City officials and transportation safety advocates gathered in Kissena Corridor Park in Fresh Meadows on Wednesday morning to celebrate newly secured capital funding to close a gap in the Eastern Queens Greenway.
The $11.9 million check, allocated by the city council for Fiscal Year 2025, will connect Kissena Park to Cunningham Park with a new greenway going through what is known as Peck Park to locals. Once completed, there will be a continuous connection between Flushing Meadows Park in Corona and Alley Pond Park in Bayside.
“This is a transformative initiative that will connect our open spaces in a seamless greenway but also make our parks safer, more accessible and more enjoyable for all residents, especially our seniors and families,” said Council Member Sandra Ung, representing the area in District 20.
In addition to creating a smooth and safe path for walkers, joggers and cyclists to share, the funding will go towards new lighting, landscaping, helpful signage, additional seating and additional water fountains.
Peck Park will also be enhanced with a barbecue grove, bicycle racks and a fitness station. To create a safe access point for the greenway, a new on-street connection at 188th Street and 58th Avenue is also planned.
NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue noted, “We’re not stopping there,” and pointed out that city agencies have invested over $1 billion in greenways so far.
“Instead of cyclists sharing the road with car traffic, this new greenway section will give pedestrians and cyclists alike a safe, beautifully landscaped landscape way to get around, take in the fresh air, and, importantly, to get some exercise,” she added alongside NYC Parks Queens Borough Commissioner Jackie Langsam, who was also in attendance.
It was not lost on the officials that community leaders’ tireless advocacy was instrumental in bringing the need for a greenway to the top of their agenda. The micro-mobility advocates often conveyed their vision for a space to cycle and walk where infrastructure does not suddenly end or their safety is compromised by vehicles.
“We thank our advocates for their passion, their hard work, and their discipline because they really fuel this… and people are listening, obviously,” said Community Board 11 Chair Paul DiBenedetto, who noted that “we’ve consistently supported this kind of development.”
The announcement brought out several cyclists who have been advocating for safer streets by attending community meetings and writing and soliciting letters to convey their concerns to city agencies. But despite their consistent organizing, the news that the funding to close the gap came as a surprise to some.
“I’ve been riding this area my whole life, so this is kind of a dream come true,” said Laura Shepard, a Queens Organizer for Transportation Alternatives (TA). “You can’t have gaps in a transportation network. It just doesn’t work. We would never have that with car infrastructure. Highways don’t just end.”
However, she noted that there is still “a lot of frustration with how long it’s taken to see any progress on the ground” after funding was secured for other greenway gaps in the past few years.
Since the Destination: Greenways! initiative kicked off in the summer of 2020, the Parks Department has gathered the community’s concerns and desires. They have also mapped out the different segments needed to be completed for a seamless Eastern Queens Greenway. Now, it is just a matter of filling in the gaps.
Ung acknowledged that greenways serve a greater purpose than recreation. They have been proven to contribute to greater physical and mental well-being. That is why, she noted, she is proud to have received over $24 million from the city council to enhance open spaces in her district since taking office in 2022.
“As New Yorkers, we know that our green spaces are our backyards, where we connect with nature, with each other and with ourselves,” said City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams. “When we invest in our parks and playgrounds, we are investing in every New Yorker who benefits from them. The immense benefits that this connected space will offer will be enjoyed by generations of Queens residents to come.”
The design phase will kick off in the next few months. At soon-to-be-announced public meetings, community members will be invited to share their thoughts and ideas.
“Make it continuous. Make it friendly. Just make sure it’s wide enough that you have space for everybody: runners, walkers, bicyclists, so that they can all do their thing,” said Joby Jacob, Volunteer Chair of TA’s Eastern Queens Activist Committee, on his wishes for the greenway.
