After the death of a 28-year-old nurse in a hit-and-run crash while walking home from work, NYC officials announced a large-scale redesign of a deadly 2.1-mile stretch of Third Avenue in Sunset Park.
The plan will add protected bicycle lanes, reduce vehicle traffic lanes, and shorten pedestrian crossings along this 2.1-mile stretch that’s seen 17 traffic deaths in the past 10 years.
Mayor Mamdani announced the plan by saying, “We know what keeps New Yorkers safe on our streets: calmer intersections, shorter crossings, protected bike lanes, and ambitious redesigns that put people first.” “17 people have lost their lives along this corridor in a decade. That cannot continue. Starting next year, we will transform Third Avenue to protect pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers. And across this city, we will redesign our most dangerous streets over the next three years. Preventable traffic deaths are not inevitable, and we will not accept them as the price of getting around our city.”
With this overhaul, the third avenue will be reduced to four traffic lanes from the eight it currently has; it will add bike lanes in both directions while keeping parking lanes on either side of the street. Pedestrian walking distances will also be shortened to improve safety.
This announcement comes after Jiayi Zheng, a 28-year-old nurse at NYU Langone Brooklyn Hospital, was stuck and killed by a hit-and-run driver while crossing Third Avenue after completing an overnight shift. Police said Zheng had the right of way and had crossed three crosswalks before getting hit by a speeding black Cadillac.
People have called for a third avenue design for years; her death reignited these calls and advocations to address these long-standing safety concerns. According to Transportation Alternatives, Zheng was the 11th person killed while walking or biking along the two-mile stretch of Third Avenue since 2014. The group also noted that another NYU Langone Brooklyn Hospital employee, nurse practitioner Clara Kang, was fatally struck on the avenue while biking home from work in 2021.
This redesign comes after years of concern about crossing this roadway, described as “dangerous” and “intimidating.”
