As construction begins to lay the groundwork for Columbia’s Manhattanville campus, traffic accidents in the work zone have caused local residents to raise questions about the safety of the project.
According to Ramon Diaz, owner of Floridita Restaurant on Broadway and 125th Street, eight accidents have occurred in front of his restaurant in the past three weeks. In two of these accidents, vehicles ended up on the sidewalk, which Diaz noted poses a danger to pedestrians.
The hike in accidents is due to the narrowing of two southbound lanes on Broadway into three barrier-lined lanes for the relocation of a sewage pipe—nearly 100 years old—running along 130th Street. Drivers on Broadway and pedestrians crossing at 129th Street “couldn’t see each other until they hit,” Diaz said. “A couple [of the accidents] were small, but in a couple, the cars were totaled, air bags were deployed, and people were hurt.”
The University maintains that its efforts reflect a long-term goal to rehabilitate the area. The construction is replacing old infrastructure “by taking it [the sewer] offline and actually replacing it with modern technology,” said Joe Ienuso, executive vice president for facilities.
But to local residents, the efforts have been debilitating rather than revitalizing so far, Diaz said.
Diaz pointed to a 30-percent decrease in business at Floridita since last year, which he did not attribute to the current economy. “It’s 100 percent related to the construction, as diners tend to do better when the economy is bad,” he said. “This is the type of business that’s supposed to be recession-proof, simply because we’re cheap.”
Diaz said that his concern has fallen on deaf ears. When he brought up the issue of lost business, he said, University real estate official Phil Silverman“suggested trying to sell cigarettes to augment my business because construction workers smoke a lot.”
Among the accidents was one on Sept. 25 in which a Columbia student was hit by a car at Broadway and 125th Street and treated at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital for minor injuries.
Ienuso stressed that the construction complies with regulations set by the Department of Transportation and City Planning Commissions and that the University has kept local residents informed.
But despite that compliance, after Diaz sent a letter to Manhattan Borough Commissioner Margaret Forgione informing her of the accidents and requesting that construction be modified to ensure safety, the Department of Transportation stepped in.
Now, drivers cannot make a left turn onto 129th Street, and the timing of lights has been readjusted to relieve traffic flow. Residents hold out hope that the changes will make an impact.
“These were Department of Transportation actions, and we’ll see if this hopefully makes this area a lot safer,” said Community Board 9 Chair Pat Jones.
Diaz said Columbia has not answered his Sept. 20 letter, but the day the Columbia student was hit, Pat Jones and Susan Russell, chief of staff for City Councilman Robert Jackson (D-Morningside Heights and West Harlem), stopped by Floridita to speak to Diaz about the recent accidents.
“We’re letting them [the Manhattan Borough Commissioner] know that this is an escalating situation and that something really needs to get done there,” Jones said.
The issue was addressed at Thursday evening’s CB9 Uniform Services and Transportation Committee meeting.
“Any accident is very unfortunate for everybody involved,” Ienuso said. “Columbia’s intention is to keep everyone safe, and we will remain very active in our conversations ... in making sure we can maintain and sustain a safe environment.”
No specific timeline has been set for construction in Manhattanville, but Ienuso said the University hopes to have five buildings completed by 2015.
