Community News
Steinway Street
Improvements
www.qns.com I LIC COURIER I MARCH 2018 23
BY ANGELA MATUA
AMATUA@QNS.COM
Pedestrians trying to shop along
Steinway Street in Astoria have to
walk more than 500 feet to reach a
crosswalk. A local councilman, along
with the Department of Transportation,
is looking to change that.
Councilman Costa Constantinides
and the DOT announced on Feb. 23 that
three new mid-block crosswalks and
traffic lights would be installed along the
busy thoroughfare. Constantinides first
announced his plan to add traffic mitiga-tion
measures on Steinway Street in his
State of the District speech last year.
Steinway Street, which stretches
from Northern Boulevard to Berrian
Boulevard, currently has no mid-block
crosswalks and blocks measure up
to 1,000 feet. The new crosswalks
and traffic lights will be installed from
30th Avenue through 34th Avenue.
The agency will also add painted curb
extensions and planters to shorten the
crossing distance.
The thoroughfare has been the scene
of 249 traffic-related injuries and 95
pedestrian injuries in the past five years,
according to DOT data.
“These traffic mitigation measures will
greatly improve the Steinway Street ex-perience
for pedestrians, shoppers and
small business owners,” Constantinides
said. “If the street is safer and easier
to cross, shoppers will be able to walk
between stores more safely.”
Marie Torniali, executive director of
the Steinway Astoria Partnership, said
the improvements will help boost foot
traffic for small businesses in the area
that may have been overlooked.
“The Steinway BID is very excited
to see these long-awaited pedestrian-friendly
improvements to the Steinway
streetscape being implemented,” she
said. “The blocks on Steinway are easily
the length of two city blocks and walk-ing
to either end is a chore. Mid-block
crossings will make it easier and safer
for shoppers and residents to cross
the street.”
These changes will be installed this
spring as part of the first phase of the
project. The next phase will include
working on a plan for a public gather-ing
place.
In his state of the district speech
last year, Constantinides announced
his desire to form a community working
group to discuss bringing a meeting
space to the area, citing examples like
Union Square and Madison Square in
Manhattan.
Plans for the public gathering space
will begin after the initial safety mea-sures
are installed.
Photo courtesy of Councilman Costa Constantinides
