ST. GEORGE — The Department of Transportation plans to make one of Staten Island most dangerous intersections safer.
Hyatt Street, across from Borough Hall, is one of the 10 worst Staten Island crash corridors. The DOT hopes improvements will make it safer for cars and pedestrians, said Tom Cocola, Borough Commissioner for Staten Island, at this week's Community Board 1 meeting.
"We believe this will make the area safer and saner," Cocola said at the meeting. "There are so many times you look out the window in Borough Hall and see organized chaos. We're going to bring a semblance of order to that."
The intersection of Hyatt Street and Central Avenue had 17 injuries from accidents from 2007 to 2011, mostly involving collissions between cars. The wide road can also be dangerous to cross, said Sean Quinn, planning coordinator for the DOT, at the meeting.
"There's a lot of missing traffic control at this location," he said.
Currently, thereare no stop signs or crosswalks at the Central Avenue intersection, which has wide streets where residents illegally park in the center, narrow sidewalks in front of Baker Square and heavy pedestrian traffic heading to the bus stops on Richmond Terrace, Quinn said.
To increase safety, the DOT plans to at a stop sign and brick crosswalk at Central Avenue and a pedestrian plaza in front of the St. George Theatre to stop the parking. Baker Square would be lengthened to give people a safer path to walk on.
The DOT did not give a date when work was expected to start on the project, but said it would be quick once it did start.
