Forget about traffic lights and speed bumps. Here’s how to really make Howard Avenue safer (opinion)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – The city Department of Transportation recently put a new traffic signal array up on Howard Avenue on Grymes Hill.

The traffic light outside the soon-to-be-former St. John’s University campus, between Claire Court and Arlo Road.

It’s a bit of bad timing for the DOT. After all, traffic is going to certainly drop off at that spot once St. John’s closes.

Well, it takes time to get all the approvals for a traffic light. Who knew that St. John’s was preparing to fold its tent?

And to be fair, something is sure to be built on the sprawling campus, so vehicles are very likely going to be going in and out again someday. Maybe a lot of vehicles, depending on what gets built there.

So DOT can justify putting the light there. Just like they justified putting a ridiculous series of speed bumps along the roadway. No road is safe enough under current Vision Zero rubrics.

A speed bump or two, decently spaced apart, you simply have to accept these days. But a whole series of them, one right after the other? It’s ridiculous. It makes a conga line out of traffic and probably encourages more motorists to hit the gas in order to make up for lost time once they’ve cleared the bumps.

Now we have to stop at an additional red light. We should be getting used to all the traffic-calming devices that DOT is installing. At least we’d better get used to it because it’s only going to get worse.

Some people drive too fast on Howard Avenue. I know that. It’s in my neighborhood and I take the road all the time. I saw my share of cars veering into the opposite lane in order to pass another vehicle.

But, honestly, was never that bad a road to drive. This is not some boulevard of death full of car violence and…