Queens officials press DOT for a walk signal where a 19-year-old was killed in Woodside

Three Queens elected officials are pressing the city Department of Transportation to stop waiting and add a pedestrian signal at the Woodside intersection where 19-year-old Nishath Jannath was killed by a garbage truck in March, QNS reported.

Assembly Member Steven Raga, Council Member Julie Won and U.S. Rep. Grace Meng wrote to Queens Borough Transportation Commissioner Liz Garcia on Sept. 28 about the corner of 62nd Street and Roosevelt Avenue, which has no pedestrian signal. They called the issue a "high-priority matter" and said Jannath's family has pushed for changes since her death.

An inspection on hold

According to the letter, Raga's office has been in touch with DOT since March about a planned safety inspection of the intersection. The agency told his office the inspection has been delayed by construction in the area, because a review during active work would not capture normal traffic conditions, QNS reported.

The officials argue that with no end date for the construction, the current conditions are themselves hazardous and should be evaluated now. They asked DOT to do the inspection without further delay and to install a pedestrian signal as quickly as possible.

DOT spokesperson Vincent Barone told QNS the agency is committed to improving safety at the intersection "as soon as possible given the current major construction at this location," and is talking with the permit holder about whether improvements can be made during or after the work.

What happened in March

Jannath died late on March 29, when a Royal Waste garbage truck turning onto 62nd Street from Roosevelt Avenue hit her as she crossed the street, about a half-mile from her home, QNS reported. The Queens Ledger reported that she was a City College of New York student on her way home from work and was in a marked crosswalk. The truck's driver stayed at the scene, according to the NYPD.

At a May rally organized with members of Bangladesh Society, Inc., speakers pointed to poor visibility under the elevated subway tracks along Roosevelt Avenue, especially after dark, QNS reported. Community Board 2 has asked DOT for daylighting at the intersection, a stop sign on Roosevelt Avenue at the 62nd Street turn and a shorter crosswalk. Its transportation chair, Reilly Owens, told the board in April that it had sought safety upgrades along the corridor for years, the Queens Ledger reported.