Steinway Street between Broadway & 31st Avenue (Photo Steinway Astoria Partnership/Facebook)
Aug. 7, 2018 By Tara Law
The Department of Transportation is currently in the process of implementing changes to Steinway Street to make the retail strip more pedestrian-friendly, a DOT spokesperson said Monday.
The department has installed three mid-block crosswalks and delayed-traffic signals in recent weeks. The department also plans to install curb extension markings later this summer.
The aim of the project is to calm traffic on Steinway Street and to help pedestrians cross the street with greater ease. Prior to the installation of the crossings, there were no mid-block crosswalks on Steinway Street, where the blocks can be along as 1,000 feet.
The change helps pedestrians get to restaurants and stores more safely and expeditiously, said Councilmember Costa Constantinides, who advocated for the changes. He added that business owners along the corridor have pressed the DOT to modify Steinway Street for at least a decade.
“The goal is to continue to support Steinway Street and support business owners as much as we can,” Constantinides said.
The mid-block crossings were installed on Steinway between 30th and 31st Avenues; 31st Avenue and Broadway; and Broadway and 34th Avenue, the DOT said.
Constantinides said that he is also working with businesses to choose a location for a pedestrian plaza on Steinway Street. Installation of a plaza would be part of a separate project, he said.
Steinway Street between 30th and 31st Avenues (Photo Steinway Astoria Partnership/Facebook)
