Greenway Master Plan: Conduit . Southern . Laurelton . Cross Island City of New York/Department of City Planning . City of New York/Parks & Recreation

Laurelton Greenway Route Description

The Laurelton Greenway will travel along new asphalt paths, built along the alignment of the original 1940 paths. The original paths meander through a mature landscape dominated by oaks, pines, maples, Rhododendron and Mountain Laurel. Linear ponds, known as "Twin Ponds", are a defining feature of the Greenway. The paths also connect with neighborhood recreational facilities, providing the surrounding neighborhoods with playgrounds, ball fields and basketball courts.

Unfortunately, the paths, landscape and ponds have deteriorated. Pavement along the paths is crumbling and discontinuous, and the ponds suffer from stagnation due to an apparent drainage problem.

However, despite the declining conditions, the original beauty of the paths and landscape is still apparent, and their resurrection would represent a major urban restoration project. DPR has reconstructed the Laurelton Park and Playground, located along the Parkway between Boulevard and 136th Street. The playground has been reconstructed, and the comfort station has been removed to open up more space for recreation. Reconstructed Greenway paths would enhance this restoration project and provide improved access to this renewed recreational facility. In conjunction with the DPR project, NYC DEP and NYS DOT should begin to improve the pond's drainage, realizing the ponds potential as a true park amenity. Finally, the Laurelton Greenway's linkage into the citywide Greenway system will provide improved access to such area destinations as the beaches of Nassau County and JFK Airport to the south and Alley Pond Park, the Creedmoor Campus and Queensborough Community College to the north.

Schematic Design . Laurelton Greenway . Introduction Page 25 Greenway Master Plan: Conduit . Southern Queens . Laurelton . Cross Island City of New York/Department of City Planning . City of New York/Parks & Recreation

MATCH LINE "G" L e g e n d 119th Av Laurelton Greenway Proposed reconstructed path

232nd St Southern State Pkwy Proposed on-street route 233rd St Stewart Av Roadway Crossing Segment Eight: 234th Sta

120th Av 235th St Site Enlargement A Laurelton Parkway 236th St a Cross Section Alden Av County Boundary

William St a paths will also connect with the Laurelton West Elizabeth St From the connection with the Southern Queens 121st Av

Greenway at the intersection of Brookville Ballfields at 120th Avenue, which were Oliver Av Charles St Cr o Boulevard and North Conduit, the Laurelton reconstructed this year. The closed comfort station s B s Laurelton I Dewitt St s l West a ASTORIA n Greenway travels north along the east side of at the Ballfields should be considered for re-use. d Ballfields P RAVENSWOOD a r k w a Laurelton Parkway. The route travels on new 8' Finally, the Laurelton Greenway connects with the Connection with y Nassau County L o y 236th St ng wa bicycle routes. I s l s s FLORAL PARK asphalt paths, replacing the existing 6' paths, and Cross Island Greenway to the north by travelling Sobro Av SUNNYSIDE and E x pr e BLISSVILLE 237th St Hi l l s i de west on 120th Avenue and north on 233rd Street. The 128th Av MASPETH reconnects on-street at the intersection with Francis wa y Par k r al Gr a nd Cent Lewis Boulevard and Brookville Boulevard. Here, width of 120th Avenue could accommodate 5'

V 8' asphalt a n Queens

path W

Greenway users can exit the Greenway and travel bicycle lanes, while 233rd Street would be equipped y c y

Laurelton Pkwy Srve Rd k

a w E

128th Av k

x r p along the NYC bicycle network on Francis Lewis and with Greenway signage. r a e P s Conduit Blvd s n w o t a l 8 connect with a route to the Nassau County beaches. 238th St e 129th Av 128th Dr r u S out her n Par kway a Greenway users wanting to continue north can avoid L

130th Av 128th Rd this intersection by travelling underneath the Francis Laurelton Lewis overpass, adjacent to the Laurelton Parkway, Park 129th Av and continue on the new 8' asphalt paths. Necessary improvements at the existing underpass include the 129th Rd installation of a new barrier with bicycle-safe rail, 131st Av Twin Ponds the creation of a more gentle slope on the southern 130th Rd side of the bridge and cautionary signage. Between 232nd St Francis Lewis and 136th Avenue, the paths run 233rd St 131st Av 234th St Laurelton Pkwy Srve Rd alongside the basketball and tennis courts at the 133rd Av 131st Rd Laurelton Parkway Laurelton Park and Playground. The Greenway Brookville Blvd 132nd Av paths will provide improved access to the Park and 132nd Rd Playground. NYC DOT is scheduled to reconstruct Brookville Boulevard south of Merrick Boulevard in 133rd Av 2000. The redesign of this roadway should include traffic improvements for the construction of the 135th Av Merrick Blvd proposed 8' greenway path. Intersections along

Brookville north of Merrick need study and design 134th Av LAURELTON with curb and crosswalk implementation. A 137th Av 138th Av Continuing north, the 8' asphalt paths continue on the 135th Av Francis Lewis Blvd east side of the Parkway to connection with the NYC DOT should incorporate Nassau County border, meandering through the design of 8' path in Cyclists can proposed Brookville Blvd Francis Lewis Blvd landscaped open space and travelling along the edge travel underneath 136th Avstreet reconstruction Francis Lewis on project. of Twin Ponds. 7' path

Laurelton Pkwy

226th St Brookville Blvd At 130th Avenue, the Greenway continues227th St to a 137th Av241st Av 231st St 242nd Av connection to the paths located on the west 228thside St of the 232nd St MA 243rd Av 229th St TCH LINE "F" Path users Laurelton Parkway. Like the parallel route to the 233rd St can emerge on-street N 230th St to travel along east, 8' asphalt paths (replacing the existing 6' paths) 236th St Francis Lewis Blvd. meander through mature trees and landscaping. The Page 26 Schematic Design . Laurelton Greenway . Segment Eight Greenway Master Plan: Conduit . Southern Queens . Laurelton . Cross Island City of New York/Department of City Planning . City of New York/Parks & Recreation

8' asphalt path

New 5' bicycle lanes Laurelton Parkway Service Rd Laurelton Parkway

120th Av

Merrick Blvd Brookville Blvd

New cross- walks

Laurelton West Ballfields 8' asphalt path

Laurelton Parkway Service Rd

NYC DOT Laurelton Parkway should incorporate design of 8' path in proposed Brookville Blvd street reconstruction project.

A Merrick Boulevard and Laurelton Parkway 120th Avenue and Laurelton Parkway

B

7' 5' 12'- 6" 12'- 6" 5' 7'

Existing 6' asphalt path along "Twin Ponds" 50' a-a 120th Avenue at 236th Street. Proposed 5' on-street bicycle lane. Schematic Design . Laurelton Greenway . Segment Eight Page 27 Greenway Master Plan: Conduit . Southern Queens . Laurelton . Cross Island City of New York/Department of City Planning . City of New York/Parks & Recreation Cross Island Greenway Route Description

Connecting with the Laurelton Parkway to the south, Alley Pond Park is the second largest park in Queens the Cross Island Greenway travels in a north-south and contains active recreational facilities, such as direction within a mile of the landscaped open space ballfields and handball and tennis courts. The Park is adjacent to the . Belmont Race perhaps best known, however, for its extensive Track, which straddles the Nassau County-New York natural setting and resources, offering fields, forests, City border at the Cross Island Parkway and ponds and Alley Creek. The Alley Pond Hempstead Avenue, is the first major destination Environment Center (APEC) at Northern Boulevard along the route. The Race Track occupies studies, nurtures and interprets the Park's natural approximately 440 acres and employs over 1700 resources, and holds classes, exhibits and people. To the north of Belmont, the Cross Island educational wildlife activities. Greenway travels on-street along 222nd Street and Winchester Boulevard through Queens Village, a Exiting Alley Pond Park, a critical connection is residential community of single and multi-family made with Joe Michael's Mile. Located adjacent to homes. The on-street route also connects with Little Neck Bay, Joe Michael's Mile, which is Creedmoor Campus, home to the Creedmoor actually over two miles in length, is one of the city's Psychiatric Center and other social service and civic most popular and scenic paths, offering spectacular organizations which provide over 1600 jobs. East of views of Little Neck Bay and Sound and Creedmoor, the Cross Island Greenway terminates at the historic waterfront residential community of the Queens County Farm Museum. Located on over Douglaston Manor. A Marina is located along the 47 acres, the Museum is an historic farm with path. livestock, an orchard, gardens and the original farmhouse constructed in 1772. While the major Fort Totten, another major route destination, is entrance to the Farm Museum is located on Little located at the northern end of Joe Michael's Mile. Neck Parkway, the Greenway enters the Museum Occupied by the US Army and built in the 1860s, Fort grounds from Commonwealth Boulevard, providing Totten is situated on a 126 acre peninsula jutting into the Museum with a more direct connection to the the Long Island Sound. The property is a unique remainder of the Greenway and Alley Pond Park. waterfront site with commanding views, tree-shaded rolling acres and historic and architecturally At Union Avenue and Winchester Boulevard, the significant buildings. The Army is in the process of Cross Island Greenway links with the proposed declaring 120 acres of the Fort as surplus property, to Brooklyn-Queens Greenway (BQG) in Alley Pond be transferred to the City of New York. Park to the north. Currently, the developed BQG Bicycle/pedestrian access through the property, and ends at the Vanderbilt Motor Parkway path, the along its waterfront, especially along scenic Shore former parkway constructed by William K. Road, will be included in the master plan for the Vanderbilt, great grandson of railroad magnate property. Finally, the BQG ends at Little Bay Park, a Cornelius Vanderbilt as a means of getting to the 50 acre waterfront park, providing two soccer fields family's Long Island estate. Today, the Vanderbilt and one little league field. This project proposes the Motor Parkway is a popular and scenic 25' wide development of a formal bicycle/pedestrian path multi-use path, connecting Alley Pond Park with along the waterfront to capitalize on the park's and the BQG route to the west. The stunning views of Long Island Sound and to improve BQG will extend access to the north by access to Joe Michael's Mile and Fort Totten. At the reconstructing the existing paths in Alley Pond Park time of the completion of the Master Plan, DPR is for pedestrians and providing an on-street bicycle constructing a waterfront path and roller hockey rink route on the park perimeter. Totalling 623 acres, in Little Bay Park. Schematic Design . Cross Island Greenway . Introduction Page 28 Greenway Master Plan: Conduit . Southern Queens . Laurelton . Cross Island City of New York/Department of City Planning . City of New York/Parks & Recreation

103rd Av Hempstead Av L e g e n d MATCH LINE "H"

Cross Island Greenway 104th Av Proposed off-street route 105th Av Proposed path Route connection Segment Nine: 106th Av

225th St Roadway Crossing 107th Av 118th Avenue to 104th Avenue Site Enlargement A 107th Av 108th Av B a Cross Section County Boundary Where 233rd Street crosses ,

227th St the Laurelton Greenway ends and the Cross Island 109th Av 106th Av

C Greenway begins. The route travels on-street for r o s 111th Av s I s l two and a half blocks, where it crosses the a ASTORIA n d P RAVENSWOOD 112th Av a r Parkway service road and connect with a new 8' k w a y 109th Av L asphalt path within the open space of the Cross ong wa y I s l s s FLORAL PARK 112th Rd SUNNYSIDE and E x pr e

BLISSVILLE Island Parkway right-of-way. Similar to other Hi l l s i de MASPETH wa y Par k 113th Av r al open space areas of the Belt System, the Cross Gr a nd Cent

Huntley Rd V a Island Parkway is populated with mature oaks, n Queens

Murdock Av Wellington Rd W y

c y 9

k

a w E

maples and pines, fruit trees and flowering Hathaway Av k

x r p r a e P Ludlam Av s 113th Dr Conduit Blvd s n bushes; the newly constructed path will meander w o t a l e r u Belmont Av S out her n Par kway a through this open space. Care will have to be L 114th Av taken in the design and construction of this Hoffman Av greenway to avoid impact on the existing trees. 114th Rd The north-south, 8' asphalt path crosses 115th New 8' asphalt path 114th Dr Baylis Av Avenue at a new cross walk; curb and intersection Dr Parkway

design is necessary. The path continues north for 114th Terr Renfrew Av approximately one mile to 113th Avenue. The on- CAMBRIA HEIGHTS ramps to the Belmont Race Track are located Parkhurst Rd within the right-of-way between 113th and 107th 115th Av 230th St Cross Island Pkwy Service Rd Goodwin Rd Avenues, forcing cyclists to travel on-street in Connection with this section. New crosswalks are needed to NYC Bicycle Leighton Av facilitate the transition between on and off-street Network 115th Rd

sections. North of 107th Avenue, the greenway 231st St Cross Island Pkwy Island Cross again travels on an 8' path which will connect with A

115th Rd Parkway Dr Parkway

104th Avenue. Similar to the Laurelton Av 237th 238th Av 238th Greenway to the south, the Cross Island Greenway meanders north-south through 116th Av 232nd St

landscaped open space, providing a direct and 115th Terr Entrance to safe alternative transportation and recreation path should be improved with sidewalk route through a scenic landscape. "neck downs", crosswalk 116th Rd and stop signs 116th Av

233rd St a 117th Av

117th Rd a Linden Blvd 118th Av N

MATCH LINE "G"

Page 29 Schematic Design . Cross Island Greenway . Segment Nine