Last April, seventh grader Elvis Quinn was struck by a car as he crossed the intersection, which is less than 50 feet from the front the school. Quinn died 13 days later.
"Unfortunately, whenever there is a tragedy like this, it highlights the need for more security and safety measures around our schools," said Councilman Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. "During the city's budget process, I always attempt to promote an increase in funding for crossing guards."
State Senator Serphin Maltese, whose district includes MS 210Q, noted the number of accidents and student fatality at the corner of 101st Avenue and 94th Street. "I think that's definitely a situation at a corner that cries out for crossing guards and supervision," he said. "That's a bad corner, there's no question about it."
Maltese said he would be taking immediate action to get school crossing guards at the location, explaining that he would be writing DOE. Although school crossing guards are under the jurisdiction of the police department, the senator said it was his understanding that the local precinct would provide a crossing guard to the school if requested to do so by DOE. Maltese said he fully intends to question and request information from the DOE, Department of Transportation (DOT), and the school administrators, and to demand in this case that a crossing guard be put at the intersection. "It isn't only children that need crossing guards, in many cases it's many others," he said.
According to DOT statistics between 2001 and 2004, 18 accidents occurred at 101st Avenue and 94th Street, and between 1998 and 2000, eight accidents occurred at the intersection. The Elizabeth Blackwell School has a student population of over 1,200 students and over 100 staff members. Craig Chin, a DOT spokesperson, said that school administrators are responsible for arranging for school crossing guards with the NYPD.
Rosalyn Allman-Manning, principal of MS 210Q, did not respond to a request for comment for this article.
Without a crossing guard, parents worry about their children crossing the intersection as they go and return from school. "Every parent's fear is that your kid gets hit by a car," said MS 210Q Parents Association co-president David Quintana. "Something needs to be done."
Last week, Quintana wrote to Community Board 9 seeking their assistance in setting up a meeting between the DOT, the 102nd Precinct, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and the community to discuss the unsafe traffic conditions in the immediate vicinity of the school. In his letter, Quintana asked, "First and foremost for a school crossing guard at 101st Avenue and 94th Street." Quintana also requested that the MTA Q-11 bus running on 94th Street be rerouted, "thereby making 94th Street effectively a residential (non-commercial) street."
Former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani acknowledged the importance of school crossing guards to the safety of children when he hired an additional 150 of them to assist children in crossing busy streets on their way to school.
State Legislators also expressed support for the school crossing guards.
"School crossing guards are a vital and integral part of our educational system," said Assemblyman Pete Grannis, adding, "crossing guards ensure that children all across the state are able to arrive at and leave school safely."
Recognizing the ceaseless commitment and dedication of school crossing guards, the New York City Council passed a Resolution calling for the first Monday of the school year to be declared School Crossing Guards Appreciation Day in the City of New York.
