Lenox Ave and 145th Street Safety Improvements

By Wayne Sheppard

Having lived in Harlem, at West 147th Street and 7th Avenue, for almost 30 years & participating in organized sports in Colonel Young Park, (located between West 142nd & West 145th Streets, and Lenox Avenue), I have crossed the 145th Street Bridge hundreds of times. This bridge has been in need of major repair for the better part of 25 years. It is with great satisfaction that I inform you that NYC Dept. Of Transportation has proposed  repairs and improvements for this bridge & areas directly surrounding the bridge.

NYCDOT is proposing pedestrian and traffic safety improvements in the area of Lenox Avenue and W 145th St to create safer pedestrian crossings, shorten crossing distances, increase pedestrian space, and calm traffic.

This proposal includes a new concrete median between W 145th St and W 146th St along Lenox Avenue with parallel parking on both sides, a new pedestrian safety island at Lenox Avenue and W 146th St, and a widened concrete median with median tips extended through the crosswalks along Lenox Avenue between W 144th St and W 145th St.

At W 147th St and Lenox Avenue, high-visibility crosswalks would be installed to improve visibility of pedestrians at the intersection. At W 145th St and Adam Clayton Powell Jr Blvd, NYCDOT is proposing restricting the southbound left turn in order to reduce confusion and congestion for motorists, while improving pedestrian safety. Along W 145th St between Adam Clayton Powell Jr Blvd and Lenox Avenue, NYCDOT is proposing the striping of parking lanes, a painted flush median near Lenox Avenue, and an extended left turn lane in order to clarify and calm traffic.

If this work accomplishes what DOT proposes, this will greatly reduce the vehicular traffic back up in the surrounding areas and also make it much easier for pedestrians to safely move through this area as well.