By Patrick Hedlund
DNAinfo News Editor
LOWER EAST SIDE — Friends and colleagues of a longtime local advocate who recently died after being struck by a cab want to rename a street in his honor.
Harry Wieder, 57, was killed while crossing Essex Street after attending an April Community Board 3 meeting as his shocked fellow board members looked on.
Wieder, who was disabled and used crutches to walk, had been an outspoken transportation advocate and a staunch proponent for LGBT and disabled peoples’ rights.
To recognize his memory and legacy for activism, a group of board members have proposed renaming the Lower East Side block on which he lived “Harry Wieder Way.”
“He certainly was a monumental figure of sorts in the community, and it seems like it would be appropriate to do a co-naming,” said CB 3 Chairman Dominic Pisciotta.
“I definitely would think that it’s something that board would be willing to take up and hear and work through the process of.”
Any individual recommended for a street renaming must meet certain criteria for consideration, as well as receive the consent of at least three-quarters of the block’s residents.
In this case, the proposal would need the support of residents on Forsyth Street between Stanton and Rivington streets where Wieder lived.
Board 3 District Manager Susan Stetzer said the process could take up to six months, but couldn’t comment on the matter since it hadn’t formally been brought to the board.
