Neighbors: Relocated Exit Has Made Staten Island Expressway Service Road Dangerous
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Speeding on a Staten Island Expressway service road has a neighborhood asking the city for action.
As CBS2's Sonia Rincon reported, everything changed when an exit ramp was moved.
It's been a couple of years since Exit 13 on the eastbound Staten Island Expressway was relocated three blocks, and neighbors said it has caused big problems.
"It has changed our life quite dramatically," said Fay Schiff.
Neighbors along the service road Milford Drive said the speeding along their street simply puts them in constant danger.
"The ramp is 30 miles per hour, and the street is 30 miles per hour, but nobody one does it," said Tom Lokke. "And there've been some really bad accidents out here."
"They just fly past here like this is a continuation of the highway," said Yolanda Gleason. She said people coming out of small residential streets nearby have been hit.
"A couple of our neighbors up the block, they've gotten hit…. Instead of hitting the brakes, they blow the horn. They don't stop. They don't care," Gleason said. "It's so dangerous."
When the exit was in its old location, neighbors could not turn directly onto their streets. They had to go around.
But they said the convenience with the new exit location isn't worth the danger. Between the old exit and the next stop light at Clove Road, there just wasn't a lot of room to speed up.
"Even getting on to Milford Drive in the morning, forget it," Lokke said. "It's so hard. People are going way too fast."
And it's not just the speed – the traffic is loud.
"I don't have to open my eyes or look at the clock, because at a quarter to seven, the traffic is already making enough noise," Schiff said.
The city Department of Transportation has put up signs reminding people of the speed limit, and has been in contact with city Councilman Steven Matteo (R-50th). Both promised to work to come up with something effective and present it to the community.