STATEN ISLAND, NY. – (silive.com) A new study found that an intersection outside of a special education school is one of the most dangerous on Staten Island. The study results are reported by silive.com.
A group called Localize.city conducted the study, finding that the intersection of Tompkins Avenue and Vanderbilt Avenue is one of the most dangerous on Staten Island. The intersection sits outside a special education school in Stapleton, the Richard H. Hungerford School, serving District 75 students in grades seven through 12. The study examined schools within 500 feet of intersections or less, which included Hungerford. However, the Stapleton Lighthouse Community School (PS 78) is also very near to the intersection — just one block away.
Between January 2013 and January 2018, vehicle wrecks at the intersection have resulted in injuries to seven pedestrians and two cyclists. Since the end of the study period, six more vehicle crashes have occurred at the intersection. Parents and grandparents who bring their children to the two schools have mixed feelings about traffic at the intersection. Some say they feel the intersection is extremely unsafe, while others reported not noticing any issues with vehicles and drivers.
The New York Department of Education declined to comment on the Localize.city study. The New York Department of Transportation said the safety of school children and others using the streets around schools was a top priority. With a new medical clinic opening in the area, the DOT anticipates more traffic on the horizon. A spokesperson said the DOT would continue to monitor the area and consider a 20 mph school zone along Tompkins Avenue.
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