Mayor’s congestion initiative includes “Clear Intersections” which will see NYPD write violations at fifty targeted intersections in all five boroughs
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced today that the NYC DOT and the NYPD had prepared enhancements to 50 key intersections where block- the-box violations will now be aggressively enforced. DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg and NYPD Chief Thomas Chan made the “Clear Intersections” announcement at one of the targeted intersections -- at Broadway and Broome Street in the SoHo section of Manhattan.
“Late last year, we announced a series of initiatives designed to address congestion issues around New York City, a symptom of the city’s record population and economic vitality,” said Mayor de Blasio. “Blocking the box is one area where focused NYPD enforcement can and will make a big difference to keep traffic moving around hotspots in every borough.”
“The NYPD is dedicated to the Mayor’s initiative to improve traffic flow and to move traffic safely,” said NYPD Chief of Transportation Thomas Chan. “Drivers who block intersections are contributing to overall congestion, and their disregard of this particular traffic rule comes at the expense of other drivers including emergency vehicles. Additionally, pedestrians are endangered when they have to navigate between vehicles that are blocking crosswalks. The NYPD’s enforcement efforts will reduce congestion and improve pedestrian safety. Motorists should be advised that officers will be out in force issuing summonses to those who block the box.”
“Today, DOT and NYPD are bringing back “don’t block the box” to 50 busy intersections around the City,” saidDOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg. “We know traffic can be frustrating, but blocking the box just causes gridlock for everybody — bus riders, pedestrians, cyclists and your fellow motorists. Please be courteous and safe — and don’t block the box.”
In Manhattan, vehicle travel times have declined by 23% since 2010. Drivers who enter intersections without sufficient space on the other side “block-the box,” which can have cascading effects on traffic and create dangers to pedestrians who cannot cross streets safely. The Clear Intersections effort includes 50 key intersections citywide and is part of a comprehensive series of efforts announced by Mayor Bill de Blasio last October to ease congestion in busy thoroughfares across the five boroughs. Block-the-box violators face minimum fines of $115 and possible points that can lead to the loss of a driver’s license.
As part of Clear Intersections, DOT has installed special markings and/or updated signage at key intersections (see list below) to make drivers aware of the restrictions. The City chose intersections along major routes leading to river crossings, highway on-ramps, and commercial centers. NYPD will increase enforcement at these locations to keep traffic moving, hiring an additional 50 uniformed officers to enforce block-the-box violations.
Clear Intersections will be in effect at the following locations:
2. Dyer Avenue & West 41 Street
3. Fort Washington Avenue & West 165 Street
4. 3 Avenue & East 36 Street
7. Delancey Street & Allen Street
8. 9 Avenue & West 207 Street
9. 10 Avenue & West 40 Street
10. West Side Highway (9A)/12 AV & West 51 Street
12. Canal Street & Centre Street
13. Delancey Street & Essex Street
14. Hudson Street & Beach Street/Ericsson Place
20. 10 Avenue & West 41 Street
24. Amsterdam Avenue & 181 Street
26. Hudson Street & Laight Street
27. Hudson Street & Vestry Street
29. Northern Boulevard & Queens Boulevard
30. Queens Boulevard & Roosevelt Avenue
33. Laurel Hill Boulevard & 65 Place
34. Queens Midtown Expressway *N S/R & Grand Avenue
38. Metropolitan Avenue & 60 Street
40. 135 Street & Third Avenue
42. Atlantic Avenue & Pennsylvania Avenue
45. Flatbush Avenue & Myrtle Avenue
Staten Island
46. College of Staten Island & Victory Boulevard
47. Narrows Road South & Hylan Boulevard w/b @ Steuben Street
49. Narrows Road South & Fingerboard Road
EDITOR'S NOTE:
In typical Mayor Bill de Blasio fashion we see only one of fifty intersections targeted in the Bronx, while five intersections are targeted in Staten Island. It appears that Staten Island is no longer the 'Forgotten Borough', but that the Bronx has become the 'New Forgotten Borough'.
We also can not see why this enforcement has not been ongoing from the first day of the first term of the current mayor. Did this mayor all of a sudden realize the problems of New York City? Did it take four years for a mayor who was the Public Advocate to find out the needs of New York City? But in the long run it will be the drivers of New York City who pay for this, especially the 'For Hire Drivers' who wind up getting stuck inside the Box. Where is the City Council 'Horse, Buggy, and Stagecoach' Cowboy Committee Chair on this new enforcement?
