The sidewalk at a Cropsey Avenue bus stop is constantly covered in ice, according to locals, posing a hazard for riders and passers by.
The problem is a collapsed portion of the street by the curb, which creates a puddle that arriving B8 buses splash onto the sidewalk, quickly building up layers of ice in frigid weather
“Every time it rains, it fills with water and stays for days,” said Bath Beacher Angelo Arena. “Then every time the bus comes, it pushes the water on the sidewalk, and as soon as it gets cold, it’s a sheet of ice. Somebody’s going to walk of that bus and break their head.”
The permafrost pathway is in front of the bus stop on the south side of the road between Bay 17th Street and 18th Avenue. There is also a senior residence nearby, increasing the danger from the icy sidewalk.
A Metropolitan Transportation Authority spokeswoman said the matter is the Department of Transportation’s responsibility, and the department did not return multiple requests for a comment.
Dangerous sidewalks — especially those adjacent to city property — are a liability not only for pedestrians, but for taxpayers as well.
The city paid $39 million to settle 2,033 claims against the city for “defective sidewalks” in 2012, according to information from the Comptroller’s office.
Sidewalk accidents were the third most frequently filed type of personal injury claim against the city — and the fifth most expensive, the report found.
