Ditmas Park Block Among Most Dangerous For Cyclists In NYC: Study

DITMAS PARK, BROOKLYN-- One seemingly quiet Ditmas Park block near a local public school is among the most dangerous for New York City cyclists, according to a new study.

Newkirk Avenue between Argyle and Rugby roads is one of 20 local small streets across the five boroughs that witnessed the most pedestrian and cyclist injuries between January 2013 and January 2018, according to data analysts from real estate data site Localize.city,

The two Newkirk Avenue intersections saw 13 pedestrians and cyclists injured within the five-year time frame, analysts found.

Researchers pointed to the lack of a stop sign on Newkirk at Argyle, reports of cars making fast left turns without yielding to pedestrians, and the crowding caused by nearby P.S. 217 as possible causes for the uptick in injuries.

"Quieter, local streets may have less traffic than multi-lane ones and fewer overall crashes injuring pedestrians and cyclists, but many still may have hidden dangers," the report reads.

Localize.city urban planner Alon Goldstein. added, "Remember that dangerous driving can, and does, still happen on quiet neighborhood streets."

Transportation Alternatives advocate Thomas DeVito responded to Localize.city's findings by calling on city officials to install more curb extensions, expand the protected bike lane network and crack down on speeding drivers and illegal parking.

“New York City needs to be redesigning all of its streets to comply with a Vision Zero design standard," DeVito said. "We know how to design streets so no one is killed in traffic, we need the courage to do it.”

Here are the 20 most dangerous "neighborhood streets," according to the Localize.city report.

BROOKLYN

• Newkirk Avenue and Argyle Road in Ditmas Park
  • Injured Pedestrians: 4
  • Injured Cyclists: 3
• Newkirk Avenue and Rugby Road
  • Injured Pedestrians: 4
  • Injured Cyclists: 2
• South Fourth and Keap streets in Williamsburg
  • Injured Pedestrians: 2
  • Injured Cyclists: 5
• South Third and Havemeyer streets in Williamsburg
  • Injured Pedestrians: 4
  • Injured Cyclists: 7
• Hooper and South Fifth streets in Williamsburg
  • Injured Pedestrians: 2
  • Injured Cyclists: 4
• Sterling Place and Kingston Avenue in Crown Heights
  • Injured Pedestrians: 5
  • Injured Cyclists: 2
• Lawrence and Willoughby streets in Downtown Brooklyn
  • Injured Pedestrians: 5
  • Injured Cyclists: 2
• Smith and Wycoff streets in Boerum Hill
  • Injured Pedestrians: 2
  • Injured Cyclists: 4

THE BRONX

• East 168th Street and College Avenue in Concourse
  • Injured Pedestrians: 5
  • Injured Cyclists: 3
• Field Place and Creston Avenue in Fordham
  • Injured Pedestrians: 7
• East 196th Street and Valentine Avenue in Fordham
  • Injured Pedestrians: 5
  • Injured Cyclists: 1
• Goble Place and Inwood Avenue in Mt. Eden
  • Injured Pedestrians: 4
  • Injured Cyclists: 2
• East Mosholu Parkway North and Hull Avenue in Norwood
  • Injured Pedestrians: 3
  • Injured Cyclists: 2

MANHATTAN

• Ludlow and Rivington streets in the Lower East Side
  • Injured Pedestrians: 7
  • Injured Cyclists: 4
• Clinton and Rivington streets in the Lower East Side
  • Injured Pedestrians: 5
  • Injured Cyclists: 2

QUEENS

• 37th Avenue and 101st Street in North Corona
  • Injured Pedestrians: 6
  • Injured Cyclists: 1
• 37th Avenue and 99th Street in North Corona
  • Injured Pedestrians: 5
  • Injured Cyclists: 1
• 39th Avenue and 111th Street in North Corona
  • Injured Pedestrians: 5
  • Injured Cyclists: 1
• Woodward and Willoughby avenues in Ridgewood
  • Injured Pedestrians: 1
  • Injured Cyclists: 5
• 89th Avenue and 168th Street in Jamaica
  • Injured Pedestrians: 6

Staten Island’s one-lane streets were not included in the study as they did not Localize.city's analysis threshold.

Photo by Jenna Fisher/Patch