Photo Courtesy of Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office
“Safety improvements like these make our city more livable for everyone who uses our streets—and they recognize that our responsibility is to make sure a car doesn’t turn into a weapon,” Mayor de Blasio said.
By Forum Staff
Mayor Bill de Blasio recently joined New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Hank Gutman in Forest Hills to announce that the final phase of the administration’s signature redesign of Queens Boulevard will be complete by Oct. 29. The mayor and commissioner installed a flexible delineator dividing a bike and car lane at 70th Road, one of several major street safety improvements included in the redesign. DOT is also adding two miles of protected bike lanes to the corridor.
“New York City is proud to complete the redesign of one of Queens’ most important roadways – and give new life to the notorious ‘Boulevard of Death,’” de Blasio said. “Safety improvements like these make our city more livable for everyone who uses our streets—and they recognize that our responsibility is to make sure a car doesn’t turn into a weapon. I’m proud of all the public servants who worked hard to complete this project, and I look forward to a safer and more equitable future for Queens.”
Gutman added, “It’s so satisfying to see green paint on the protected bike lane and new pedestrian safety improvements along this stretch of Queens Boulevard in Forest Hills, after witnessing the great benefits of this project’s previous phases.”
Under the de Blasio administration, Queens Boulevard has seen traffic injuries decline by 19 percent. Pedestrian fatalities and injuries declined by 24 percent.
Phase 4 includes new protected bike lanes and a pedestrian path along the medians between the service road and the main roadway. Other safety improvements for pedestrians and cyclists include:
- New and improved crosswalks at intersections and between median malls
- New stop controls at slip ramp access points to allow for safer pedestrian and bicycle crossings
- Elongated left-turn bays for simpler, safer turns and better vehicle processing.
The project will also include elements to preserve access to local businesses in this mixed-use residential and commercial area, including:
- New truck loading zones
- Additional hours at existing commercial loading zones to improve curbside access for businesses.
The first three phases of the redesign included these elements and also created new pedestrian space at intersections and closed slip lanes between the mainline and service road, to reduce conflicts between vehicles and cyclists.
The ongoing Queens Boulevard redesign is part of a plan announced by de Blasio and Gutman to build on last year’s record protected bike lane installation, with a record 30 miles of protected bike lanes in 2021.
“The completion of the Queens Boulevard redesign will dramatically improve safety for all of the pedestrians, motorists and cyclists who use this busy thoroughfare,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, Jr. “The statistics show the first three phases of the redesign have already done a great deal to make Queens Boulevard safer, and the completion of the fourth phase will go a step further to add additional protections. I commend Mayor de Blasio, the Department of Transportation, and all the agencies involved in the Vision Zero initiative for making our streets safer and making changes like the Queens Boulevard redesign.”
