Queens Boulevard 74th St to Eliot Ave 2016 Proposed Corridor Safety Improvements
New York City Department of Transportation Presented to Community Board 4 on May 10, 2016 Operational Project Limits
Operational Project 1: 2015
Operational Project 2: 2016
DOT continues to work with CB2 and monitor Operational area for potential issues, Project 3 including traffic delays and safety conditions
2 Operational Project 2: 74th St to Eliot Ave
M R
2016 Project Limits
Queens Place Mall
Queens Center Mall
3 Vision Zero Priority
• Queens Blvd (7.2 miles): Queens Pedestrian Safety Action Plan: Priority Map • Vision Zero Priority Corridor with 19 total and 12 pedestrian fatalities (2010-2014)
• Queens Blvd – 74th St to Eliot Ave (1.2 miles): • 4 Vision Zero Priority Intersections: • Albion Ave • Broadway/Grand Ave 2016 Limits • 55th Ave • Woodhaven Blvd/59th Ave • Fatalities: 5 total and 4 pedestrian (2010 – present)
4 Safety Data – 74th St to Eliot Ave
21 pedestrian KSI (killed or severely injured) is twice as high as rest of Queens Blvd with service road geometry
Majority of pedestrians (54%) hit at intersections, while crossing with the signal
Total Severe Injuries injuries + Fatalities* 2010-2014 2010-2014 Community Outreach Efforts
Project-specific outreach conducted during November-December 2015:
• Queens Blvd safety workshop • Queens Blvd project website with feedback map and survey • 8 days of on-street outreach at 3 locations along corridor • 8 days of outreach at Queens Center Mall • Queens Blvd merchant survey
705 3,400 1,105 92 Feedback Approximate Surveys Businesses Map Interactions Completed Visited Comments 6 Design Principles / Project Goals
1. Calm the service roads 2. Keep main line moving (preserve existing lanes) 3. Accommodate all road users and enhance the sense of place 4. Reduce roadway shopping
7 Design Principles / Project Goals
5. Design based on crash history and community feedback 6. Complete pedestrian network and connect neighborhoods 7. Eliminate highway-like design features
8 Key Design Features Continue 2015 design with pedestrian path and bike lane along medians
9 Key Design Features: Stop-Controlled Transition
Before Outreach Finding: More drivers use slips to switch back and forth to fastest moving travel lanes than for access to side streets and local businesses
After
Continue use of stop right /left turn at transitions At some within 2016 limits locations, daylight for Safer for safe turns drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians10 Proposed: 73rd St to 76th St
Remove parking where Install stop controls at transition lanes necessary along Continue bike lane to create safer transitions between median to installed in 2015 the mainline and service road and accommodate bike lane along the median across bike lane / pedestrian path and pedestrian path
Queens Blvd
Queens Blvd
Start pedestrian path Install parking lane at midblock crossing stripe on service and continue along roads to calm traffic median and create standard width moving lane 11 Proposed: Albion Ave/Hillyer St 67 8
Extend median tips with Install mall-to-mall crosswalks paint to shorten crossing to expand pedestrian network distances and expand and visually tighten wide
pedestrian refuge intersections
Albion Ave Albion Queens Blvd
Queens Blvd
Close low volume Remove underutilized meters transition lane close for half block between Hillyer to intersection to St and 51st Ave and convert to reduce conflicts regular on-street parking 12 st Proposed: 51 Ave 65 3
Install stop control Extend median on transition tips and adjust crosswalks
Queens Blvd
Queens Blvd
Extend left turn bay to Install mall-to- Remove underutilized Install stop prevent vehicles making mall crosswalks meters between Codwise control on left turns from blocking Pl and Goldsmith St and transition through traffic convert to regular on- street parking 13 Proposed: Van Loon St – Broadway/Grand Ave
Add parking on north Install right turn lane and Install curb between Install install Leading Pedestrian stop Extend 34 1 Reeder St and Van painted Interval (LPI) for north control on median Loon St (currently No curb crosswalk to give transition tips Standing Anytime) extension pedestrians a head start
Queens Blvd
Queens Blvd
Ban low volume, redundant left turns Install mall-to- Remove capacity from Queens Blvd onto Van Loon St to mall crosswalks on service roads 100 reduce conflict at a narrow intersection east of Broadway and expand pedestrian refuge to calm traffic and 5 Peak hour volume: 53 (EB), 37 (WB) reduce speeding 14 th th Proposed: 55 Ave – 57 Ave 87 2
51 Extend median tips 56 Pedestrian Extend median tips 3 and install mall-to- path stops at and install mall-to- mall crosswalks 4 57th Ave mall crosswalks
Install stop Mark two lanes on eastbound Expand pedestrian control on service road to separate vehicles space around island transitions continuing on Queens Blvd and to shorten crossing vehicles turning onto Hoffman Dr distance 15 th Proposed: 90 St – Woodhaven Blvd 174 9 Move taxi Signalize and install right turn Install stop stand to lane to 90th St and install control for Install BUS ONLY 90th St painted curb extensions to transition to markings for bus
create safer pedestrian crossing mainline stop in front of mall
Queens Center Mall
Ave
th 59
Queens Blvd
Woodhaven Blvd Woodhaven
Install two-way bike Bike lanes Signalize transition from Ban left turn from lane on overpass continue against mainline to service road eastbound Queens Blvd connecting eastbound both medians to to accommodate high onto northbound and westbound lanes Woodhaven Blvd volumes crossing bike Woodhaven Blvd (without removing lane to service road (peak hour volume: 115) lanes on Woodhaven)16 Proposed: Woodhaven Blvd – Eliot Ave 23 2
Expand Install sharrows and Install new crosswalk pedestrian space bicycle markings to direct to create shorter,
on overpass cyclists to two-way path on more direct crossing Ave
eastbound service road
th
59
Woodhaven Blvd Woodhaven
Subway
Continue bike lane via two-way Install Install new Install painted space path on eastbound service pedestrian crosswalks on west with granite blocks road that accommodates actuated signal side of Eliot Ave to under LIE overpass to cyclists without removing at entrance accommodate allow pedestrians and lanes at westbound approach ramp to LIE pedestrian desire line cyclists to more easily to Woodhaven Blvd cross Queens Blvd17 Free parking on Parking Usage Study median vs metered parking on curb Metered parking on curb
Free parking on median (between 74th St and Broadway) • Street cleaning along median 6:30-7am everyday except Sunday
Findings from parking study: No vehicles park on median overnight • Few vehicles park on Queens Blvd overnight • Same vehicles are parked all day along median (very little turnover during school/business hours) • Curbside metered parking underutilized
18 Parking Changes
Parking changes are limited to west of Broadway/Grand Ave Existing Median Parking Regulations: Red = no existing parking spaces Only 50% of median in this section Green = existing parking spaces has parking spaces 19 spaces
19 Parking Changes
+10 spaces Currently: Metered parking
+10 spaces +10 spaces Currently: No Standing Anytime Currently: Construction Parking changes do not fully eliminate Net loss of 88 spaces available spaces: +20 spaces • Median has primarily daytime demand Create +50 free parking Currently: Metered parking • Very little turnover on median spaces along curb • Significant available curbside space 19 spaces
20 Benefits of Safety Proposal
Pedestrian Path and Bicycle Lane • Calm service roads and reduce speeding • Expand pedestrian network and shorten crossing distances • Allow for safe, convenient bicycle travel • Creates predictable movements
Before: Queens Blvd at 58th St Stop-Controlled Transition Lanes • Allow for safer vehicle transitions between mainline and service road • Allow for pedestrian path and bike lane • Reduce highway-like feel
Median Tips and Mall-to-Mall Crossings • Shorten crossing distances • Create new crossings • Visually tighten wide intersections
21 After: Queens Blvd at 58th St Benefits of Safety Proposal
Traffic Signals and Timing Changes • Provide safer pedestrian crossings • Optimizes traffic flow
Parking Changes After: Queens Blvd at 50th St • Replaces underutilized meters with free on-street parking • Adds additional curbside parking where possible
Bus Stop Markings at Woodhaven Blvd • Discourages vehicles from blocking buses 22 After After: Queens Blvd at 59th St Thank www.nyc.gov/dot You
Contact: Queens Borough Commissioner’s Office at 212-839-2510 or [email protected]