if a location is
eligible for a traffic light or
a multi-way stop sign. The
multi-step process involves
the following:
• DOT checks agency records
on the location to look
for things like sign orders,
pavement marking orders
and school maps.
•An inspector conducts a
field investigation to create
a Conditioned Diagram of
the location, which includes
street and sidewalk widths,
street directions and distance
to the nearest traffic
control device.
• DOT puts together a Field
Observation Report that records
drivers’ compliance
with existing traffic controls
and speed limit violations.
• Manual counts of the
numbers of vehicles and pedestrians
during morning
and evening rush hours.
• The agency may install
Automatic Traffic Recorders
(ATRs) that collect hourly
vehicle volumes over several
weekdays or weekends.
• At school crossings, DOT
determines the number of
safe crossing opportunities
for children.
• Sometimes, DOT conducts
spot speed studies to
find the speed at which 85
percent of vehicles are traveling
at or below when they approach
the location.
• A review of the NYPD
Accident Index System and
individual accident reports
for the location.
Once the agency has collected
the appropriate data,
they must determine if it
fits the federal standards or
“warrants” to determine if
a traffic signal or multi-way
stop is appropriate. If data
does not meet the standards,
DOT will not install these
traffic calming measures
and will instead find other
ways to improve traffic conditions.
Reach reporter Jenna Bagcal
by e-mail at jbagcal@qns.
com or by phone at (718) 260-
2583.
BY JENNA BAGCAL
Head to Bayside at the end
of the month for a show of
Irish pride at the neighborhood’s
yearly Saint Patrick’s
Day Parade.
On Saturday, March 28,
the annual event will return
to Bell Boulevard for the
third consecutive year. The
family-friendly event began
in 2018 in order to showcase
Bayside’s strong Irish American
community.
The parade route begins
at 36th Avenue and will
travel down Bell Boulevard
toward 42nd Avenue.
This year, organizers
have dedicated the parade
to the late Phil Brady, a 2019
aide to the grand marshal,
who passed away in October
2019.
Eileen Flannelly Mackell
is this year’s parade grand
marshal and will be joined
by aides Tommy Mulvihill,
John Golden, Tom Golden,
Robert Lynch, Joe Donovan
and Father Chris Heanue.
Mackell is the vice president
of the Container Royalty
Central Collection Fund
(CRCCF) of the International
Longshoreman Association
(ILA) and the United
States Maritime Alliance
(USMX).
Although the parade is
a one-day event, one of the
event organizers Kieran Mahoney
told QNS that organizing
the event takes all year
and the dedication of over 20
community members.
“It takes a strong, organized
and cooperative
committee to organize the
parade. Our committee of
over 20 people does great
work throughout the year.
The parade might be one
day but work is done year
round, such as fundraising,
outreach and community
building. Our sponsors have
been vital in our efforts,
without their support we
couldn’t make this happen,”
Mahoney told QNS.
Last year’s parade featured
more than 70 local
groups including schools,
marching and pipe bands,
dance groups and civic organizations.
The third annual Bayside
Saint Patrick’s Day Parade
is on March 28 at 11 a.m.
For more information,
visit baysidesaintpatricksdayparade.
org or find the
parade on Facebook and Instagram.
Reach reporter Jenna
Bagcal by e-mail at jbagcal@
qns.com or by phone at (718)
260-2583.
The intersection at 267th Street and Grand Central Parkway.
Photo via Google Maps
GCP intersection in
Glen Oaks to get new
traffi c light in June
Annual Saint Patrick’s
Day Parade set to return
to Bayside on March 28
The grand marshall and aides for the 2020 parade.
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