Queens Borough President Donovan Richards joined a number of community leaders on Astoria’s Steinway Street Friday morning to announce $1 million in funding toward beautification upgrades along the commercial corridor, which include improvements to mid-block cross walks and the addition of decorative lighting to improve safety and visibility.
Richards joined Community Board 1 Chair Evie Hantzopolous and Marie Torniali, executive director of the Steinway Astoria Partnership Business Improvement District (BID), at Friday’s announcement between 30th and 31st Avenues, which locals described as a stretch of Steinway Street that boasts particularly poor visibility at night.
Richard Khuzami, president of the Old Astoria Neighborhood Association; John Surico, chair of 31st Ave Open Streets; Tony Barsamian, chair of the Steinway BID; and Laura Shepard, transportation and parks liaison to the Borough President, were also present at Friday’s announcement.
The investment predominately centers on installing decorative lighting along Steinway Street between 30th and 34th Avenues, which serves as the main commercial hub of the corridor.
Richards said the lighting would help make the street feel safer and more welcoming for shoppers, workers and families at night, with Khuzami describing the move as an “important step toward realizing Steinway’s full potential.”
Richards said his office is exploring similar initiatives at a number of other commercial corridors throughout the borough, including locations in Woodhaven and Springfield Gardens.
He pointed to decorative lighting he helped install along a 1.2-mile stretch of Merrick Boulevard in Laurelton in 2021, which he said has had a transformative impact on the neighborhood.
“It made a huge difference,” Richards said Friday. “We had significant vacancies there. Those vacancies are gone (now). I thought it was something small, but aesthetically, it made a huge difference.”
Richards said it should take no longer than 18 months for the lights to be installed along Steinway Street and said the initiative will now go through DOT scopes to settle on a design for the overhead lights and raised crosswalks.
He said Steinway Street, at present, is uninviting to walk down at night due to a lack of street lights in the area.
“Anybody who comes here at night knows how dark it is when you walk down the street like this one. It should be brightly lit,” Richards said. “So this really is about making the community feel safe – and it is a very safe community – but like any other business corridor, there are challenges.
“We want to make sure that people feel safe when they come here. It should feel exciting and enticing. It should feel like a place you can’t wait to come back to.”
He added that improving street lighting can provide a boost for the local economy by making people feel safer and encouraging more businesses to open on Steinway Street due to increase footfall.
Torniali, who had approached Richards two years ago to voice her concern about declining foot traffic along Steinway Street, said establishments along the corridor have experienced a decline in business over the past number of years due to a combination of factors. She said the corridor is still recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic, adding that beautifying Steinway Street can help bring foot traffic back to the area.
“We have several vacancies here on Steinway and we believe that improved lighting can be a factor here in the evening and can encourage more people to open up shops,” Torniali said at Friday’s announcement.
Richards said the $1 million investment “sends a message” that small businesses matter in the neighborhood.
The investment will also transform three existing mid-block crosswalks into raised crosswalks to further enhance pedestrian safety along the corridor. Shepard said raised crosswalks will encourage motorists to slow down and provide further protection for pedestrians crossing the street.
Khuzami, on the other hand, said the decorative lighting is “more than just beautification,” adding that improved overhead lighting will make Steinway Street a more welcoming place for everyone.
Hantzopolous described the investment as “critical,” stating that Steinway Street is one of the most important business and community corridors in the borough. She also heralded improvements to mid-block crosswalks along the corridor.
“We’re New Yorkers, we’re always in a rush, and so having a safe way to cross the street is really, really important,” she said.
