Following the tragic accident on Canal Street in Chinatown, NYC implements long-awaited safety improvements
In the heart of Manhattan's Chinatown, the transportation department has announced a long-term safety redesign for the entire Canal Street corridor, following a series of crashes that have claimed seven lives between the West Side Highway and Manhattan Bridge exit since 2011.
The latest tragedy occurred last month at the intersection of Canal Street and Bowery, where two people lost their lives. The driver, Autumn Romero, was allegedly drunk and speeding at 109 miles per hour before the crash. Prosecutors have charged Autumn Romero with vehicular homicide, but no new charges or penalties have been announced in relation to the incident.
In response to the announced changes, Ben Furnas, executive director of Transportation Alternatives, a street safety advocacy group, expressed support but emphasized the need for further measures to prevent deadly crashes in the area. Furnas stated that even after the changes, the vast majority of Canal Street remains dangerous.
Immediate steps include the installation of new physical barriers at Bowery and Canal Street to protect pedestrians, and the lowering of the speed limit for drivers coming off the Manhattan Bridge from 35 mph to 20 mph. The transportation department also plans to narrow some Manhattan-bound lanes on the Manhattan Bridge to discourage speeding.
Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez stated that immediate steps are being taken to fortify the intersection and develop a long-term safety redesign. The transportation department was planning to hold community feedback sessions about Canal Street redesigns in the fall, but these have been moved up to later this month due to the crash.
The name of the traffic commissioner coordinating the safety measures for the street renaming in Manhattan's Chinatown is not publicly available. Police officers were parked near the crash site, using a radar gun to monitor vehicles on Thursday.
The transportation department's commitment to improving safety on Canal Street is a welcome step towards reducing the number of tragic incidents in the area. As the redesign plan unfolds, it is crucial that the voices of the community are heard and that further measures are taken to ensure the safety of all road users.
Read also:
- EU's Role in Brazilian Rainforest Destruction
- Connecticut and Rhode Island seek court order to reactivate Revolution Wind project
- Catastrophic blast at a US Steel facility in Pennsylvania causes 2 fatalities, inflicts injuries on 10 individuals
- Weekly developments in the German federal parliament, the Bundestag
