For many years pleas for bollards to protect pedestrians at Maspeth Memorial Square have been ignored by NYCDOT and our elected officials. This park is at one of the most heavily trafficked intersections in Maspeth and is the site of many of the community’s gatherings such as the Memorial Day parade, 911 Remembrance and Christmas tree lighting. All draw large crowds and most days people can be seen sitting in the park taking it easy.

The park has nothing to prevent vehicles from mounting the sidewalk and injuring pedestrians. A couple of years ago a car took out a bench and slammed into the fence of the Veterans Memorial, and this November a trailer truck mounted the sidewalk and took out the bus stop before slamming into a pole. No pedestrians were injured but the driver died from a medical episode. Let’s prevent similar situations in the future. The solution is simple and is present right across the street (see photo).