"Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn, DOT Commissioner Sadik-Khan and Council Member Eric Gioia tour Barnett Avenue in Sunnyside to see how the City can make the area safer for pedestrians." Photo by William Alatriste

Council Speaker, DOT Commissioner Visit Barnett Avenue, Sunnyside To View Safety Concerns

 

City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn and Department of Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan on Thursday, March 6 examined traffic conditions along Barnett Avenue in Sunnyside to see how the city can make the area safer for pedestrians.
Quinn originally toured the area in September during a visit with community leaders. During that visit, residents expressed longstanding concerns about the need for sidewalk space and adequate street lighting, factors that have contributed to the challenging traffic conditions in the area. An increase in the neighborhood’s population and the emergence of a thriving commercial district has made the need for a safer pedestrian corridor increasingly urgent.
“This stretch of Barnett Avenue is unsightly and unsafe,” City Councilmember Eric Gioia said. “I am glad the city is taking action, cleaning up the area and making it part of the community again.”

“As a lifetime resident of Phipps Garden Apartments, I have watched the dramatic growth of both traffic and garbage dumping on Barnett Avenue,” Gerry Perrin, Co-President of the Phipps Sunnyside Tenants Association, said. “This narrow and curving stretch of road has no lights or stop signs, no sidewalks and poor lighting. The high-speed traffic has become a serious concern for the many pedestrians who traverse this road. I am very glad that Speaker Quinn and Commissioner Sadik-Khan are taking action now, before something happens.”