By Julie Shapiro
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
LOWER MANHATTAN — Pedestrians who struggle to make the perilous walk across West Street’s eight lanes of zooming traffic will soon have some help — crossing guards for adults are on the way.
As soon as Aug. 2, crossing guards will be posted at Warren, Murray and Albany Streets during rush hour to protect people as they cross the highway.
"West Street is a real challenge for pedestrians," said Sam Schwartz, the veteran traffic engineer whose firm won the $1.2 million contract to provide the guards. "It’s very wide and very busy."
All of Schwartz’s "pedestrian managers," as he calls them, have law enforcement backgrounds and experience in dealing with crowds. The managers will hold up their arms to stop people from crossing against the light, as they do in Times Square and on Church Street near the World Trade Center.
Local residents have been clamoring for changes on West Street since 26-year-old Marilyn Feng was killed by a drunk driver while crossing West Street at Albany Street late at night in February 2009. Many residents also want to ensure that the crossings were safe in time for the September opening of the new PS/IS 276 in southern Battery Park City.
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver took up the call earlier this year, and the Lower Manhattan Development Corp. put $1.2 million toward the crossing guards. The Battery Park City Authority, which is managing the contract, voted Tuesday morning to hire Schwartz’s firm.
The grant will pay for two years of crossing guards, assuming they work only on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., as planned.
Several people crossing West Street at Warren Street this week were glad to hear of the new guards.
"Good idea!" said Eleanor Machlowitc, 87, a resident of Battery Park City’s Hallmark senior living center who walks with a cane. "Anything to help this intersection — it’s very busy, especially at rush hour."
Phoebe Danziger, 27, a Battery Park City resident who was pushing her 14-month-old daughter in a stroller, also thought the crossing guards would help.
"People come barreling through, and sometimes I have to pull back the stroller," Danziger said. "It’s not terrible, but it would be nice to have people looking out for you."
