City Councilman Supports Mid-Block Crosswalk On W. 106th St.

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — City Councilman Mark Levine will petition the city Department of Transportation (DOT) to construct a mid-block crosswalk and traffic light on West 106th Street between Columbus and Amsterdam avenues in an effort to aid the nearby large senior citizen community.

The block is home to many seniors, who may have trouble crossing the long and wide four-lane road, due to the presence of facilities such as the New Jewish Center and The Center at the Red Oak, Levine said in a statement.

"Adding a crosswalk and traffic light on 106th Street would make this neighborhood significantly less dangerous by giving hundreds of Red Oak and Jewish Home residents safe passageway between those two organizations," Levine said in a statement. "We must address this issue by being proactive before a serious accident happens in our community."

Since 2009 there have been zero recorded traffic fatalities and 57 recorded traffic injuries on West 106th Street between Columbus and Amsterdam avenues, according to data from the city's Vision Zero program.

Levine's petition to install the added mid-block safety features comes one month after Community Board 7 adopted a resolution advising DOT to immediately begin installing the mid-block crosswalk. The community board cited the large senior citizen population on the block, the fact that many people cross the street mid-block due to its length, the hilly terrain and local resident support as reasons for the added crosswalk, according to the board's resolution.

"I am proud that members of Manhattan Community Board 7 unanimously adopted this resolution in support of a mid-block crosswalk on 106th Street," Roberta Semer, Chair of Community Board 7, said in a statement. "We care deeply about the safety and quality of life for our senior residents. The cross walk will enhance their lives."

Photo by Google Maps street view