Marine Park Intersection Prone To Red Light Violations

For one intersection in Marine Park, red lights seem to mean nothing. On Kings Highway and East 34th Street, vehicle drivers have thrown out the rule book on traffic lights.

Residents there have witnessed all types of vehicles from a bus to an ice cream truck run a red light, and local video journalist Shimon Gifter shared videos with CBS showing violators blowing through the red in broad daylight.

“They just come around and keep on going,” Flatlands resident Eleanor Ortiz told CBS.

Witnesses even took a video of a driver running over those flimsy lane dividers often seen in construction sites. Short of the supernatural, it remains unclear why this intersection seems to be such a magnet for law-breakers.

CBS interviewed a few people familiar with the area who had their own speculations.

Some drivers familiar with the area said you can break the law and not even know it since the multi-colored row of traffic lights can cause blurred lines.

“Even though the red light is for you, you’re also seeing the other light which is green. So you sometimes tend to ignore the red light even though it’s for you and focus on the green light which is visible to you, but not really for you,” said Flatlands resident Boris Siper.

When CBS reached out to the Department of Transportation to comment on this, they said, “Safety is DOT’s first priority. The agency is looking at the location to see if additional signage can enhance safety.”