Jackson Ave & 11th St intersection might actually become safe to cross

Pulaski Bridge intersection, Hunters Point, Long Island City

Last night at the committee meeting regarding traffic and transportation in Long Island City (specifically Hunters Point), the DOT gave a presentation of their proposal to make the Jackson Ave & 11th St intersection a little bit safer for human beings to get across. The proposal includes:

• the construction of a pedestrian crosswalk at the base of the bridge with increased sidewalk refuges
• greening up some of the traffic islands, with a few scattered benches
• rerouting right turning traffic off the bridge in order to increase pedestrian crossing time without creating bottleneck on the bridge
• making 49th St (Hunters Point Ave) one way off the bridge (currently two-way)

The proposal does call for the loss of some parking on Jackson Ave, but also the creation of new parking on 49th St. There are other components to the proposal, which is supposed to be up on the DOT site, but it is difficult to find. When it’s found, it’ll be added to this post.

If the CB2 approves the proposal in February, the changes to the intersection could be implemented and completed by the end of May 2009. Committee members offered other suggestions to the proposal (which contains more components than listed above), but overall it was met with general approval.