Eyes on the Street: Curb Extensions on Park Avenue in East Harlem

People crossing Park Avenue in East Harlem often have a tough time seeing cars coming down the street. A stone viaduct that carries Metro-North trains overhead reduces visibility for walkers, cyclists and drivers alike. This week, DOT poured concrete for neckdowns at East 111th Street as part of a larger street safety project.

The neckdowns at 111th Street expand the short sidewalk in the median below the train viaduct, allowing pedestrians to safely stand in a visible location before crossing the street.

Neckdowns were installed at 104th and 105th Streets in 2009 as part of a school safety project. More are coming to the rest of the Park Avenue stone viaduct, between East 96th and East 111th Streets, as part of a project proposed last year and supported by Community Board 11.

Park Avenue is a notable danger zone for cyclists. Despite a high number of bicycle crashes on Park, including three fatalities at East 108th Street since 2012, DOT has not revealed any plans to add bicycle infrastructure to the street.