43rd Street (between 43rd and Skillman Avenues)
Feb. 24, 2016 By Michael Florio
A Sunnyside mother has started a petition looking to protect children who have to cross 43rd Street near Skillman Avenue.
Kristen McGowan, who lives on 44th Street, launched a petition yesterday urging the Department of Transportation (DOT) to install two speed bumps along 43rd Street.
The first bump would go between 43rd Ave and Skillman Ave and the other would go between Skillman and Barnett Ave.
The online petition has already generated 130 signatures.
McGowan said that drivers constantly speed along 43rd Street.
“It’s like they are racing to beat the next light,” she said.
McGowan said the constant speeding is especially dangerous given the high volume of children who cross the busy street. She said P.S. 150’s annex and Lou Lodati Park are located along this stretch.
Her four-year-old son and five-year-old nephew both attend the P.S. 150 Annex.
“It’s really important to get one on the block of P.S. 150 [Annex],” McGowan said.
She aims to get more than 250 signatures. She will present the petition to Community Board 2, the DOT and Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer.
Another local mother, Jen Crammer, who lives on 43rd Street and has two young boys, said that she too has been calling for speed bumps.
“The need for a speed bump to deter speeding on a very busy street is necessary, especially when there is a school on the same street,” she said. “I think we all feel that it’s just a matter of time before someone gets hit by a car.”
“I think because 43rd Street is a link between Queens Boulevard and Northern Boulevard the temptation to speed is greater,” she added.
Crammer reached out to the DOT with the request for a speed bump at the beginning of the year. The agency wrote back to her on Jan. 11 and said it would look into it.
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37 Comments
Try getting rid of the parents who double park to let their kids out so fat little sonny boy doesnt have to walk too far, he might lose a pound or two. Really, parents just do that because their to lazy to park and walk 2 blocks. Your putting your children at risk because your lazy. Cops should ticket them, one lady blocked the whole street, i said ok, your joking right? Right in front of the kid who shes trying to keep safe, Her reply was go f ¥|< k yourself my sons late. Why is he late and why are you driving like a maniac to get him there, better he gets there late than god forbid he was injured or killed because you drove 90 miles per hr and parked illegally. Its not always the motorists who at fault.why arent the pedestrians more careful, jay walkers dont get tickets, its a bs law if you dont enforce it. dont depend on some guy driving a car to keep your kids safe, try doing your job as well. Also why arent bicycles and those delivery mopeds heid more responsible for their recklessness. . They cut in and of sidewalks, never drive with the traffic, dart in and out of parked cars. Its like living in a foreign land
A camera at this intersection could do a lot of good to the neighborhood and the City’s finances. It is just crazy how people drive here. And speed bumps make sense on both 43rd St and on Skillman which is a race track too and had a horrible accident just two months ago.
The idea in theory sounds easier than it actually is. Speed bumps were put it on 37th street and reduced to 20mph and the cars now go faster and completely ignore the bumps.
They took out the speed bump on 52nd last year to pave the block when it didn’t even need to be paved than put the bump back and it’s not even properly marked and it’s lower now cars go faster like its a race track.
You women think taking your complaints and needs to Van Bramer is gonna help???
The problem is him and the lazy idiots at DOT. Telling you they will look into it. The light with a camera is cheaper than doing any construction work it’s a guarantee to work not some speed bump that these savages race cars over.
When is everyone gonna realize Jimmy Van Bramer is completely useless and does nothing for anyone to help any cause.
He can’t even realize the needs in his own neighborhood and this problem is right in front of his living room window.
Humpty Dumpty could do a better job than Van Bramer.
Sam, I do not appreciate the “you women” comment. I actually reached out to DOT myself first. I don’t care what they install, a speed trap, camera or speed bump in, I just want them to fix a problem. The mark is blocked at 20 for a school zone and it’s not working so something needs to be done.
We desperately need them near the park there on Skillman as is it’s like a freeway while kids are trying to cross.
There’s always this:
http://www.brownstoner.com/blog/2016/02/brooklyn-history-grand-army-plaza-street-safety-death-o-meter
Traffic going south on 43rd Street between 48th and 50th Avenues is also a big problem. Drivers speed up to beat the light at 50th Avenue to get to the BQE Another speed bump is needed just before 50th Avenue. There is an elementary school one block away from the 43rd Street / 50th Avenue intersection.
There is a speed bump on 43rd street between 50th and 48th ave already
Someone just got hit by a car at skillman and 43rd st tonight around 7:30
Maybe sunnyside post can obtain the full details from 108 pct
Eventually they’ll be a speed bump on every block or better yet let’s add more bike lanes. Actually I think Di blasio should ban cars all together that will fix the problem. Maybe you should dress your kid up in one of those sumo wrestler outfits, they’ll be sure to be safe then.
Maybe if your mommy and daddy loved you more you wouldn’t be a self righteous tool who wants to see our elderly and kids in a serious accident.
Actually, I think John’s point was more about safety starting with the individual, not the government, and the overreach of the nanny state.
I absolutely agree! I live at that corner and that stretch sounds like cars are on a racetrack day and night. I had submitted a speed bump “request” to DOT a while back (9/2013) that the amount of speeding was unsafe so near a school! The DOT responded that a study would be completed (apparently ~7 months!) and that a speed bump would require community board approval if recommended. I never heard back, but it was starting to feel like the street was quieting down. I was shocked though when the new Sunnyside speed bumps were announced last year that 43rd Street wasn’t included.
I will definitely sign the petition!
The speed bumps on the south side have done little to deter drivers from speeding. I constantly hear the bottoms of cars being scraped, so despite them being there, everyone continues to speed, but I still think it’s better for them to be there than not at all.
I also wish people knew how to read one way signs. I have personally witnessed someone turning right onto skillman from 43rd, in the wrong direction, four times.
Why do children feel entitled to have the right away? Its like the old, fat, pregnant people, and Rosa Parks that feel entitled to the front seats of the bus. This type of behavior must be discouraged. I love all of you. G-d bless. Next year in Jerusalem. Amen.
I agree. I was almost run over a few weeks back from a car that went through the light. We also need speed bumps on 39 ave. from woodside avenue (where the non existence stop is on that dangerous curve) through 48th. there are many accidents on 39 ave near 52nd and the Phipps because of speeding, especially by the light at Donato’s.
I got hit by a car right on that corner!
sorry Sue– its a deadly street.
We could always use mac, angie & joe blowhard as speed bumps, as they’re not good for anything else!
@sunnyside is for stupid Why don’t you just move back to the dump you crawled out of. Mac, Angie and big Joe are life long Sunnysiders & Woodsiders and very active in the community since the 70’s. Your post is way out of line. I will inform them of this nasty post when I see them at the Knights, VFW Post or The Copper Kettle.
@truesunnysider 1st rounds on me at the K of C!!!
You know mac never passes up a freebie!
Oh, how drool. A veiled threat of violence. Mac, Angie, and Joe are pompous douchebags who honestly are probably not qualified to even be speed bumps.
Perhaps walking your children to school or the park is a good solution.
Ann, you are a moron. When Sunnyside first implemented speedbumps 15-20 years ago 43rd was left out because it was two way, since there are other two way streets that have them, a SCHOOL block should also.
Wow. For your information, I do not let my five-year-old walk to the PS 150 annex by himself, or to the park. Nor have I seen anyone else in the neighborhood allowing their small children to walk to school or the park by themselves. Perhaps not trolling would be a good solution for you.
Absolutely agree. I cross that street every day and the would easily wager that many of the cars are going over 50 miles per hour! That is compounded with the fact that because there is a bit of hill the cars often appear out of nowhere. Speed bumps sound like a great idea.
It is absurd how reckless people drive in Sunnyside, especially in this area. I would add that cars turning off of 43rd Street are a huge problem as well, particularly during the AM commute. They take sharp turns at high speeds onto Skillman. When I am out before 7am I see many drivers simply run the red light at this intersection. Sunnyside is our home, but to many it is just a place you pass through to get to Manhattan. Let’s protect our neighborhood!
Wouldn’t a red light camera be more effective?
You people have nothing better to do.
As you seem to have so much to contribute to society. Loser who’s not even from here probably
Yup, people with kids trying to keep their kids, other kids and all pedestrians who use that street a bit safer.
You must be one of the speeders if you are against this.
Is there something better to do than save peoples lives?
Seems like a good idea. Don’t know if those petitions do anything, but I signed.
This street is exceptionally dangerous. There’s school, a park, and the incline decreases visibility for drivers in both directions.
Cars floor it from 43rd ave to Skillman when they see the “don’t walk” sign blinking. Some of them even accelerate and pass, crossing the double yellow line, traveling well over 40mph.
People drive so fast going southbound on 43rd Street because it is industrial area under the railroad tracks and then immediately there is a park/playground in a residential area. It is a very dangerous situation.
This is so important for the safety of our kids to have speed bumps should be made part of building a school to begin with… I am so shocked that we do not have more comments here… please sign this peition it will save lives