New and Improved Walkways Coming Soon to Boro Park

C.G. Hoffman

Boro Parkers have been scratching their heads recently at the seemingly non-stop construction crews tearing up roads and sidewalks. It may be due in part to recent efforts by the city to overhaul all intersections and make previously inaccessible street corners wheelchair (and baby carriage!) accessible by installing ramps.

Using high definition, street level imagery and ground-based LiDAR technology, as of 2019, the city has surveyed 217,678 pedestrian ramps, and the Pedestrian Ramp Program focuses on installing and upgrading pedestrian ramps throughout the five boroughs. 

In a statement provided exclusively to BoroPark24, the NYC Department of Transportation said, “NYC DOT is committed to building a safe and accessible city. There are thousands of new pedestrian ramps installed across the five boroughs each year and NYC DOT has been working to increase pedestrian ramp upgrades and installations throughout the City.”

The efforts include reviewing existing street ramps and performing repairs when necessary. In addition, the DOT responds to complaints received from the public through its Sidewalk Inspection and Management Division. New and upgraded pedestrian ramps also include a red detectable warning surface for those who are blind or have poor vision. In other upgrades designed for pedestrians with low vision, Audible Pedestrian Signals (APS) are being installed throughout the city on poles at crosswalks, which guide pedestrians with low vision on when it is safe to cross.