The Bronx River Parkway

[efdcapt115 1,511]

This morning comes news that NYS will commence immediate improvements on the BRP bridge where we saw that terrible tragedy occur with the loss of 7 people, including elders and children; three generations of a family gone in an instant.

Jersey barriers on the outside of the bridge, new signage and striping on the roadway.

That's all well and good; just too late.

And it's not going to stop vehicles that go airborne and cross lanes or jump the center divider. We all know that headed south where the roadway meets that bridge there are ancient expansion joints that are ridiculously higher than the roadway. 90 percent of the people who drive the BRP regularly know exactly what is coming as they approach the bridge.

They'll slow down from 65 mph to 50 so they don't get the launch effect from hitting the bridge. But sooner or later, as in this case, somebody will hit it at traffic speed and either launch or lose control of the vehicle.

Related: I read that NYPD did an aerial and TIC search of the area to try and locate any possible ejected passengers. VERY happy to read this. My former squad had the infamous "lost body" call on the Cross County Parkway some years ago that lead to that protocol change for AI's. I would NEVER want another emergency worker to have to endure that type of event.

[Ladder44 73]

Its like the accident in hastings 8-10 years ago on the saw mill, tree fell down, SUV hit and flipped it, both parents passed away, child survied but after that, every tree that was leaning or looked dead from yonkers to mount kisco was cut down. Its a shame something has to happen for a change.

[PEMO3 523]

What is interesting is the BRP is only the tip of the iceburg. Look at the Croton Resevior Bridge on the Taconic. Like I said in a previous post, take a three lane bridge, 4 foot of jersey barrier down the middle and increase it to four lanes, no shoulder with a low outter barrier and you have a recipe for disaster. The state will say "but the speed is posted as 35 mph due the construction zone" but fact are facts. The Taconic is 55 mph and looks like the Indy 500 at times. And that does not account for the increased weight load and stress of 4 lanes and the weight of the jersey barrier over time. Take that same scenario to the Bronx-Manhattan boarder and look at the upper deck of the Henry Hudson Bridge where the outter barrier is being reduced from the old 4 foot barrier to the newly installed 2'8" barrier, again a recipe for disaster. This is just 2 of the countless scenarios throughout the region where for some reason engineers have decided a lower barrier is good enough even as more and more high profile SUVs are on the road.

Just my 2 cents.

[ny10570 745]

Why are we blaming the road? Reckless driving caused the accident. After the multiple fatality in which the SUV crossed the divider several years ago the city raised the divider. Shortly after the work was completed a car jumped the barrier. You will never stop these accidents from happening. Were those barriers higher maybe the van wouldn't have gone off the road and instead it would have been sent back into traffic and killed the occupants of another vehicle.

[efdcapt115 1,511]

Why are we blaming the road? Reckless driving caused the accident. After the multiple fatality in which the SUV crossed the divider several years ago the city raised the divider. Shortly after the work was completed a car jumped the barrier. You will never stop these accidents from happening. Were those barriers higher maybe the van wouldn't have gone off the road and instead it would have been sent back into traffic and killed the occupants of another vehicle.

Reckless driving and an unacceptable dangerous roadway caused that accident. How many times did it have to happen in the same location with so many innocent people killed, the road identified as a total danger, before DOT apparently is finally taking action?

That incident I referred to with the "lost body." Do you know the lack of working street lamps in that area of the CCP was identified in the final report as adding to the fact that first responders missed a victim? Do you realize that those lights have STILL not been repaired?

The utter incompetency and lack of follow-up repairs on the parkways is criminal in my opinion.

[peterose313 345]

I saw in an article somewhere that whomever is responsible for the upkeep of that section of the road actually had it in the budget to make repairs/alterations to that section of the BRP but due to the economy the money was frozen and they haven't been able to do anything or so they say anyways.

[ny10570 745]

Reckless driving and an unacceptable dangerous roadway caused that accident. How many times did it have to happen in the same location with so many innocent people killed, the road identified as a total danger, before DOT apparently is finally taking action?

That incident I referred to with the "lost body." Do you know the lack of working street lamps in that area of the CCP was identified in the final report as adding to the fact that first responders missed a victim? Do you realize that those lights have STILL not been repaired?

The utter incompetency and lack of follow-up repairs on the parkways is criminal in my opinion.

I drove that section of the Bronx River dozens of times a week working in Soundview. Thats not even close to the most dangerous section of the parkway in the Bronx. The S up at 233 street is far more deadly and legitimately a hazard even when driving with traffic if you're unfamiliar with the road. The section at 180th st is only dangerous at high rates of speed. Its a straight stretch where drivers get into trouble for going too fast over the expansion joints or running up on the traffic backups generated by the Cross Bronx exit. They can stripe it, add 4 foot barriers, and light it light the runways at JFK. People will still drive too fast and lose control over the expansion joints or run up on the traffic back ups.

The lost body on the CCP is a different issue. A lack of lighting is something that should absolutely be addressed. That is definitely not the problem here. The BRP is well lit and even if it wasn't, the train yard there is almost bright enough.

[efdcapt115 1,511]

Forgive me for not mentioning in the opening, how much my heart goes out the the Brothers and Sisters of The Jobs that had to deal with this alarm. As somebody so aptly stated in the thread about the Sullivan fire, now they need to bring in debriefers, counselors, psychologists, whomever to help all these emergency workers talk through and deal with the aftermath.

I guess that's why this topic had the potential to light my fuse for a minute there.

Because OUR PEOPLE have to deal with the effects of the boondoggled, bogged-down, countless excuse laden, INACTION on the part of DOT or whomever should be doing follow-up improvements to deadly and faulty roadways.

Don't tell me there can be any legitimate excuse for letting a row of roadway lights go un-repaired for YEARS, when it was sighted as a contributing reason why a dead guy was missed. And I had to witness first-hand what the effect of that call did to my co-workers. And we weren't even the lead agency. Guys were sick about it. For a long time.

I pray all those first in on this 7 fatality crash are okay personally. And I curse those who let uncorrected defects in the roadways continue to exist, ensuring more of OUR people who have to go pick up the pieces will be subjected to unspeakable horrors.

[PEMO3 523]

I drove that section of the Bronx River dozens of times a week working in Soundview. Thats not even close to the most dangerous section of the parkway in the Bronx.

While I will agree that driver error is a major factor that section of road is dangers. After working that area for years I responded to numerous MVAs there. The limited sight distance when you crest southbound, lack of an adequate deceleration lane on the entire stretch of the BRP from 233 to Soundview and traffic sitting in the right travel lane due to a backed up off ramp are major factors as well. The expansion joints and potholes bounce vehicles around regardless of speed sending them out of their respective travel lanes. Such a factor could easily send a driver left and make contact with the wall. Inexperience and tire damage could easily cause a driver to over correct and loose control. While an AI is still underway and it would be inappropriate to suggest cause or blame in this forum one thing is clear, road conditions not only on the BRP but in the entire tri-state area are poor and contribute if not cause many of the accidents we see daily.

[efdcapt115 1,511]

Glad we're all in agreement about the expansion joints.

[Bull McCaffrey 162]

What is this "lost body" incident you guys are talking about?

While the expansion joints might have been a factor, I'd go as far to say so was the speed. The city can go as far as making that section of the BRP a covered roadway. Unfortunately the way people drive, there will still be these horrific, multi fatal 53s. The only way to prevent that is to outlaw driving.

Prayers go out to the family and the guys who had to respond to this job.