{"id":801921,"date":"2026-05-17T02:34:02","date_gmt":"2026-05-17T02:34:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/801921\/"},"modified":"2026-05-17T02:34:02","modified_gmt":"2026-05-17T02:34:02","slug":"mamdani-dot-announce-phase-2-of-31st-avenues-bike-boulevard-to-commence-this-year-qns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/801921\/","title":{"rendered":"Mamdani, DOT announce Phase 2 of 31st Avenue\u2019s \u2018bike boulevard\u2019 to commence this year \u2013 QNS"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the Department of Transportation<\/a> have announced that the second phase of the 31st Avenue \u201cbike boulevard\u201d redesign in Astoria<\/a> will begin later this year, connecting Steinway Street to 51st Street.<\/p>\n

The redesign proposes installing a two-way, parking-protected bike lane between Steinway and 51st Streets, creating a continuous bike boulevard along 31st Avenue from Vernon Boulevard in Long Island City to Woodside.<\/p>\n

The bike path will also connect to existing biking infrastructure on Crescent Street and the Queens Waterfront Greenway along the East River, as well as connecting to existing bike lanes on Northern Boulevard.<\/p>\n

City Hall said the project, along with existing protected lanes on 34th Avenue and Broadway, will help to create a fully protected east-west corridor stretching from the East River to Jackson Heights.<\/p>\n

\"\"Phase one and phase two of the 31st Avenue bike boulevard. Photo via NYC DOT<\/p>\n

The city further described the second phase of the 31st Avenue project as a redesign that \u201cprioritizes cyclists and pedestrians while maintaining local vehicle access.\u201d The project is designed to reduce traffic, slow vehicle speeds and create safer and more comfortable routes for bike riders of all ages, the city added.<\/p>\n

\u201cBike boulevards calm our streets, protect pedestrians and cyclists and make clear that public spaces belong to people, not just cars,\u201d Mamdani said in a statement. \u201cThis next phase of improvements will help knit Astoria and Woodside together with safer, greener and more accessible streets for New Yorkers.\u201d<\/p>\n

DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn said the redesign of 31st Avenue was \u201cborn out of a need for a safer street that prioritizes community building.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\u201cPhase two expands this successful project with more pedestrian space, shortened crossings and enhanced visibility, and brings a much-needed cycling connection from Woodside, through the heart of Astoria, to the East River,\u201d Flynn said in a statement.<\/p>\n

Phase 2 of the project will overhaul sections of 31st Avenue, creating 4-foot-wide bike lanes in each direction as well as 9-foot-wide parking lanes on either side of a one-way moving lane for vehicles, measuring 10 feet across. At present, the corridor boasts 12-foot-wide shared moving lanes for cyclists and motorists in both directions, with eight-foot-wide parking lanes on either side of the avenue.<\/p>\n

\"ExistingExisting design (top) and proposed redesign (bottom) for bike boulevard on 31st Avenue. Photo via NYC DOT<\/p>\n

The DOT has identified 31st Avenue between Steinway Street and 51st Street as a \u201cVision Zero Priority Area,\u201d defined as a zone with a high number of pedestrian deaths and serious injuries. The agency has recorded serious injuries to seven pedestrians and two cyclists along the stretch between 2021 and 2025. One cyclist was also killed along the corridor during that time frame.<\/p>\n

According to DOT data, 67% of trips to local businesses in Astoria are taken on foot or by bike compared to 17% taken by car.\n<\/p>\n

Phase 2 of the redesign will introduce traffic diversions at certain intersections to reduce vehicle volume, cut-through truck traffic and discourage speeding. The diversions will maintain local access and parking for residents and businesses, the DOT said. However, the agency said the diversions would help reduce \u201cconflicts\u201d at intersections along the corridor, improving safety for road users.<\/p>\n

The project will also introduce a circular traffic diverter at 31st Avenue and 43rd Avenue to improve visibility and shorten pedestrian crossings. The DOT said the design will maintain access for emergency vehicles and buses, as well as allowing vehicles to continue making all current movements through the intersection.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"TheThe proposed redesign of the intersection at 31st Avenue and 43rd Street. Photo via NYC DOT<\/p>\n

In addition to the expansion of the bike boulevard, the DOT will also be making some adjustments to infrastructure installed during Phase 1 of the project, including adding a new traffic signal at Vernon Boulevard and updating signals at 35th Street. The agency is also introducing new curb regulations along the corridor to provide additional loading zones and encourage vehicle turnover.<\/p>\n

The expansion has been widely supported by local elected officials, including U.S. Rep. Nydia Vel\u00e1zquez, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, Assembly Member Diana Moreno, State Sen. Mike Gianaris and Council Member Tiffany Cab\u00e1n.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Richards described 31st Avenue as one of the most critical arteries in Astoria and added that it is vital to ensure that the corridor is safe for all road users.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cWith these new protections, we will not only make 31st Avenue a more inviting place but a safer one as well,\u201d Richards said in a statement.\n<\/p>\n

Vel\u00e1zquez, meanwhile, said the extension would address a critical safety issue along the corridor.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cToo many pedestrians and cyclists have been hurt or killed along this stretch of 31st Avenue. Extending the bike boulevard will calm traffic, protect people walking and biking and reflect how Astoria residents actually move through their neighborhood every day,\u201d Vel\u00e1zquez said in a statement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the Department of Transportation have announced that the second phase of the 31st Avenue…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":801922,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5122],"tags":[44544,324975,5229,324976,7510,52471,221265,18941,405,403,5226,5225,5228,5227,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":{"0":"post-801921","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-york","8":"tag-bike-lanes","9":"tag-31st-avenue","10":"tag-america","11":"tag-bike-boulevard","12":"tag-daily-newsletter","13":"tag-dot","14":"tag-mayor-zohran-mamdani","15":"tag-mike-flynn","16":"tag-new-york","17":"tag-new-york-city","18":"tag-newyork","19":"tag-newyorkcity","20":"tag-ny","21":"tag-nyc","22":"tag-united-states","23":"tag-united-states-of-america","24":"tag-unitedstates","25":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","26":"tag-us","27":"tag-usa"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116587585125049715","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/801921","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=801921"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/801921\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/801922"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=801921"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=801921"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=801921"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}