The city Department of Transportation (DOT) is in the early stages of devising a plan to improve pedestrian safety at the intersection of Paul Avenue and Mosholu Parkway.

DOT representatives met with residents and members of the Community Board 7 Traffic and Transportation Committee recently to discuss their assessment of the issue and propose changes. According to data included in the presentation made on March 1, over the past five years there have been 16 injuries and one fatality in the vicinity.

The DOT describes the intersection of Paul Avenue and Mosholu Parkway as bustling with action. DeWitt Clinton High School and Bronx High School of Science create heavy pedestrian traffic, with the 4 train and buses adding to the busy vibe during the morning and rush hours. There are connections to the Major Deegan Expressway (1-87) and Saw Mill River Parkway, as well as major institutions such as Montefiore Medical Center. The DOT believes the intersection is marred by unprotected pedestrian spaces, substandard bus stops, and the risk of head-on collisions.

For Mosholu Parkway and Paul Avenue, the DOT wants to add a pedestrian island to shorten crossing distances, a concrete sidewalk extension with landscaping, and a concrete bus boarding island with a painted sidewalk extension. They want to install pillars for safer left turns, paint pedestrian space with flexible delineators, and change parking restrictions to make room for buses. For bicycle network upgrades, the DOT proposed upgrading the signed routes to shared lanes on Paul Avenue between West 205th Street and Mosholu Parkway, to distinguish between traffic and bike lanes.

For Mosholu Parkway and Sedgwick Avenue, the DOT wants to create another northbound lane between Paul Avenue and West Gun Hill Road, essentially creating a third lane.

Many residents the Norwood News spoke with agreed that the area is already safe. They did not seem aware of any safety concerns.

The DOT hopes to begin simple changes this summer, but implement complete changes the following summer.

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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.