Pelham Gardens residents want stop sign for Bouck Ave.

Pelham Gardens residents want stop sign for Bouck Ave.

Local residents in Pelham Gardens are concerned about the lack of sidewalk around the northwest corner of the intersection of Bouck and Waring avenues, coupled with speeding in the area. 

The community has sought a stop sign or speed bump to curb the problem. 

To make the turn walking south on Bouck onto Waring going west, pedestrians must walk out into the busy thoroughfare, usually around parked cars.

The downward slope of Waring Avenue is particularly drastic at this corner, obstructing visibility, according to pedestrians and drivers.

“I can’t see the people walking when I drive,” said John Ha, who lives at 1275 Waring Avenue.  “It’s very dangerous.”

His wife, Anne, agrees that it’s dangerous for pedestrians.

“Its difficult to walk around that corner, and you have to walk into the street where cars go too fast,” she said.

Joe McManus, a member of Community Board 11 and chair of its land use committee, has lived across from the intersection for over 30 years, and explained the fight for years for a stop sign to slow down the dangerous traffic.

“It’s very difficult to make a left turn on Bouck towards Pelham Parkway,” McManus said.  “It has always been a dangerous spot.”

McManus and the board approached Councilman Jimmy Vacca, who contacted the Department of Transportation to seek a stop sign at Bouck or Wilson Avenue, a block away. 

Vacca’s office has been working with the board to get the stop signs.  Two requests have recently been denied, according to the councilman, but more requests have been submitted. 

A DOT spokesperson explained that requests for stop signs at Wilson and Seymour avenues were denied based on traffic studies that were conducted. 

“We study accident history, vehicle volume, if the location is near a school and other factors,” he said.  “We follow the federal guidelines and those sites were denied based on the federal criteria.”

 Vacca promised to continue the fight for the community. 

“We are going corner by corner asking for speed humps and stop signs in that area,” Vacca said.  “We know there’s a problem there and it has to be addressed before tragedy strikes.”