2 MARCH 3, 2022 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
DOT adds new safety measures to dangerous
intersection in Glendale after horrifi c crash
BY JULIA MORO
EDITORIAL@QNS.COM
@QNS
The Department of Transportation
(DOT) acted quickly last
week, installing safety measures
at a notoriously dangerous
intersection in Glendale aft er a gruesome
video of a pedestrian being run
over not once, but twice, went viral.
The pedestrian, a 57-year-old man,
was struck on the corner of Cypress
Avenue and Cooper Avenue Saturday,
Feb. 12, when he fell to the ground
and survived being slowly run over
by an SUV. The video was uploaded to
Twitter in the middle of February and
has already gotten over 625,000 views.
DOT installed an “all-pedestrian
phase”— meaning all cars stop and
pedestrians walk at the same time —
at the intersection of Cypress Avenue
and Cooper Avenue on Tuesday evening
just aft er local elected offi cials
gathered at the intersection calling
for action. DOT also installed “delayed
green” signage, meaning the light will
not immediately switch to green aft er
the crosswalk signal turns red.
A video taken by resident
Mollie Lauff er shows the progress at
the intersection.
“The new crossing has nearly eliminated
the constant honking there,”
Lauffer said. “You can hear birds
chirping. Cities aren’t loud; cars are
loud.”
Caroline Shadood is another
resident and longtime advocate in
the community, who shared how unfortunate
it is that a horrifi c crash like
this had to happen before reasonable
safety measures were installed.
“There are ways for the DOT to make
intersections safer right now when
enough community members come
together demanding it,” Shadood said.
“I wish it didn’t take the unpaid labor
and emotional exhaustion of community
members to get it done but I am
glad we are here now.”
Shadood said her partner, Jon, and
their dog were hit at the Cypress and
Cooper Avenue intersection last year.
Though it took time, Shadood said the
improvements have made a world of
diff erence.
“It’s really a dramatic improvement
to the safety and peacefulness of the
neighborhood,” Shadood said. “I can’t
begin to describe the magnitude of this
signal change for our community and
really anyone that uses this corridor
— including folks with cars. It’s a huge
sigh of relief. The tension is noticeably
lower. I’ve never experienced stillness
at Cooper and Cypress until this week
and I’ve lived around here since 2009.”
DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez
said that traffi c violence is a solvable
crisis. Under Mayor Eric Adams’
administration, DOT has pledged
to improve 1,000 intersections with
traffi c signals, raised crosswalks and
other expanded pedestrian space and
visibility measures.
Rodriguez said to prevent a crash
like this from happening again, enforcement
is also essential.
“Enforcement will also play a key
role in keeping New Yorkers safe,”
Rodriguez said. “This crash occurred
because two vehicles failed to comply
with the law and yield for pedestrians.
That’s unacceptable. I have a team at
DOT working as we are speaking right
now looking at all possible design and
signaling improvements that will
make this intersection safer.”
The Cypress Avenue and Cooper Avenue intersection in Glendale.
Photo by Joshua Meyer
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