Cross Bay Boulevard Needs Protected Bike Lanes, Stoplight: Pols

BROAD CHANNEL, QUEENS — Officials are urging the city's transportation department to install protected bike lanes and a traffic light on Cross Bay Boulevard in Queens, where a cyclist was killed Sunday in a crash.

In an Oct. 15 letter to DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg, City Council Member Eric Ulrich, State Sen. Joseph Addabbo and Assembly Member Stacey Pheffer Amato write that Broad Channel residents have long called for safety improvements along Cross Bay Boulevard — the main thoroughfare that connects mainland Queens to the Rockaways.

"This particular area in Broad Channel has long been a hotspot for speeding, and it is crucial DOT take the appropriate steps to keep cyclists, pedestrians and motorists safe," the letter says.

Corona resident Bogdan Darmetko, 65, was riding his bicycle along Cross Bay Boulevard the afternoon of Oct. 13 when he started turning and collided with an SUV heading the same direction, according to police.

Darmetko is the 25th cyclist killed on city streets this year. Ten cyclists died in crashes in 2018.

"While we can never take away the pain and suffering felt by those affected by Darmetko's untimely death, we can prevent another tragedy from occurring along this notoriously dangerous roadway," the letter says.