Residents of Allerton will soon witness something new when they walk out their door, with a complete new design planned for the busy street.
A study conducted by the Department of Transportation along Eastchester Road from Waring to Allerton avenues, and along Allerton Avenue to Fish Avenue, revealed two senior fatalities and three severe injuries had occurred along this thoroughfare.
Along Allerton Avenue the DOT study showed 55% of the vehicles were speeding, forcing the DOT to create a plan for speed reduction and pedestrian safety improvements.
The Pelham Garden Safe Street for Seniors Program has several components to reduce pedestrian risk.
Since March along Eastchester Road, signals have been modified for three feet second crossing time and crosswalks upgraded to high visibility with advanced stop bars. In June, sidewalk extensions will be placed at Mace and Waring Avenues to shorten Allerton’s crossing distance.
Allerton Avenue will be seeing a new facelift as traffic lanes are reduced. Beginning in July, the roadway will be repainted to include a 10-foot center median, with left turn bays or pedestrian islands, and in each direction an 11-foot traffic lane, a 5-foot bike lane, and a 9-foot parking lane.
Rather than two lanes of traffic going either way, one lane in each direction, with the designated turn bays, is expected to reduce speeding but maintain a smooth flow of traffic with no traffic build up.
Refuge islands, complete with greenery, will be found at Boston Road, Seymore Avenue and Eastchester Road. Left turn bays will be installed at 17 locations between Eastchester Road and Bronx Park East.
Two blocks prior to Bronx Park East, Allerton Avenue will remain with four lanes of traffic to process the heavy flow of traffic in at the intersection.
DOT plans to mitigate the congested intersection by widening the exit ramp from the Bronx River Parkway to two lanes, adding more green time to Dr. Kazimiroff Blvd, and providing a right turn lane for southbound Bronx Park East.
The project is expected to be completed within several weeks, creating as little of an inconvenience as possible, and residents will be notified prior to construction.
“All in all I think it’s a good project,” said Community Board 11 member Joe Thompson. “I feel if anyone has any other suggestions on how to improve this roadway, they should contact the community board.”
