City to Study Traffic on South End Ave

The city’s Department of Transportation is planning to reexamine the need for a traffic light at two intersections in Battery Park City, after continued requests from Community Board 1 that something should be done to slow down cars on South End Avenue.

The DOT reviewed traffic at South End and Rector in 2011 and South End and West Thames in 2012, and concluded that there were not enough speeding cars, traffic accidents, crossing school children or heavy vehicular traffic to meet federal criteria for a light.

After 18 months has passed, the city can conduct another traffic study at the intersections, Joshua Kraus, a planner with the DOT, told CB1’s Battery Park City Committee on Jan. 15. New studies at both locations will focus on school children, and will be conducted in early morning and afternoon hours. P.S. 276 is located two blocks south of West Thames.

The DOT had planned to initiate the first study in the spring, but at the request of the committee, the studies will be done in the fall instead.

“There is going to be a brand new preschool opening at the end of the year, and at that point an additional 100 students will be enrolled in P.S. 276,” Committee member Tammy Meltzer said.

In the meantime, Kraus suggested that the committee consider alternative measures for "calming" traffic on South End Avenue, such as angling parking spaces and building up the medians.

“I am cautiously optimistic, given what you have told me, given the timing of the studies, that we will get a signal,” Kraus said. “But it is possible we won’t and that leaves us with another 18 months before we get another shot.”

A new bike share station is planned for the median on West Thames and may help to slow cars down as well, Kraus said.

The Battery Park City Committee plans to discuss additional traffic calming measures at its meeting on Feb. 5.

“Frankly this is an area where we are looking to the board, to the community, to see what is a preferred solution,” Kraus said.