South Brooklyn parents say kids are in danger from faded school crossings

Quaglione inspects streets to uncover extent of problem

October 3, 2017 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle

John Quaglione stands in the middle of Fourth Avenue where the paint on a “School Crossing” marking has faded away. Photo courtesy of Quaglione campaign

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Kids face a hidden danger every day on their way to and from school due to faded and nearly undetectable “School Crossing” markings in the streets near schools in Bay Ridge, according to nervous parents who are demanding that the city do something about it.

“The drivers don’t know to watch for kids crossing the street because the “School Crossing” paint has faded away. You can’t even see it anymore,” one mother of a P.S. 264 parent told the Brooklyn Eagle. “God forbid something happens.”

Another parent alerted John Quaglione, a Republican running for City Council in the 43rd Council District, and requested that he look into it. Quaglione is running against Democrat Justin Brannan in the Nov. 7 election.

Quaglione responded by conducting an informal survey of schools in the area and reported back that he found troubling results.

Quaglione said he discovered nearly three dozen instances where the paint on “School Crossing” markers and standard crosswalks had faded and become nearly invisible.

Without a clearly visible “School Crossing” marker, drivers have no way of knowing they should be careful of children crossing the street, Quaglione said.

At P.S. 264 at 371 89th Street, Quaglione said he also found mislabeled and misleading directions, as well as a pedestrian signal that is difficult to see from across the street. The signal needs to be re-positioned, he said.

P.S. 264 is located on the corner of Fourth Avenue and 89th Street. The avenue is a heavily trafficked, four-land thoroughfare that leads to the Belt Parkway and the entrance to the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge.

Many of the school’s 600 students cross Fourth Avenue while walking to and from school.

There is a faded “School Crossing” marking on Fourth Avenue and 90th Street, a block from P.S. 264.

Other schools in Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights and Bensonhurst where Quaglione found at least one faded “School Crossing” marking include P.S. 104, P.S. 112, P.S. 163, P.S. 176, P.S. 186, P.S. 186, P.S. 204 and P.S. 229.

Quaglione called on Brooklyn Transportation Commissioner Keith Bray to fix the problem as quickly as possible.

“This is a commonsense issue. We all want our children and their educators to be safe walking to school. I am calling on the DOT to assess the condition of all school crossings at the beginning of each school year. It may seem minor to City Hall, but I’m here to tell them it’s not. It’s important to know your kids are safe,” Quaglione said, referring to the Department of Transportation by its initials.