New York City just shut down a heartbreaking plea from elementary school kids in Queens who want to stay safe. Students at PS 29Q in College Point have begged city officials to install a traffic light at a dangerous intersection, but the Department of Transportation said no again. This is the third time the city has rejected their request, even after a car smashed into a crossing guard right outside their school.
The situation at 125th Street and 23rd Avenue has been a nightmare for families. City Councilmember Vickie Paladino is furious that the city keeps ignoring the danger. She watched as drivers treated the streets like a racetrack while children tried to cross. “There were cars constantly going by with no regard to the fact that it’s by a school, no regard for anything,” Paladino told The Post, according to the New York Post.
A Dangerous Intersection
The push for safety started after a horrific crash in March 2025. A 47-year-old crossing guard was escorting kids through the intersection at 8 a.m. when a car hit her. Police reports say she suffered neck, forehead, and knee injuries and continues to deal with trauma today. Despite this, the city claims the spot does not need extra safety measures.
One block east of the crash site, officials put in a four-way stop sign rather than speed bumps or lights. Councilmember Paladino says that fix “did nothing” to stop the speeding. The school has asked for a stoplight, a four-way stop at the actual corner, or speed bumps multiple times. They even sent letters from the students themselves pleading for help.
One student wrote, “We have a problem in our community,” noting that cars have been speeding up lately. The city’s refusal to act shows a complete disconnect between what bureaucrats think and what families actually face on the ground.
Why The City Is Wrong
This rejection is a slap in the face to the students and the injured guard. The city has a duty to protect children, not debate traffic flow statistics while kids risk their lives. When you have a crossing guard hospitalized because of a crash, you do not tell the school to wait. You fix the street immediately.
Paladino took to social media last week to call out the failure. In the aftermath of the crash, she stated the city did not “give this school what it needs” It is hard to argue with logic that simple. If a guard can get hit, the intersection is unsafe. Period.
The city seems more interested in saving money or following rigid rules than saving lives. They installed a sign where it doesn’t matter and ignored the students’ “Call to Action.” These are kids who just want to get to school without worrying about getting run over. That should be the bare minimum in any decent city.
Next Steps For Safety
The community will not stop fighting for this light. Councilmember Paladino has made it clear she will keep pushing the Department of Transportation to reverse this decision. Parents and students have already shown they are willing to speak up and organize. They know their streets are dangerous.
There is no specific vote date mentioned for this request in the reports, but the rejection happened last week. The city needs to come back with a real solution, not another excuse. Until they install a stoplight or real speed control, the kids of PS 29Q remain at risk.
This is opinion and commentary from the RapForMayor team.
