STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – Silver Lake Park Street, a shortcut for drivers going between Forest Avenue and Victory Boulevard, has been permanently closed to traffic.
The closure began throughout the COVID-19 pandemic so as to give folks an opportunity to get out of their homes and breathe some recent air.
It was so profitable that town, beneath Mayor Invoice de Blasio, determined to maintain the highway shut completely.
I do know that it’s an inconvenience for drivers. And infrequently did I agree with something traffic-related that de Blasio did throughout his tenure.
However as an everyday consumer of the park, I’ve no complaints in regards to the closure of Silver Lake Park Street. Despite the fact that I reside within the space, it was by no means a shortcut of mine.
Barrier at now-closed Silver Lake Park Street, at Forest Avenue. (Tom Wrobleski/Staten Island Advance)
However that brings me to a different query: What in regards to the site visitors lights at both finish of Silver Lake Street? The one I’m considering of specifically is the one on the Victory Boulevard terminus of the park highway.
With the highway closed and drivers not having to make turns onto Victory, do we actually want a site visitors mild there?
Throughout the road is Silver Mount Cemetery, which I’m guessing will not be an unlimited site visitors generator.
So why do we’d like a light-weight at Victory and Silver Lake Park Street? All it does is delay motorists who’re utilizing Victory Boulevard.
There are different lights within the space, at Eddy Avenue and Theresa Place, to maintain site visitors calm. There’s additionally a light-weight at Victory and Forest and one other at Victory and Highland Avenue.
With the park closed, the sunshine there has outlived its usefulness. It’s develop into out of date.
Conserving the sunshine in place on the Forest Avenue facet of Silver Lake Park Street makes extra sense. There’s a lightless hole between that intersection and Forest and Victory.
Along with that, site visitors comes onto Forest off of Havenwood Avenue.
It’s a really busy stretch of roadway, notably for those who’re attempting to cross into Silver Lake Park on foot. A light-weight there is smart.
Having a reasonably good thought of the response I’d get, I reached out to the oldsters on the metropolis Division of Transportation and requested them if they’d think about eradicating the site visitors lights on the ends of Silver Lake Park Street.
“Closing Silver Lake Street has been an unlimited boon to park customers, offering a protected path for recreation whereas additionally bettering site visitors security at Silver Lake Park, stated DOT spokeswoman Mona Bruno. “Site visitors and pedestrian alerts are to stay in operation to supply pedestrians protected crossing alternatives at Victory Boulevard and at Forest Avenue.”
Properly, it by no means hurts to ask.
