NEW YORK—The city is looking to put the brakes on speeding motorists with a series of 13 new Slow Zones throughout the five boroughs.
On Tuesday, Corona, Queens officially joined Claremont Avenue in The Bronx as the second place in the city with an approved Slow Zone — which sets the speed limit as 20 mph and includes other traffic calming measures such as speed bumps.
Thirteen other Slow Zones, are also on their way, the Department of Transportation said, with locations in Mt. Eden, Baychester, Eastchester and Riverdale in The Bronx; Boerum Hill in Brooklyn; Inwood in Upper Manhattan; Elmhurst, Jackson Heights/East Elmhurst and Auburndale in Queens; and New Brighton/St.George, Dongan Hills and Rosebank on Staten Island.
The areas were picked because of their proximity to schools, senior centers, daycare centers, subway stops and crash rates, the DOT said.
At an event in Queens announcing the Slow Zones, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the initiative was part of a larger plan in trying to keep streets safe for drivers and pedestrians.
“We are continuing our assault on the number one traffic killer: speeding,” Bloomberg said. “We have seen success already where we have installed slow zones and we expect safety will improve as speeding is reduced in these communities.”
At the city’s first Slow Zone in Claremont Avenue in the Bronx, the DOT said that initial data showed that car speeds were already down 10 percent.
This year, four Slow Zones, including the one in Corona, bounded by 34th Avenue in the North, Roosevelt Avenue in the South, Junction Boulevard to the West and 108th Street in the East, will be implemented.
The other three will be located in Inwood in Northern Manhattan, Mt. Eden in The Bronx and New Brighton/St.George in Staten Island, authorities said.
Drivers entering designated Slow Zones will see a prominent blue gateway, with signs noting the 20 mph speed limit, the DOT said. New speed bumps and signs will also warn them to slow down.
Residents in Corona like 67-year old barber Arsenio De La Cruz, said they welcomed slower traffic in the neighborhood, especially on Roosevelt Avenue.
“Traffic is so heavy on these streets,” De La Cruz said. “Especially when school closes…it’s not safe for the kids.”
Miriam Moran, a 22-year old mother of a 4-year old boy, Sebastian, echoed his sentiments, saying the traffic in and around Roosevelt Avenue was “out of hand.”
“There’s so much speeding, honking…hopefully this will help,” she said.