Residents get street lines FINALLY

Residents get street lines FINALLY

After a group of Pennyfield Avenue residents called on NYC Department of Transportation to “connect the dots” and change a broken yellow line down the center of the street to a solid one— their pleas are finally being answered – twice.

A double yellow line will finally be painted along the street after much concern was expressed by area residents.

Local residents became concerned last year, after the DOT painted a dashed line down the center of the roadway, from Harding Avenue to SUNY Maritime.

Karin O’Connor, a resident of Glennon Place, just off Pennyfield Avenue, said she finally thought she had made some progress the last time the road was re-paved, when she saw lines being painted on the street, until she realized they were the wrong lines.

“There has not been painted center lines on Pennyfield for years, and Patrick Caruso (at Community Board 10’s office) was able to move this project up and get the lines painted. But they [DOT] painted broken yellow lines instead of two solid lines. This has caused a dangerous situation.”

O’Connor said a single broken yellow line allows traffic to cross the center of the roadway and is most often seen on two-lane rural roadways.

The broken single line also allows for passing on the left hand side, if conditions will allow a driver to do so.

Now, with the new double lines, residents feel the road will be much safer.

Lynn Gerbino, president of the Throggs Neck Homeowners Association, said the double lines are a step in the right direction

“If Pennyfield Avenue is getting a double line, we will be elated,” she said, especially “as a deterrent for those who pass buses on the road.”

“Some residents have been asking for a long time for these lines to be corrected. Whatever can be done to assure the safety of our children and our homeowners is a plus. We have to stop the speeders who recklessly drive though our community.”

According to DOT, the agency was only authorized to refurbish the markings last year, which reflect a design in place since 2000.

A DOT spokesman said safety is a top priority. Given the narrow street, they said the current yellow “lane line” marking indicates the street is two ways, but at the same time provide motorists with the ability to legally access the second lane to pass.

Residents have cited numerous accidents, heavy amounts of traffic due to several schools in the area, and speeding.

Gerbino said she hoped that solid lines placed along Pennyfield will help to rectify the situation and “give the police another option for ticketing on this speedway.”

She has previouosly tried to have Pennyfield to be officially declared a slow zone.

“It does not fit the “slow zone” model,” she said, “but I believe it can be done.”

The new lines will be painted after paving and milling of the road is completed over the next couple of weeks, according to DOT.

Kirsten Sanchez can be reach via e-mail at [email protected] or by phone at (718) 742-3394