DOT Outlines Upcoming Improvements
Hoping to safely speed up traffic flow, the Department of Transportation (DOT) will install bus lanes along Woodhaven and Cross Bay boulevards this fall.
In a DOT fact sheet obtained by the Times Newsweekly, the DOT indicated it would create offset bus lanes along Woodhaven Boulevard between Eliot and Metropolitan avenues and Cross Bay Boulevard between 101st and Plattwood avenues.
During rush hour periods on weekdays, only buses would be permitted to travel in the offset lanes, which will be situated one lane away from the curb; vehicles, however, will be permitted to cross through the lane in order to turn right onto side streets, enter driveways, pull into parking spots or drop off or pick up passengers at the curb.
Bus lane restrictions will be in effect Monday through Friday from 7 to 10 a.m. and from 4 to 7 p.m. For the Cross Bay Boulevard lane approaching Liberty Avenue and Rockaway Boulevard, the weekday restriction will run from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
In recent weeks, the DOT installed stanchions along the boulevards which will hold signage informing drivers of the bus lane and subsequent restrictions. This fall, the DOT will install the signs and painted markings on the pavement indicating the bus lanes.
The bus lanes are the latest improvement resulting from the DOT’s ongoing Woodhaven Boulevard Congested Corridors study, which primarily focuses on improving traffic flow and safety along the full length of Woodhaven Boulevard between Queens and Rockaway boulevards.
Along with the bus lanes, the DOT will also realign the Woodhaven Boulevard service roads in both directions between Park Lane South and Rockaway Boulevard. Reportedly, the improvement aims to prevent vehicles from sideswiping each other and providing refuge for pedestrians crossing at busy intersections.
Crews will install a 5′-wide buffer zone, painted with stripes, along the left side of each road. An 11′-wide travel lane will be created in the center of each roadbed, leaving a 9′-wide right lane used for parking and bus stops.
Meanwhile, the DOT and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority continue to formulate a plan for introducing Select Bus Service along Woodhaven and Cross Bay boulevards.
In recent months, the agencies held public meetings in the area gathering comments from residents on the plan, and the DOT indicated outreach will continue in the weeks ahead.
Select Bus Service, a system aimed at expediting bus travel times, includes establishing bus only lanes on major roadways and installing devices at bus stops to allow passengers to pay their fare in advance, rather than stopping to pay when boarding.
For more information, visit www.nyc.gov/brt or send an email to brt@dot.nyc.gov.
