While the New York City Department of Transportation reconsiders the community’s request for increased traffic safety measures at the intersection of Emmons Avenue and Bedford Avenue for the umpteenth time, yet another accident occurred over the weekend.

Reader and Sheepshead Bay / Plumb Beach Civic Association member Tom Paolillo sent us the photos and the following:

Sunday morning, September 9th 2012….awakened by BANG..the sound of crunching metal and screeching skidding tires….this time the occupants of the small Toyota were injured when they were hit broadside by the van…The Toyota obviously could not see the approaching van while attempting to turn left onto to Bedford Ave.

A picture is worth a thousand words…

Indeed.

The Sheepshead Bay / Plumb Beach Civic Association has been demanding safety improvements to the intersection for several years. Most recently, they renewed their calls at their meeting last week, saying the site needs a left turn signal on the eastbound side of Emmons Avenue, and daylighting – a setback of parking to improve visibility – on the median.

Community Board 15 Chairperson Theresa Scavo put a new request in to DOT last week, but the agency has denied similar requests for the location multiple times before.

The scene of an April 2011 accident on Bedford Avenue and Emmons Avenue.

Community Board 15 sent a request to the Department of Transportation yesterday, seeking a left turn signal and daylighting at the accident-prone intersection of Emmons Avenue and Bedford Avenue.

The corner, as we reported yesterday, is the site of frequent collisions, according to residents. Cars making a left from eastbound Emmons Avenue onto Bedford Avenue are forced to make a blind turn, as parked cars along the median block the view. We’ve reported on several accidents at the intersection.

The request went in after yet another accident this weekend, spurring members of the Sheepshead Bay / Plumb Beach Civic Association to renew their calls for the turn signal and daylighting, a safety measure that sets parking back several feet in order to increase visibility for oncoming traffic.

But Community Board 15 Chairperson Theresa Scavo said that residents shouldn’t hold their breaths for DOT action.

“How many times have we requested this? This is not the first time we’ve requested this,” Scavo said. “Every now and then we get a call, ‘We need a left turn signal there.’ Fine. But we put in this request several times and it’s always been rejected.”

Scavo added that it can take up to four months for the agency to make their determination. DOT inspectors visit the site and count the number of vehicles making the left turn, as well as look at the intersection’s accident history, and take action dependent on internal criteria.

That leaves residents with little recourse for action, except repeating their request every few months.

“There’s nothing that [neighbors] can do. DOT goes there and does the study. If there is not a certain percentage of cars making that left, they wont do it,” Scavo said. “It doesn’t matter how many people they get letters from, it’s a DOT study and they have criteria and if it’s not there it’s not there.”

Following another car accident at the intersection of Emmons Avenue and Bedford Avenue, neighbors are renewing their calls for improved traffic safety measures before someone loses their life.

On Sunday, September 2, two cars collided as an eastbound vehicle traveling on Emmons Avenue sought to turn up Bedford Avenue, and a westbound car slammed into it. No one was seriously injured, but at least one group is saying it’s an ongoing problem.

“Vehicles driving east on Emmons that need to turn north onto Bedford will find it impossible to see cars traveling west on Emmons. Then, ‘WHAM….CRASH,’” said Sheepshead Bay / Plumb Beach Civic Association member Tom Paolillo, who told Sheepshead Bites about the accident and sent in the accompanying photo. “It is a regular occurrence.”

Paolillo said the corner needs a turn signal and a “No Parking Anytime” setback to prevent cars from parking at the end of the median so that oncoming cars can be seen during a turn.

Continue Reading »

Bedford Avenue and Emmons Avenue was home to a three car accident at around 9:00 a.m. today. It’s unclear what caused the accident, but tipster Andrey G. said the corner is a constant problem in the neighborhood:

I would imagine that today’s accident follows the same scenario. Almost every week an accident happens on that corner because those who want to make a left turn onto Bedford Ave cannot see the oncoming traffic. The DOT either needs to install an additional left turn traffic light (like it did at Ocean and SB Rd) or put up a No Standing sign on W-bound Emmons Ave 25 ft before the corner.

We just got word that there was a “pretty nasty” car accident at the intersection of Bedford Avenue and Emmons Avenue within the past 40 minutes or so.

We’re told one of the vehicles broadsided the other, and then they both spun out into the lightpole at the northwest corner of the intersection. The airbags of both vehicles were deployed, but a person at the scene said that no one was injured.

Drive safely, folks. We’ll have more information as it becomes available.

UPDATE [4:32]: It appears at least one person was injured, as reader Max K. – who also sent the photos- spotted a person on a stretcher being placed in an ambulance.

It also appears that the accident involved at least three cars. Two of the cars seem only slightly damaged, while the SUV is flipped.

Original post [4:24]: We got word that just minutes ago an SUV flipped on Emmons Avenue near Bedford Avenue. One reader reports that a child appears to be in the backseat.

We have no further information and will update as more becomes available.

Thanks to Max K., and Mike N., both of whom sent information for this report.