Shore Road has become a demolition derby where speeding cars careen out of control and crash into parked vehicles as they try to negotiate a blind curve, and it’s only a matter of time before someone gets hurt, say neighbors who want the city to slow the cars down.
Cars routinely speed along the area directly in front of Xaverian High Schoolat speeds of more than 40 miles-per-hour, despite the fact that the speed limit nearby is 15 miles-per-hour during school hours, residents claim.
And Evie Wexler says that speeding vehicles have smashed up her beloved Volkswagen twice in the past 18 months because there is nothing slowing down reckless drivers.
“It’s a danger zone,” she said of the winding road between MacKay Place and 69th Street.
Last July, a Belt Parkway-bound motorcycle skidded out of control and slid into her parked car. Then, two weeks ago, her car was parked in the same spot and got slammed into again, this time by a car that pushed it onto the sidewalk and causing $10,000 in damage.
There also aren’t any crosswalks across Shore Road, which means that pedestrians strolling along the promenade or walking out to the 69th Street Pier have to play Frogger if they want to get across the street in one piece.
“I try not to walk my dogs between 3 and 4 pm because it’s a lunatic asylum out here,” said Carol Mahoney, who lives directly in front what she says is ground zero for car crashes. “I don’t know why the cops don’t sit out here and ticket because it’s a speedway. It goes on all day long,”
Cops from the 68th Precinct say that they have received complaints at that location and regularly have officers patrol the area.
Neighbors are split as to whether there should be a stop sign or a traffic signal, but they all agree: the city needs to act before someone gets hurt.
Shore Road has two stop signs in the area — one on 75th Street, and another on 69th Street. But the six blocks of unfettered driving makes drivers think that they’re in an Acura commercial, said Wexler.
“When there’s an open roadway, people take advantage of it,” she said.
The city denied that the area is dangerous, but promised to check it out after we contacted them about the complaints.
“We will study this location to determine if any changes are appropriate,” said Department of Transportation spokesman Monty Dean, who said that there has never been a fatality on that block, and there has only been one injury from 2006 to 2010.
Justin Brannan, spokesman for Councilman Vincent Gentile (D–Bay Ridge), said that his office plans to request that the city install a stop sign.
Reach reporter Dan MacLeod at dmacleod@cnglocal.com or by calling him at (718) 260-4507. You can also follow his Tweets at @dsmacleod.
