An 11-block stretch of Delancey Street — routinely cited as one of the most dangerous spots in the city for pedestrians — is getting a slew of safety upgrades to try and curb fatalities, officials announced today.
The safety improvements come less than a month after a 12 year-old girl was killed crossing nine lanes of traffic on Delancey and Clinton Streets, the latest in a long line of tragedies in the congested corridor.
“It’s the most concerted effort that’s ever been brought to bear on Delancey,” said Department of Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan.
Most of the changes should be in effect by summer, a particularly dangerous time because of the high number of shoppers and residents ambling the streets.
Fourteen of the stretch’s 19 crosswalks will be made shorter by reducing the curb out, a change that will reduce the amount of time pedestrians will need to cross the street to safety.
In total, the city is adding more than 16,000 square feet of pedestrian space.
Lane designations will also be made clearer, hopefully eliminating dangerous vehicle zigzagging and smoothing traffic flow.
“You’re going to see significant changes,” said State Sen. Daniel Squadron, who helped design the safety improvements with the DOT and other elected officials. “Delancey is going to be safer in months not years.”
Despite city-wide gains in pedestrian safety in recent years, Delancey Street has continued to be a serious problem. From 2006 to 2012, nine people were pedestrians were struck and killed from the Bowery to Clinton Street. Just last month, Dashane Santana, 12, was hit by a minivan and killed on her way home from school.