Recent Streetsblog NYC posts about Queens

Construction Begins on First Phase of Transforming Queens Blvd

By Stephen Miller | Jul 23, 2015 | 1 Comment

The redesign of Queens Boulevard, long one of New York’s most notorious death traps, is underway. “Queens Boulevard is tragically legendary. We all became used to the phrase ‘the Boulevard of Death,’” Mayor Bill de Blasio said at a press conference this morning marking the start of construction. “That is a phrase we want to banish from the […]

Car Dealers Turn Northern Boulevard’s Sidewalks Into Vehicle Showrooms

By Stephen Miller | Jul 8, 2015 | 15 Comments

As a matter of practice, car dealerships along Northern Boulevard, one of the most dangerous streets in Queens, illegally use its sidewalks and curb lanes as a showroom for vehicles. NYPD doesn’t enforce against the appropriation of sidewalks and won’t answer questions about it. Streetfilms’ Clarence Eckerson recently walked down Northern Boulevard in Jackson Heights and found cars […]

Ferreras: “My Focus Is to Make 111th Street One Hundred Percent Safe”

By Stephen Miller | Jul 1, 2015 | 8 Comments

A grassroots effort to improve safety on extra-wide 111th Street in Corona yielded a DOT plan for a road diet, better pedestrian crossings, and a protected bike lane this spring. Then two members of Queens Community Board 4 stymied the proposal, at least for the time being. To keep the project moving forward, Council Member Julissa Ferreras has organized two neighborhood […]

Hunter Students Offer a Multi-Modal Vision for Queens Boulevard

By Stephen Miller | Jun 26, 2015 | 12 Comments

About a year ago, the Transportation Alternatives Queens activist committee approached the Hunter College urban planning program about Queens Boulevard. The advocates wanted help jumpstarting real-world changes on the street known as the Boulevard of Death. It was just a few months after Mayor Bill de Blasio announced his Vision Zero initiative to eliminate traffic deaths. If […]

Eyes on the Street: Vernon Boulevard Gets Bike Lane Barriers

By Stephen Miller | Jun 16, 2015 | 12 Comments

Biking in western Queens is getting a welcome upgrade. The two-way bike lane on Vernon Boulevard has not had any type of protection from traffic since it was installed in 2013. The lane was frequently obstructed by drivers who used it as a parking spot. Now, DOT is installing barriers along the bikeway to keep cars out. The project received the most […]

Want to Drive Thru Corona to the US Open? Francisco Moya’s Got Your Back

By Stephen Miller | Jun 5, 2015 | 7 Comments

Assembly Member Francisco Moya opposes a DOT plan for safer walking and biking on 111th Street next to Flushing Meadows Corona Park. In a statement, he said it will slow down people driving through the neighborhood he represents on their way to professional baseball games and tennis tournaments. “111th Street is a high traffic road, which suffers from massive […]

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