Elected officers in western Queens have outlined their help for the Division of Transportation’s deliberate protected bike lanes beneath the elevated subway tracks on thirty first Avenue after the New York State Supreme Courtroom issued a short lived injunction stopping the plan from going ahead.
Council Member Tiffany Cabán, Meeting Member Jessica González-Rojas and state Sen. Kristen Gonzalez mentioned it’s their “duty” as elected officers to do the whole lot they will to forestall future tragedies alongside thirty first Avenue, pointing to DOT information that recorded two fatalities and 178 accidents alongside the roadway over the previous 5 years.
They mentioned the DOT’s plan, which addresses a mile-long stretch of thirty first Avenue from thirty sixth Avenue to Newtown Avenue, “answers the call” to make communities safer.
The DOT proposal, which covers either side of thirty first Avenue, would cut back the width of the road’s transferring lanes and parking lanes by three toes and 5 toes, respectively, with a purpose to make room for the 8-feet-wide protected bike lanes on both aspect of the thoroughfare.
Renderings for proposed bike lanes alongside thirty first Avenue in comparison with present structure of the hall. Courtesy of the DOT
The DOT additionally plans so as to add painted pedestrian islands at intersections to shorten pedestrian crossing distances and stop motorists from slicing corners. The plan moreover bans parking at corners to spice up visibility.
Elected officers mentioned the DOT’s redesign will “save lives” on thirty first Avenue, noting that the hall ranks among the many high 10% most harmful streets in Queens for severe accidents.
In addition they referenced a deadly crash that befell in Astoria final week as proof that the protected bike lanes will assist save lives. The crash, which befell in an space not coated by the redesign on the intersection of nineteenth Avenue and forty second Avenue, resulted within the demise of three males.
“As we’re reeling from this tragedy, it is our duty as elected officials to do everything we can to prevent future tragedies with data-driven safety measures such as the 31st Street Safety Plan,” Cabán, González-Rojas and Gonzalez mentioned in a joint assertion.
“The Safety Plan would protect pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers while making our streets safer and less congested. Drivers will not lose a single lane for driving or parking.”
They famous that their places of work “spearheaded” the Western Queens Avenue Security Plan alongside neighborhood companions in what they described as a “multi-year planning process.”
Cabán, González-Rojas and Gonzalez mentioned the Avenue Security Plan referred to as for protected bike lanes, daylighting and pedestrian plazas to make streets in Western Queens safer for all members of the neighborhood. They added that the DOT’s proposed redesign of thirty first Avenue started to make these concepts a actuality.
“NYC DOT engaged with 52 different businesses within project limits, and 90% provided feedback that has been thoughtfully incorporated into the updated redesign. This project utilizes common design elements found on streets across the city that comply with local law and ADA regulations. We continue to stand in support of the 31st Street Redesign.”
The New York State Supreme Courtroom issued a short lived injunction towards the proposed redesign on Aug. 13 following a authorized problem from a coalition of native companies.
The courtroom has ordered the DOT to point out trigger after the thirty first Avenue Enterprise Affiliation alleged that the proposed bike lanes would compromise public security, negatively impression native companies and violate metropolis legal guidelines.
The ruling prevents the DOT from implementing the proposed redesign earlier than a present trigger listening to scheduled for Sept. 22.
Joseph Mirabella, an Astoria resident and the President of the thirty first Avenue Enterprise Affiliation, welcomed the injunction, stating that the ruling showcases that the affiliation’s case has “merit.”
Mirabella mentioned the affiliation’s finish purpose is to not stop the DOT from putting in protected bike lanes in Astoria however mentioned the group is asking for the bike lanes to be put in on a residential hall reminiscent of thirty third Avenue, the place there’s much less visitors and fewer retailer fronts than the thirty first Avenue hall. He additionally acknowledged that the thirty first Avenue hall has vital visibility points as a result of overhead tracks.
“It’s mind-boggling that they (the DOT) have come back with arguably the worst street to put this on,” Mirabella informed QNS final week.
The enterprise affiliation launched a web-based petition opposing the set up of motorcycle lanes alongside thirty first Avenue in April, receiving greater than 4,500 signatures. A rival petition supporting the bike lanes has obtained roughly 3,600 signatures, underscoring the divisive nature of the difficulty.
The thirty first Avenue Enterprise Affiliation argues that the proposed bike lanes would negatively impression native companies whereas creating new questions of safety by putting in bike lanes by loading and supply zones alongside thirty first Avenue.
DOT mock-up proposal of thirty first Avenue, overhead view, showcasing the proposed avenue redesign of the intersection of Broadway and thirty first Avenue (overhead subway tracks omitted). Picture by way of Change.org
Mirabella mentioned there are “serious” visibility points alongside thirty first Avenue as a result of elevated tracks and insists that it’s a unhealthy thought to encourage cyclists to make use of the hall. As a substitute, Mirabella believes that the DOT ought to focus its power on putting in bike lanes on thirty third Avenue or one other related hall that doesn’t have overhead subway tracks.
“We support cycling infrastructure,” Mirabella mentioned. “But given the nature of 31st Street with the amount of commercial loading zones and the subway running overhead, it makes no sense to do this here.”
A lot of enterprise house owners alongside the stretch of thirty first Avenue coated by the proposal echoed that sentiment and alleged that they have been solely consulted in regards to the redesign after the DOT had already developed the proposal.
Bob Battipaglia of Grand Wine at 30-05 thirty first St. accused the DOT of creating the proposal with out looking for the enter of the area people.
“They basically just shoved it down our throats without allowing us to have a reasonable chance for opposition,” Battipaglia informed QNS final week. “It was never really a back and forth discussion.”
In the meantime, Panos Adamopoulos of Pilates Designs, LLC at 35-17 thirty first St. mentioned the redesign would pressure him to shut down by making it harder to take deliveries and for purchasers visiting his retailer.
Adamopolous described himself as a long-time bicycle owner who helps biking infrastructure however insisted that thirty first Avenue was not a great location for a protected bike lane, noting that the hall is closely utilized by motorists and acts as a route between two main bridges — the Queensboro Bridge and the Triborough Bridge.
He accused the DOT of “going behind the backs” of enterprise house owners alongside thirty first Avenue.
“We were misled. We were deceived,” Adamopolous mentioned.
However, supporters of the DOT plan argue that protected bike lanes are important for bettering security alongside thirty first Avenue, citing two visitors fatalities and 11 severe accidents reported on the hall between 2020 and 2024.
DOT information cites “multiple instances” of cyclists getting “doored” – referring to when a bicycle owner collides with a automobile door that has been opened– whereas over 30% of pedestrian accidents have been attributable to left-turn crashes.
Ben Furnas, govt director of non-profit Transportation Options, mentioned the redesign would assist make a harmful stretch of Astoria safer for all highway customers, including that the Supreme Courtroom injunction places households in “harm’s way.”
“This injunction puts Queens families in harm’s way,” Furnas mentioned in an announcement. “The thirty first Avenue redesign was created to guard individuals from harmful visitors in a hall with a protracted historical past of crashes.
