City kids rolling down the street in their strollers might look like they have it made. But between rough pavement and heavy traffic, their rides can be bumpy.
"You have cracks," said parent Adieshe Humber. "The sidewalks are slanted upward, and you can trip — you're not looking down when you're pushing the stroller."
A survey by an organization called Transportation Alternatives confirms what many parents already know: getting around the city with a stroller can be tough at times. While many streets pose no problems, the report shows conditions in some places make for inconvenient and even dangerous travel with little ones.
Among people who answered the survey, 86 percent said they've avoided streets at least occasionally because they're too difficult to navigate with a stroller or a child under 10.
The top complaints among the stroller set include:
- Drivers who take dangerous turns
- Uneven or rough pavement
- Missing curb ramps
- Not enough time to cross the street
- No median to wait in while crossing
Transportation Alternatives says that while most people find sidewalk and street conditions reasonable, parents' concerns vary from borough to borough.
For example, in Queens and Manhattan, the No. 1 concern was drivers who take dangerous turns. Brooklyn parents complained about crumbling sidewalks, poor street quality, lack of maintenance and missing curb cuts.
In a statement, the New York City Department of Transportation sympathized with parents.
"We know how hard it can be to maneuver strollers and young children on city streets, which is why we've worked to make significant pedestrian safety improvements throughout the City," said the statement. "As a result, we've seen the lowest number of pedestrian deaths in 95 years, but this doesn't mean there isn't more that can be done."
If you find streets where you need increased signal time, or think a stop sign or traffic signal would help, call 311 and report the location so safety engineers can check it out.
