The city’s Department of Transportation (DOT) is “hardening” the bike lane on Queens Boulevard in Jamaica, installing concrete Jersey barriers along the .75 miles of the delineator-protected bike lane from 72nd Street to Grand Avenue to provide protection for cyclists.
The project builds on the 3.7 miles of bike lane hardening in Queens Boulevard last year, for a total of 4.4 miles. DOT will harden 10 miles of existing lanes and five miles of new projects with stronger barriers this year.
Additionally, DOT is installing public seating and providing safety enhancements and additional public space on Jamaica Avenue.
The Jamaica Street Seats initiative is a citywide program where partners apply to transform underused streets into vibrant, social public spaces between the months of March through December. Street Seats are installed in the roadbed along the curb line or on wide sidewalks to create an attractive setting for eating, reading, and working.
“Mayor Adams and New York City DOT are re-imagining the use of public space,” DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said. “I thank the hardworking teams at DOT and our community partners for their efforts in beautifying Jamaica Avenue and giving cyclists the protection they deserve on Queens Boulevard.”
DOT partnered with the newly consolidated downtown Jamaica BID to provide additional pedestrian space on Jamaica Avenue between 160th Street and Union Hall Street as well as shorter crossing across Jamaica Avenue and Union Hall Street.
The new public space includes planters, granite blocks, and tables and chairs. Nearly 4,500 square feet of pedestrian space have been added to the commercial corridor. The project was implemented with the Jamaica busway, which transformed the roadway to enhance bus efficiency.
The downtown Jamaica BID will be working with DOT and community-based organizations to provide future programming at the location. The DOT will build on this work with future capital upgrades to Jamaica Avenue. These capital upgrades will reconstruct Jamaica Avenue, from Sutphin Boulevard to Merrick Boulevard, with wider sidewalks and new pedestrian safety improvements, including curb extensions and raised crosswalks.
