WELCOME

Van Wyck Expressway (I-678) Capacity and Access Improvements to JFK Airport Project

NOISE BARRIER WORKSHOPS March 12, 2019 • 4:00 pm­­ – 8:00 pm Radisson Hotel JFK Airport, 135-30 140th Street, Jamaica, NY 11436

March 13, 2019 • 4:00 pm­­ – 8:00 pm The Harvest Room, 90-40 160th Street, Jamaica, NY 11432

Existing view of Northbound Van Wyck Expressway at Existing view of Northbound exit ramp to Existing view of Van Wyck Expressway 101st Avenue Linden Boulevard north of (looking south)

VAN WYCK EXPRESSWAY (I-678) CAPACITY AND ACCESS IMPROVEMENTS TO JFK AIRPORT PROJECT PURPOSE OF WORKSHOPS

• Present the noise analysis for the Project »»Methodology »»Existing Conditions and Build Conditions »»Abatement »»Proposed Noise Barriers • Obtain the viewpoints of those who would be benefited by proposed noise barriers »»Benefited = those who would receive at least a 5 dB(A) noise reduction from a barrier

Proposed southbound VWE Proposed southbound exit ramp to Proposed southbound VWE service road service road just south of Linden Boulevard at 102nd Avenue Atlantic Avenue

VAN WYCK EXPRESSWAY (I-678) CAPACITY AND ACCESS IMPROVEMENTS TO JFK AIRPORT PROJECT VAN WYCK EXPRESSWAY (I-678)

LEGEND ¯ Project Location Bronx • North-south interstate highway through New York State

295 y a w s s • Intersects with major east-west re xp E d n roadways that connect New York la Is Va ng n Lo ay City with eastern W w k y r G c a ra P n k al d E tr C xp n e r e n es C Queens tr sw d alP ay an ar Gr k w • Major transportation corridor 495 ay y 678 Van Wyck Expressway 278 a providing access to and from JFK w rk a Hoover Avenue P n Airport o s n bi o

R

ie k ay c w a k J r a lt P Be JFK Airport • Major route for commercial truck

Federal Circle traffic to and from JFK Airport 0 1.2 2. Miles

VAN WYCK EXPRESSWAY (I-678) CAPACITY AND ACCESS IMPROVEMENTS TO JFK AIRPORT PROJECT

Brooklyn PROJECT STUDY AREA

• The project limits are Hoover Avenue and the southern ueens ¯

end of Federal Circle at the entrance to JFK Airport Kew Gardens Interchange Grand Central E • The general Study Area extends ½-mile from the project HooverAvenue 678 corridor Parkway Hillside Avenue KEW GARDENS F Jamaica Avenue 94th Avenue • Community Boards 6, 8, 9, 10, and 12 M J Jamaica Station

LIRR Liberty Avenue • Residential, commercial, educational, and transportation JAMAICA

Atlantic Avenue

land uses Van Wyck Expressway RICHMOND HILL

Van Wyck Expressway Service Roads • 22 existing bridges, 1 New Bridge - including Linden Bouldevard 109th Avenue SOUTH JAMAICA 4 Bridges Northbound A Southbound Foch Boulevard • Transit options in the corridor: Rockaway Boulevard ▶ LIRR Jamaica Station

SOUTH OZONE PARK

▶ NYC Transit A, E, F, J, M subway lines Nassau Expressway ▶ JFK AirTrain LEGEND 678 Project Location o ▶ Local bus routes Study Area AirTrain JFK Airport

0 0.25 0.5 1 Esri, HERE, DeLorme, MapmyIndia, OpenStreetMap contributors, and the GIS Mile user community

VAN WYCK EXPRESSWAY (I-678) CAPACITY AND ACCESS IMPROVEMENTS TO JFK AIRPORT PROJECT PROJECT PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES

PURPOSE • Provide increased capacity on the Van Wyck Expressway (VWE) between the Kew Gardens Interchange and JFK Airport to improve vehicular access to and from the airport • Address the operational, geometric, and structural Existing view of southbound VWE at 101st Avenue deficiencies on the VWE between the Kew Gardens Interchange and JFK Airport

OBJECTIVES • Provide an additional vehicular travel lane on the

VWE in each direction between the Kew Gardens Existing view of southbound exit ramp to Liberty Avenue Interchange and JFK Airport • Address geometric and operational deficiencies of the VWE exit / entrance ramps within the identified project limits • Address structural deficiencies on the bridges on or crossing over the VWE within the project limits Existing view of Long Island Rail Road Bridges (looking north)

VAN WYCK EXPRESSWAY (I-678) CAPACITY AND ACCESS IMPROVEMENTS TO JFK AIRPORT PROJECT NOISE ANALYSIS

METHODOLOGY Sensitive receptors • Identified land uses and assigned Activity Categories • Identified noise receivers • Measured existing traffic noise levels • Modeled existing and year 2045 build traffic noise levels at ~1,200 receivers • Determined traffic noise impacts • Considered noise abatement measures where impacts were identified

The noise analysis was conducted in accordance with the NYSDOT Noise Policy and FHWA highway noise regulations (23 CFR 772).

VAN WYCK EXPRESSWAY (I-678) CAPACITY AND ACCESS IMPROVEMENTS TO JFK AIRPORT PROJECT NOISE ANALYSIS

NOISE IMPACT CRITERIA • Traffic noise impacts occur when: »»Modeled future traffic noise levels are within 1 dB(A) or exceed the Noise Abatement Criteria (67 dB(A) for residential, parks, schools, hospitals and places of worship) »»Modeled future traffic noise levels exceed modeled existing levels by 6 dB(A) or more Studies have shown that a noise level change of 3 dB(A) or less is barely NOISE IMPACT RESULTS perceptible to the • Traffic noise impacts identified at 472 receivers, representing human ear 718 receptors »»55 of the impacted receivers would have noise level increases of 3 dB(A) or greater (greatest increase = 7 dB(A)) »»417 of the impacted receivers would have noise level increases of less than 3 dB(A)

VAN WYCK EXPRESSWAY (I-678) CAPACITY AND ACCESS IMPROVEMENTS TO JFK AIRPORT PROJECT NOISE BARRIERS

NOISE BARRIERS • Block the direct path of sound waves from the highway (source) to adjacent residences (receptor) • Effectiveness considerations: distance between the source and the receptors, topography, and intervening features such as buildings

FEASIBILITY AND REASONABLENESS CRITERIA • Feasibility: »»Engineering considerations (e.g., can the barrier be built?) »»5 dB(A) noise reduction for the majority of impacted receptors • Reasonableness: »»Maximum of 2,000 square feet of wall per benefited receptor »»7 dB(A) noise reduction for the majority of benefited receptors »»Viewpoints of benefited receptors --Viewpoints must be received from at least half of the benefited property owners and residents -- A majority must favor the barrier

VAN WYCK EXPRESSWAY (I-678) CAPACITY AND ACCESS IMPROVEMENTS TO JFK AIRPORT PROJECT PROPOSED NOISE BARRIERS

NOISE BARRIER LOCATIONS • 37 barriers were evaluated, 12 are being proposed Queens ¯ »»10 are feasible and reasonable (pending viewpoints) »»2 are feasible but not reasonable; still being proposed based Hoover Avenue

on noise reductions to communities NB-16 KEW GARDENS »»Heights range from 8 to 28 feet NB-20

»»Transparent panels would be used for the portions of the JAMAICA NB-14A

barriers that are greater than 10 feet in height Atlantic Avenue NB-11

VanNB-10 Wyck Expressway • If all of the 12 proposed noise barriers are recommended: RICHMOND HILL SB-10 Liberty Avenue SOUTH JAMAICA NOISE BARRIER KEY 109th Avenue Number ID Height (in feet) »»The number of impacted receptors would decrease from 718 NB-1 18 NB-2 18 SB-13 NB-3 8 NB-10 28 to 611 Rockaway Boulevard NB-11 28 NB-14A 12 NB-16 20 SB-15 NB-3 »»For those remaining 611 impacted receptors, the noise level NB-20 20 SOUTH OZONE PARK SB-10 28 SB-16 NB-2 SB-13 18 increases would be 3 dB(A) or less compared to existing SB-15 20 NB-1 SB-16 20 conditions NB - northbound SB - southbound Belt Parkway LEGEND Project Location Study Area Federal »»374 receptors would be benefited (i.e., receive at least a 5 Circle o Recommended Noise Barriers dB(A) reduction) JFK Airport 0 0.25 0.5 1 Esri, HERE, DeLorme, MapmyIndia, © OpenStreetMap contributors, and the GIS Mile user community

VAN WYCK EXPRESSWAY (I-678) CAPACITY AND ACCESS IMPROVEMENTS TO JFK AIRPORT PROJECT POTENTIAL NOISE BARRIER

WITHOUT BARRIER WITH BARRIER

Proposed view southwest from the corner of 90th Avenue and VWE northbound service road

VAN WYCK EXPRESSWAY (I-678) CAPACITY AND ACCESS IMPROVEMENTS TO JFK AIRPORT PROJECT POTENTIAL NOISE BARRIER

WITHOUT BARRIER WITH BARRIER

Proposed view of southbound service road between 105th Avenue and 107th Avenue

VAN WYCK EXPRESSWAY (I-678) CAPACITY AND ACCESS IMPROVEMENTS TO JFK AIRPORT PROJECT POTENTIAL NOISE BARRIER

WITHOUT BARRIER WITH BARRIER

Proposed view north on VWE northbound service road between 109th Avenue and 107th Avenue

VAN WYCK EXPRESSWAY (I-678) CAPACITY AND ACCESS IMPROVEMENTS TO JFK AIRPORT PROJECT POTENTIAL NOISE BARRIER

WITHOUT BARRIER WITH BARRIER

Proposed view south on VWE southbound service road between 130th Avenue and 133rd Avenue

VAN WYCK EXPRESSWAY (I-678) CAPACITY AND ACCESS IMPROVEMENTS TO JFK AIRPORT PROJECT NOISE BALLOTS

The FHWA and NYSDOT are soliciting viewpoints from the property owners and residents of the benefited receptors. Noise ballots may be submitted in the following ways:

At either noise barrier Via email to: Mail to: workshop [email protected] Van Wyck Expressway Project Team NYS Department of Transportation 47-40 21st Street Long Island City, New York 11101

For additional information, please visit the project website: www.dot.ny.gov/VWE.

VAN WYCK EXPRESSWAY (I-678) CAPACITY AND ACCESS IMPROVEMENTS TO JFK AIRPORT PROJECT