Some Queens residents are petitioning to make streets safer for kids walking to school. NY1's Clodagh McGowan filed the following report.
As families walk to school along 88th Street in Glendale, residents say some cars are using the street as a shortcut to avoid traffic on Woodhaven Boulevard.
"From Cooper Avenue to Union Turnpike is basically the speedway for Glendale," said Kathy Masi, a Glendale resident.
Masi lives nearby and says since construction began on Woodhaven Boulevard for select bus service, the situation on 88th Street has only gotten worse.
"You either have no traffic and people racing or bumper to bumper traffic and no movement. It's a lose, lose situation for the community," said Masi.
Glendale resident Melissa Leavy says she often feels unsafe, whether it's walking her kids to school or biking.
"I almost got hit by a car on my bike the other day because cars are just so anxious to get towards the highway and towards Woodhaven Boulevard...and its rush hour so everyone is in a rush," said Leavy.
Masi recently launched a petition calling for speed bumps and traffic calming measures on 88th Street. She says while not everyone is in favor of speed bumps, the community agrees something needs to be done.
"Everyone is concerned, everyone feels the traffic, they're afraid of the speeders and they all are anticipating something terrible is going to happen," said Masi.
A Department of Transportation spokesperson says the location was last studied in 2015 and found no appropriate locations for speed bumps because the streets are too short and there are multiple impeding driveways and curb cuts. DOT has not received any additional requests for speed bumps since then. But that's something Massi hopes to change.