Missing Millions for Sheridan Square Peds

Two recent serious pedestrian injuries at busy Sheridan Square in Greenwich Village have left local residents and officials wondering what happened to the $1 million in funds earmarked for the area. In 1994, NYCDOT, supported by Community Board 2, applied for and received $1 million in federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) funds for pedestrian improvements around Sheridan Square. However, other than a hastily constructed blockade at the Waverly end of the Christopher Triangle, CB 2 has not seen any improvements around Sheridan Square in the past five years. Between 1996 and 1999, the board passed three unanimous resolutions, calling on NYCDOT to study and carry out pedestrian studies and improvements as outlined in their 1994 CMAQ application. The resolutions included a request for interim pedestrian safety measures. They have received no response, and the pedestrian toll continues to mount.

T.A. joins Community Board 2 in calling on DOT to explain where the $1 million in federal funds have gone, and to immediately begin to address the pedestrian safety problems at Sheridan Square.

"We're becoming more and more exasperated with DOT's lack of response to the community's concern for traffic and pedestrian calming within our congested neighborhoods. CB 2 has had a pro-active Traffic Strategies sub-committee for seven years and has worked with the community to analyze and share information with DOT, and yet they continue to ignore our recommendations as well as their own research."

Charle-John Cafiero, Chair of Community Board 2's Traffic and Transportation Committee

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