Sunset Park community members, elected officials, school leaders and local business owners rallied on Oct. 18, demanding the city add safety improvements to Third Avenue.
Third Avenue in Sunset Park remains the site of many traffic fatalities – since 2014, drivers have killed six pedestrians and five cyclists. In August 2026, Jiayi Zheng, a nurse at NYU Langone Hospital in Sunset Park, was struck and killed by a car on the avenue after leaving her shift.
“You know it, I know it, and everybody in Sunset Park knows it, too: Third Avenue is a death trap,” said State Senator Andrew Gounardes. “Crossing the street shouldn’t mean putting your life at risk. It’s past time to redesign Third Avenue to make it truly safe for everyone who uses it.”
More than 270 local residents, business owners and more have signed a public letter calling on the New York City Department of Transportation to create improvements along the corridor.
They outline three priorities in the letter: Public updates on the design of the corridor, immediate improvements such as better lighting, high-visibility crossings and curb extensions, and a long-term plan to redesign the avenue.
“18-wheeler trucks navigate through a corridor without sufficient lighting or protections for the people who share the space with them,” said Elizabeth Yeampierre, executive director of local organization UPROSE. “Immediate infrastructure investments must be made to ensure everyone is safe.”
Although NYCDOT has presented a plan to redesign the street in 2023, they have yet to take action, according to a press release from the Office of State Senator Andrew Goundares.
“Our community has waited long enough for safer streets,” said State Assemblymember Marcela Mitaynes. “The City must stop delaying and move forward with immediate safety improvements and a comprehensive redesign that puts people first. We need action now, before another life is lost.”
