The New York City Department of Transportation has again denied a request for a stoplight outside PS 29Q in College Point, Queens, ending a campaign led by students who had advocated for the safety measure. This marks the third time the school's pleas for traffic calming infrastructure have been rejected.
Drivers have been observed treating the streets near the elementary school as a racetrack, creating a dangerous environment for students, according to City Councilmember Vickie Paladino. "There were cars constantly going by with no regard to the fact that it’s by a school, no regard for anything," Paladino stated.
The push for safety measures intensified after a March 2025 incident where a car struck and injured a crossing guard while she was escorting children at the intersection of 125th Street and 23rd Avenue. The 47-year-old guard sustained neck, forehead, and knee injuries and continues to experience trauma from the event.
Following the accident, the school requested a stoplight, a four-way stop sign, or speed bumps. However, the DOT determined that the intersection did not require additional safety measures. Instead, the department installed a four-way stop sign one block east, a move Paladino dismissed as ineffective.
Students participated directly in the advocacy, penning letters to the DOT highlighting concerns about speeding vehicles and the potential for repeat accidents. One student wrote, "To me, this puts many lives in danger … If we don’t take action now, then it is possible for another accident like the one last year to happen again … Please we need your help!"
Paladino expressed frustration with the repeated denials, stating, "Multi-way stop sign: denied. Speed hump: denied. Traffic signal: denied."
A DOT spokesperson stated that the agency reviewed traffic and pedestrian volumes and identified two other intersections near the school for speed reduction measures. An all-way stop sign was installed at 25th Avenue and 126th Street last year, near another installed in 2021. "Every New Yorker deserves safe streets and school children ought to be protected as they travel to and from school," the spokesperson said. "NYC DOT has recently installed two all-way stop signs around this school in response to community requests— these decisions are guided by safety data and unique local conditions, and we will always work with communities to make our streets safer for everyone."