Queens Tribune

The problem was right there in front of Peter Juras’ nose as he snapped away with his camera. The two crosswalk indicators were clearly out of sync with one another.

Juras, a resident of Rego Park, played Queens Boulevard sleuth when he contacted the Action Desk to point out the problem that puts pedestrians on a dangerous boulevard in even more danger.

“As one is standing on either corner, the pedestrian sign indicates WALK, yet the far corner pedestrian sign indicates DON’T WALK,” Juras wrote in his letter. “So you ‘run’ to the island and wait for the signal to change and in the meantime, the traffic behind you is now in progress. You have to stop in the middle on that little island, while cars are speeding past you at 50- 60 miles per hour.”

At the intersection of Queens Boulevard and 66tht Avenue, on the block near the Trylon Theatre site and Danny’s Antiques, there are two crosswalk indicators that are not timed properly, which could confuse pedestrians trying to cross the 12-lane street that has been labeled the “Boulevard of Death.”

Juras said that after contacting 311 at three different times through the month of May, the problem was fixed. However, Juras said that once July rolled around, the problem was occurring once again. An investigation Tuesday night by the Action Desk confirmed that the problem has reoccurred and has not been remedied as of yet.

The Action Desk then contacted the DOT and made some inquiries about complaints made from until July to the present. The DOT said that investigations resulting from complaints on July 15 and Aug. 1 found that the lights were functioning properly and that there were “no repairs necessary.”

As the Action Desk and Juras found out, however, a few more repairs might be necessary. A DOT spokesman said the intersection would be investigated further in the future.

In the meantime, Juras said he would do what he can to avoid the crosswalk. “I told my wife to cross Queens Boulevard at 67th Avenue because of this dangerous situation,” he said. “It’s sad, but nothing is resolved in a timely and permanent manner anymore. I feel like I’m living in a Third World country. With all the publicity the ‘Boulevard of Death’ has received, one would think this issue would be resolved once and for all.”