FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM MAY 20, 2021 • THE QUEENS COURIER 3
Courtesy of NYC DOT
Construction on fi nal phase of Queens Blvd. redesign set for July
BY BILL PARRY
bparry@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
When we put Vision Zero into eff ect, one of the
Aft er a three-year delay, the city will fi nally
things that I knew we had to do, and it would take
move forward with the fi nal phase of
its Queens Boulevard Vision Zero project,
time, but we would get it done, is address Queens
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Th ursday,
Boulevard once and for all. And as we’ve done
May 13.
Construction will begin in July along the
each stage, it has had a remarkable impact.
so-called “Boulevard of Death,” with bike
lanes from Yellowstone Boulevard to Union
— Mayor Bill de Blasio
Turnpike with completion scheduled for
November.
“Queens Boulevard, tragically, was synonymous
with the problem of horrible
deaths on the road, pedestrians, motorists,
cyclists. Queens Boulevard — I don’t have
to remind people who’ve been here a while
— it used to be called the ‘Boulevard of
Death’ and people would say it almost without
even thinking about it. It had become
so common, which is tragic unto itself,” de
Blasio said. “When we put Vision Zero into
eff ect, one of the things that I knew we had
to do, and it would take time, but we would
get it done, is address Queens Boulevard
once and for all. And as we’ve done each
stage, it has had a remarkable impact.”
Th e mayor blamed the COVID-19 pandemic
and the lack of federal approval for
the lengthy delay but admitted that opposition
from Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz
also played a role.
“I think she honestly felt that what she
was proposing was a better approach for the
community,” de Blasio said. “And we carefully
— truly carefully — listened to her,
thought about it, looked at it, but came to
the conclusion that it wasn’t workable and
that the original plan was fair. I think there
were some adjustments made, but it’s based
essentially on the original plan.”
Koslowitz spoke against the Queens
Boulevard plan during a town hall meeting
in February 2020 when she asked the
mayor to reconsider the proposal for the
1.2-mile stretch through Forest Hills.
“I am not against bike lanes,” she said
during the forum. “What I am not for are
the bike lanes along Queens Boulevard
that are taking away hundreds and hundreds
of parking spots. We cannot aff ord,
because of our businesses, to lose all these
parking spots.”
Following the mayor’s announcement,
Koslowitz maintained her opposition to
the project.
“Th e city needs more bike lanes to accommodate
today’s cyclists and the anticipated
expansion of future cycling,” Koslowitz said.
“While I am pleased that the city is moving
forward with the extension of bike lanes
on Queens Boulevard, I am disappointed
that Phase IV plan does not protect cyclists,
nor does it minimize the loss of parking
spaces. Th e objective of protecting cyclists
while minimizing the loss of parking spaces
has been accomplished in other parts of
the city.”
One day earlier, de Blasio announced the
city will expand last year’s outdoor dining
initiative by creating extra space for diners,
cyclists and pedestrians.
Th e new “Open Boulevards” program
will be implemented on Ditmars Boulevard
in Astoria from 33rd Street to 36th Street
and Woodside Avenue in Elmhurst from
76th Street to 78th Street.
Th e streets will be closed to vehicular
traffi c during designated hours when they
will be transformed into outdoor dining
areas. Open Boulevards will feature cultural
activities, community-based programming,
landscaping and art installations in
addition to restaurant seating.
“Th e Open Streets program off ers muchneeded
recreational space to Queens residents
looking for ways to enjoy the outdoors
and experience the vibrancy of
our neighborhoods,” Queens Borough
President Donovan Richards said. “Th e
Open Boulevards program is a natural
expansion of Open Streets and is a great
way to make these destinations even more
attractive. I encourage Queens residents to
visit our Open Boulevards to enjoy more
of what our great borough and city have
to off er.”
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