FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM FEBRUARY 28, 2019 • THE QUEENS COURIER 11
50-block stretch of Astoria/LIC street to get safety boost
BY BILL PARRY
bparry@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Th e city identifi ed three Queens roadways
as priority corridors that have proven
dangerous for pedestrians, cyclists and
motorists and are now the focus of new
safety initiatives by the Department of
Transportation.
One of the three priority corridors is a
50-block length of 21st Street from 20th
Avenue in Astoria down to 50th Avenue
in Long Island City. Th is stretch of road
saw 4.2 pedestrians killed or severely
injured per mile from 2012 to 2016, an
increase of 50 percent from the 2.8 pedestrians
killed or severely injured in fi gure
recorded between 2009 and 2013 on the
roadway, according to the DOT.
“My fi rst press conference as a Council
member was to call on stronger traffi c
and pedestrian safety along 21st Street,”
Councilman Costa Constantinides said.
“More than fi ve years later, this busy
street still functions more like a highway
than a street. Making this a Vision
Zero corridor will begin the long process
ahead to make this a safer thoroughfare,
while we continue to explore how it can
better serve people traveling by foot, bike,
car and bus.”
Th e roadway is known to residents as
a speedway where cars and trucks race
between the Triborough Bridge and the
Queens Midtown Tunnel. Th e DOT has
made safety improvements in the past but
safety advocates have said for years the
measures have not been enough.
“Over the last four years, DOT’s
groundbreaking Borough Pedestrian
Safety Plans have enabled us to target
our resources where they will save the
most lives,” DOT Commissioner Polly
Trottenberg said. “In these updated
plans, we have used the freshest data to
identify new crash-prone corridors and
intersections most in need of our full
menu of safety interventions.”
By the end of 2019, the DOT will
change traffi c signals along 21st Street
to discourage speeding, and give pedestrians
exclusive crossing time. Th e new
priority streets and intersections are the
roadmap for future Vision Zero safety
projects and enforcement, ensuring tools
like speed cameras, police enforcement
and re-engineering are applied where
they’ll save the most lives.
“Using our data-driven approach, we
have identifi ed hotspots around the city
that are driving the majority of traffi c
fatalities, and are implementing targeted
plans there and across the city that will
make our streets safer for all,” Mayor Bill
de Blasio said. “Aft er our success last year
with the safest year on record, we will
continue building towards a safer and
fairer city for all.”
Other roadways in Queens that are
new priority corridors include 37th
Avenue from 114th Street in Corona to
Woodside Avenue and the full length of
Rockaway Boulevard from Eldert Lane
in Woodhaven to Th ird Street on the
Queens/Nassau border.
“Preventing traffi c fatalities and promoting
the peaceful co-existence of
pedestrians and motorists should be
applauded,” state Senator James Sanders
said. “Vision Zero has made positive
improvements in keeping New Yorkers
safe and I look forward to its continued
success in the future. Traffi c fatalities may
not be at zero yet, but the numbers are
getting lower and that’s a good sign that
we moving towards that ambitious but
worthy goal.”
File photo
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a series of new street safety initiatives on Feb. 22.
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