At a heavily-trafficked intersection in University Heights, residents are increasingly scared to cross the street. 

There is no crosswalk or traffic signal at the intersection of 183rd Street and Sedgwick Avenue, and several accidents have been reported there since 2007, sending at least two street crossers to the hospital.     

 “We don’t want anyone else injured or killed for that matter,” said Lili Jones, a member of Faith in Action, a group that has petitioned for a stoplight at the intersection and is a part of the nearby Church of St. Nicholas of Tolentine.

According to Jones, the intersection filters many drivers hoping to avoid traffic on the Deegan Expressway and West Fordham Road, and is used heavily by seniors and children in nearby housing and daycare facilities.

In a letter provided by Jones, one church parishioner details leg injuries she suffered as a result of being hit by a car at the intersection, landing her in the hospital for two and a half months.          

Faith in Action has additionally pushed for several other traffic advances in the University Heights area, including speed bumps on Father Zeiser Place next to Devoe Park. 

The fate of Faith in Action’s specific requests for Sedgwick and 183rd is pending. In February, the DOT promised two 12-week studies of the area in response to their appeal for a stoplight and speed bumps.

According to DOT spokesperson Monty Dean, the results of the studies have been delayed while they wait for data from the NYPD, but should be released by the end of the month.

Waiting is the “most frustrating thing,” Jones said. “Who knows how many accidents will still occur? We don’t need any more, period.”