Queens neighbors renew calls for safety upgrades at Union Turnpike intersection
Neighbors at the border of Kew Gardens and Forest Hills are renewing calls for traffic safety solutions after another crash.
Residents say collisions have happened for years where Union Turnpike meets Park Lane and Markwood Road, near schools and an entrance to Forest Park.
"There's children, joggers, families with strollers. It's very dangerous," Gary Ling said.
They first raised concerns with CBS News New York in 2024, citing malfunctioning traffic lights and a confusing convergence of cars and trucks, not far from the Kew Gardens Interchange.
Though the traffic lights are now operable, they say the corner remains chaotic.
"It's really scary. I feel nervous crossing it, especially when I'm trying to go to the park," sixth grader Grant Czyzewski said. "There's a bunch of speeding cars, and some don't follow the rules."
They say poorly marked turning lanes create additional hazards.
"The cars don't know where to go," Lisa Christopher said.
On September 17, residents documented the aftermath of a car barreling through hedges and colliding with a tree.
"I would like the speed limit to be decreased, a speed camera, also something to keep the pedestrians safe as they're waiting on the corner," Connie Czyzewski said.
They call the upgrades long overdue.
"It's been over five years of asking for improvements," Oded Horodniceanu said. "Why not now?"
The city counts four injuries to people in vehicles and no pedestrian injuries at the intersection over the past three years.
"You have lots of accidents that are not reported," Horodniceanu said. "Why should we have to wait until someone dies?"
City Council Member Lynn Schulman said she has been pushing the Department of Transportation for action.
"When I say we've been in touch for a while, it precedes this administration," she said.
After CBS News New York pressed the Department of Transportation, the agency said it will explore a possible speed camera, curb extension or lane reconfiguration as part of a new study, which it expects will take six months.
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