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DOT unveils safety improvements along Astoria Boulevard

DOT unveils safety improvements along Astoria Boulevard
Photo by Bill Parry
By Bill Parry

The city has nearly completed a redesign and safety upgrade on a dangerous stretch of Astoria Boulevard in East Elmhurst.

The three-quarter-mile length of roadway, from Ditmars Boulevard to 99th Street, is a Vision Zero priority corridor, ranking among the top-third in the borough for serious crashes — including one pedestrian fatality at the intersection of Astoria Boulevard and 103rd Street in 2013.

“This is a community. This is not a highway,” City Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras-Copeland (D-East Elmhurst) said. “Just because you got off the Grand Central because there was traffic does not mean you can get on Astoria Boulevard and repeat that same amount of speed.”

The improvements include over 10,000 square feet of concrete work, five new crosswalks, two new signals and one new leading pedestrian interval, as well as upgraded or new pedestrian ramps. The city Department of Transportation also created 120 additional parking spaces that become available during the p.m. rush and planted eight new trees.

“Astoria Boulevard has a vibrant mix of residential and commercial properties on a busy street that, for better and worse, is often busy with traffic for drivers using it as an alternative to the nearby Grand Central Parkway,” DOT Queens Borough Commissioner Nicole Garcia said. “Safety of all road users is our highest priority, and with the support of our elected officials, we were able to make one of East Elmhurst’s critical corridors a priority for Vision Zero, continuing our commitment to making Queens streets safer.”

Ferreras-Copeland said the improvements were “changing the culture” along Astoria Boulevard, which has acted as a barrier for the residential areas to the north from major businesses to the south,

“Astoria Boulevard is a vital strip for residents of East Elmhurst,” she said. “It’s where we worship and shop. It’s where our parents and grandparents come to spend their mornings at Elmcor Senior Center, and soon it will be the site of a middle school. I thank Department of Transportation Queens Borough Commissioner Nicole Garcia and her team for prioritizing the safety of our residents and making changes that not only make it easier to traverse the street, but also respond directly to the feedback of the community.”

Several workshops were held during the planning stages where longtime residents played a role during the planning stage of the project. The improvements are expected to reduce speeding, give pedestrians safer and shorter crossing distances, and improve traffic flow through the area just south of LaGuardia Airport.

“It is my hope that these and future safety improvements on Astoria Boulevard will help reduce the number of accidents occurring in this mixed residential and commercial corridor,” state Sen. Jose Peralta (D-East Elmhurst) said. “Improving road conditions is vital to protect not only pedestrians, but also cyclists and drivers.”

Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparry@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4538.