DOT Eyes Improvements for Deadly Grand Avenue in Maspeth

After meeting with Assembly Member Marge Markey, DOT is planning an engineering fix for the Maspeth intersection where a senior was killed by a driver making an illegal turn, and is considering improvements at other dangerous locations along deadly Grand Avenue.

Angela Hurtado, 68, was struck as she crossed Grand Avenue at 69th Place in the late morning hours of January 18. Driver Abel Tinoco hit Hurtado with an SUV as he turned left into the crosswalk, disregarding signage that prohibits left turns from 69th onto Grand.

The crash that killed Hurtado happened two blocks from where Francis Aung Lu drove onto a sidewalk and ran over five kids near a school, at Grand Avenue at 71st Street, last September.

Markey met with DOT and NYPD after Hurtado’s death. “Clearly there needs to be more enforcement of driving rules and safety improvements to protect our citizens,” said Markey in a press release. “At our meeting, DOT Borough Commissioner Dalila Hall has made a commitment to quickly implement safety improvements at the dangerous intersection where Angela Hurtado was killed in January.”

There were 23 crashes at Grand Avenue and 69th Place, resulting in four injuries, from August 2011 through December 2013, according to NYPD data mined by NYC Crashmapper.

According to DOT, a “qwick kurb” treatment — bollards installed in the roadbed — will be added at Grand and 69th Place to “further deter” left turns there. “We will also continue to review this location and others nearby for additional potential improvements,” a DOT spokesperson told Streetsblog.

Markey’s press release said other locations targeted by DOT include Grand Avenue at 69th Street, 53rd Avenue, and 65th Place. Changes to Grand and 69th Place are expected to be implemented this month, according to Markey.