There’s been a lot of news lately about the spate of traffic accidents involving pedestrians in Bay Ridge.  A recent sad story caught the media’s attention when local legend, Joe Rollino, age 104, was struck and killed while crossing Bay Ridge Parkway at 13th Avenue. 

Unfortunately, he was just one of many.  Around the same time, there were reports that an elderly woman and child were struck on 92nd and Third Avenue. Last month, the Daily News reported that a local dentist was struck and killed on 4th Avenue and 79th Street by a hit and run driver who later turned herself in.  Another news report  told of an elderly man killed by a hit and run driver on Fourth Avenue in Sunset Park. Perhaps it’s not surprising that Fourth Avenue was recently named one of the most dangerous thoroughfares for pedestrians in the tri-state area in a study issued by the Tri-State Transportation Campaign. 

One of the worst incidents I’ve heard about was recounted by Allison Robicelli, (owner of Robicelli’s Gourmet Market, 8511 Third Avenue).  Her mother-in law-was struck and nearly killed by a hit and run driver on the corner of 75th Street & Ridge Boulevard. She ended up in critical condition at Lutheran Hospital with severe head injuries.  Fortunately, she recovered, but they never found the driver. 

These stories and others led to a spirited discussion on the Bay Ridge Parents Yahoo Group of which I am a member. Nearly everyone had a story of a near miss or an actual accident. There were the oft-cited complaints of drivers ignoring four-way stops, running red lights, speeding, texting and talking on cell phones as well as acknowledgment that pedestrians share the blame by crossing in the middle of the street, ignoring traffic lights and committing other bone-headed moves. 

In a commendable effort to try to do something about the problem, the group formed a Facebook page, organized a petition, and testified at the January Community Board 10.  As reported in the New York Post, they suggested better enforcement of traffic laws and particular attention to certain high accident areas, including Fourth Avenue.

I hope that these efforts pay off, but I wonder if there is something else going on that makes Bay Ridge a more dangerous place to walk and drive than other parts of the city.  Here are my theories:

 - A suburban car culture in an densely-populated urban neighborhood.  I sometimes think of Bay Ridge as populated by suburban wannabes who for some reason don’t want to leave Brooklyn. We have lots of private homes and multi-car families. The cars tend to be of the super-sized  SUV variety. We drive when we could walk.  No wonder the streets become wildly congested.  Just try squeezing past a Lincoln Navigator on a small side street.  Witness the daily traffic jam in front of Visitation Academy on Ridge Blvd between 89th and 91st Streets where cars are double parked dropping kids off for school. It’s no better down the block at  PS 185 on 86th Street and Ridge Blvd.  Marcie, the crossing guard, wears her voice out shouting at the cars that won’t let the kids cross the street or that block the intersections. 

 - Lack of public parking.  It’s a war out there when it comes to getting a legal parking spot.  Most of the illegal u-turns I see (and do) are an effort to snag a meter that just became available.  

 - The Gowanus Expressway (there’s an oxymoron for you!).  There’s nothing “express” about it.  It’s as lousy as the smelly canal it’s named after. It’s such a bottleneck that Fourth Avenue becomes the surrogate expressway.

 - Frustration.  All of the above leads to tremendous frustration trying to drive around the neighborhood.  You’ll be tailgated while looking for a parking spot.  You’ll be honked at while letting a little old lady cross in front of you. The parking spot you’ve been patiently waiting for will be stolen out from under you. You’ll be bested at the four way stop when others barely pause before driving through. You’ll be ticketed by the parking vultures (ahem: traffic agents) if you double-park even just to let someone out of your car.

 - Aggression…and maybe all of that frustration makes us a little keyed up, quick to anger, easily provoked, less likely to yield the right-of-way.  I know it’s not a good sign when I hear my six year old in the backseat say “Mommy, you just said a bad word again!”  I always think it’s the other guy’s fault, but sometimes it’s my fault too. 

What to do about it?  Maybe just acknowledging that we’re all part of the problem can go a long way. Let’s take a deep breath before getting in the car and consciously try to take it easy out there. Don’t honk your horn at the briefest delay. Let the other guy go first.  Realize it probably won’t make a difference in your day if you miss the green light on Fourth Avenue. Hey – maybe even try walking a block or two?  It’d be good for the environment, your waistline, and your mental health (if you’re not hit by a car, that is).

Tags: Traffic