STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Changes on a North Shore road should make it easier for Staten Islanders to get to one of the borough’s most beloved parks.
The New York City Department of Transportation recently installed traffic lights and pedestrian crossing signals at Victory Boulevard and Seneca Avenue in Sunnyside, better connecting pedestrians to Clove Lakes Park.
The pedestrian signals provide a crossing near several bus stops and the entrance closest to the park’s basketball courts. According to some residents, the signals are a welcome addition to the area.
“Before, especially when the bus stopped here, you couldn’t see people coming. My wife would come to the park every day with both kids and she was always afraid to cross here,” said Artur P., of Sunnyside.
“I know it’s safer for people crossing here, and there’s a lot of people crossing here going to the park,” he continued. “People might still be getting used to it, but it’s better.”
Traffic waits at the newly installed signals at Victory Boulevard and Seneca Avenue, near Clove Lakes Park.(Advance/SILive.com | Mike Matteo)Safety concerns
While the signals are already in place, no crosswalk or stop lines have been painted on the road due to the cold weather. The DOT has previously said its road markings won’t stick to the asphalt unless temperatures are around 50 degrees.
The changes were installed in late November and are designed to improve safety in the area, according to the transportation agency.
In 2025, two pedestrians and one motorist were injured at the intersection, according to the DOT’s Vision Zero View website.
The same intersection was also the site where 16-year-old Robbie Breen was killed by a driver while trying to cross Victory Boulevard in 2004. The corner of Victory Boulevard and Seneca Avenue would later be co-named after him.
Area traffic
One reader who recently contacted the Advance/SILive.com expressed concerns that the signal was possibly having an effect on rush hour traffic, with the line of traffic lights along Victory causing congestion.
Morning rush hour traffic backs up Victory Boulevard near the new signal at Seneca Avenue.(Advance/SILive.com | Mike Matteo)
While visiting the site during the morning rush hour, an Advance/SILive.com reporter noted a line of traffic would sometimes stretch back from the Seneca Avenue signal, on the Clove Road-bound side of the street, toward Labau Avenue.
During the evening rush hour, traffic backing up from the Seneca Avenue light would occasionally leave vehicles stopped in the crosswalk after turning right from Clove Road onto Victory Boulevard.
When asked about the changes, a DOT spokesperson issued the following statement:
“This traffic signal will better manage traffic flow and enhance safety at Victory and Seneca. We look forward to returning to finish a crosswalk installation as soon as weather allows.”