Open Streets on 39th Avenue in Sunnyside (Photo: Asha MacKay)
July 24, 2020 By Allie Griffin
Several Queens streets were added — and removed — from the city’s open streets program, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced today.
Four streets in Queens were added to the program in which select blocks are closed to traffic and opened for pedestrians and cyclists’ use from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day. Limited local vehicular traffic is permitted during those hours.
However, the city also removed three underused Queens blocks from the initiative in coordination with local elected officials and community partners.
The newly-added streets include:
.25 miles of 31st Avenue, from 31st Street to 36th Street in partnership with the 31st Ave Open Street Collective
.09 miles of Dutch Kills, from Jackson Avenue to Sunnyside Yards in partnership with Rockrose, a real estate company.
.19 miles of 47th Street, from 39th Avenue to Skillman Avenue in partnership with the 39th Ave Open Street Coalition
.19 miles of 49th Street, from 39th Avenue to Skillman Avenue in partnership with the 39th Ave Open Street Coalition
De Blasio set a goal in April to open 100 miles of streets across the five boroughs to allow for greater social distancing amid the coronavirus pandemic. The city has completed about 70 miles, according to a report released by Transportation Alternatives.
The city added 1.72 miles of open streets today but also removed 2.77 miles, according to a press release.
The streets in Queens that have been removed are:
.23 miles of Center Boulevard, from 57th Avenue to Borden Avenue
.16 miles of 27th Street, from 43rd Avenue to Queens Plaza North
.013 miles of 85th Street, from 25th Avenue to 30th Avenue
A full list of streets within the Open Streets program can be found on the Department of Transportation website.
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