149 St. and Morris Avenue intersection in the Bronx
By Jeffrey Justice
The South Bronx contains some of the largest and most dangerous intersections in the county. It has always been a very populous area of the Bronx. And, with high population, comes lots of traffic.
Accidents happen frequently in the Bronx. There is a stretch of land in the South Bronx that has had new crosswalks painted at its intersections in response to the high number of accidents. Projects have been completed in the past three to five years along East 149th Street at the intersections of Morris Avenue, Park Avenue, Third Avenue and the Grand Concourse. Work has also been done a few blocks north of 149th Street.
The New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) is responsible for these fortifying projects. The DOT is charged with creating and maintaining safe streets, as well as sewers. The city keeps extensive data on its repair and maintenance projects. Some city officials applaud the DOT’s efforts to keep our streets safe. Fernando Mateo, spokesman of the New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers, praised the efforts of the DOT and offered his advice on making and keeping the streets safer for pedestrians and drivers alike.
“I think the DOT is doing a phenomenal job at keeping our drivers and our pedestrians safe,” he said. “In order to multiply their efforts, I feel enforcement efforts should be raised in order to ensure our streets are kept safe. Raise fines for those who violate traffic rules, and install more red light cameras if need be.”
Mateo suggested that large, complicated intersections should be closely monitored. “Patrol cars should be placed at these intersections to assure drivers are moving a long safely.”
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