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City Agrees to Add Stop Sign Where Downtown Crossing Guard Was Hit

By Irene Plagianos | February 17, 2014 10:18am
 A new stop sign will be placed outside of of P.S./I.S. 276.
A new stop sign will be placed outside of of P.S./I.S. 276.
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DNAinfo/Julie Shapiro

BATTERY PARK CITY —  Less than three weeks after a P.S./1.S. 276 crossing guard was struck by a passing cab as she stood on duty, the Department of Transportation has agreed to place a stop sign at an intersection that parents, police and elected officials have called dangerous.

The DOT will install a three-way stop sign at Battery Place and First Place, just outside the entrance to the 55 Battery Place elementary and middle school, where the 32-year-old crossing guard had her hand hit by a cab on Jan. 29, the DOT confirmed.

“Following a recent intersection study…the DOT will install multi-way stop regulations there to reduce potential conflicts between vehicles and the many students crossing the intersection, enhancing safety for everyone using these streets,” DOT spokesman Nicholas Mosquera told DNAinfo New York in an emailed statement.

The new safety measure comes after 1st Precinct Commanding Officer Brendan Timoney vowed to continue to put pressure on the DOT to improve pedestrian safety outside of the school, following the crossing guard accident. The guard was not seriously hurt and has returned to work.

Parents have long complained that cars and tour buses exiting the West Side Highway zip past the school, which houses a program for students with autism along with general education classes.

“We very happy that the DOT has taken this action,” said Matt Schneider, P.S. 276’s PTA president. “The traffic issue has been a growing problem since the school opened in 2010, and we’re hopeful this stop sign will make a significant improvement for our community.”

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver’s office said the DOT told them that the sign would be installed outside the school within a month.

"This is a dangerous intersection and it is crucial that we take measures to reduce the likelihood of an accident," Silver said in a statement to DNAinfo New York. “I want to thank the DOT for responding to our community’s needs."