The city DOT last week rolled out the design concept for Select Bus Service on the Woodhaven-Cross Bay corridor.
Photo: The city DOT last week rolled out the design concept for Select Bus Service on the Woodhaven-Cross Bay corridor.
The city Department of Transportation last week unveiled the design concept of main road bus lanes for Select Bus Service on Woodhaven and Cross Bay boulevards.
After DOT and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority developed three SBS concepts, they were presented to the affected communities over the course of a year through meetings, workshops and open houses. Design Concept 2, a “transit-oriented boulevard” where buses travel in designated lanes in the main roadway, was selected.
According to DOT, this concept provides faster and more reliable bus service, allowing buses to travel free from turning or parking conflicts, with an anticipated travel time savings of 25 to 35 percent. Median transit stations with shelters, seating, and real-time bus information will be constructed, giving passengers high-quality waiting areas. Woodhaven and Cross Bay boulevards are both identified as Priority Corridors in the DOT’s Pedestrian Safety Action Plans, with 24 fatalities since 2008 on the length of the SBS route, which is based on the existing Q52/53 Limited bus route and carries 30,000 daily bus riders over 14 miles from the Rockaways to Woodside.
Aligning with Vision Zero, this design will have new medians for pedestrian refuge and a greener streetscape, DOT officials noted. There will be a physical separation of local and thru traffic, allowing thru traffic to travel free from parking and turning conflicts and local traffic to travel through calmer service roads. The different designs for Woodhaven and Cross Bay boulevards, which will have offset bus lanes, reflect the different corridor widths, land uses and traffic patterns. Details of the design will be presented to the community for feedback at upcoming workshops.
“Select Bus Service on Woodhaven Boulevard will improve the flow of traffic on one of Queens’ busiest corridors and make the road safer for pedestrians and drivers alike,” said City Council Member Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park).
The project comes with a $200 million price tag. U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), sent a letter last month to U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, urging the U.S. DOT to accept the Woodhaven project into the Federal Transit Administration’s New Starts program, making it eligible for 50-percent federal funding.
However, Design Concept 2 has its detractors.
“The idea that NYC DOT, through their Select Bus Service proposal, is seeking to remove an entire traffic lane and in my opinion put pedestrians in harm’s way is irresponsible and unacceptable,” said state Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach.) “Rush hour traffic would suffer significantly, and as someone who sits almost daily on that roadway during those times, I shudder to think it could get any worse. While SBS has the potential to address many of the needs for public transportation and traffic conditions, this execution will not be effective for motorists, bus riders or pedestrians. Pedestrians, including school children, seniors and parents with strollers, are put at risk with essentially four active roadways to cross, one at each median. I hope to work with the NYC DOT on this matter and implement a smart, practical solution to benefit everyone riding and walking on the street.”
This spring, DOT will have block by block design workshops for the SBS route to get feedback on the design.
By Michael V. Cusenza michael@theforumnewsgroup.com
