FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com MARCH 31, 2016 • The Queens Courier 11 Your Homeownership Partner The State of New York Mortgage Agency offers: • Competitive, fixed-rate mortgages for first-time homebuyers • Downpayment assistance available up to $15, 000 • Special program for veterans, active-duty military , National Guard and reservists • Funds available for renovation 1-800-382-HOME(4663) www.sonyma.org WESTERN QUEENS IS GETTING SEVERAL MILES OF NEW BIKE LANES IN 2016 BY ANGELA MATUA amatua@qns.com/@AngelaMatua The Department of Transportation released the new 2016 bike map on Tuesday and several new miles of bike lanes are scheduled for installation along several neighborhoods in western Queens. A new route along 31st Street in Astoria will connect the waterfront to Flushing Bay. The DOT presented the plan to Community Board 1 in March and if approved the route would snake through Astoria Park, Hoyt Playground, Socrates Sculpture Park and would also hit Jackson Heights, East Elmhurst and Corona. CB 1 will vote to approve or deny the proposal on April 19 but the DOT will ultimately make the final decision. Long Island City cyclists will have access to Greenpoint, Brooklyn through a new 1.2 mile bike lane on the Pulaski Bridge. The city installed lanes along Queens Boulevard in an effort to make the thoroughfare safer for cyclists. There have been mixed views on the project with cyclists saying the protected lanes have vastly improved their commutes. Drivers claim that the bike lanes contribute to congestion in Sunnyside and Woodside. The bike map includes almost 70 lanes of new or upgraded bike infrastructure across the city and the DOT will build 15 more miles of protected bike lanes this year. Additionally, the map includes more than 12 miles of new on-street protected bike lanes, more than seven miles of new off-street bike lanes and 58 miles of lane upgrades and new bike facilities, the DOT said. Print versions will be available in early April by contacting 311. They will also be available at bicycle shops, libraries and schools across the five boroughs.
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