Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Astoria

It CAN Be Done: Shore Blvd. in Astoria Has Been Opened Up for People — And Without Cops!

This is how good life can be without cars in our parks. (Note the car skid marks in the bike lane!) Photo: Clarence Eckerson Jr.

Who said New Yorkers need their open space to be filled with cops enforcing social distancing rules (oh, right, that was the mayor)?

In any event, a short stretch of a waterfront roadway inside a city park in Queens has been finally closed to cars, creating more than a half-mile of space for residents to recreate while observing social-distancing rules.

Streetfilms has the exclusive footage here from Shore Boulevard:

According to the local State Senator, the NYPD opened up the street for residents.

The lack of cops on the scene suggested that the Parks Department or the Department of Transportation were behind the project, but the DOT confirmed that the open street was indeed the work of the police department.

In that case, the open roadway is so different from the mayor's prior open-streets pilot program, which was scrubbed after only 11 days because the mayor deployed at least two cops per intersection, then said it required too many police resources.

https://twitter.com/Tellythecairn/status/1250828727614930953?s=20

In any event, people love it:

Here's the area in question:

An earlier version of this story referred to Mike Gianaris as an Assembly Member when he is in fact a Senator. Streetsblog knows that (and regrets the error)!

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Garbage Company Involved in Fatal Crash Will Ply Streets of Eastern Queens, Too

The private garbage company whose truck driver struck and killed a Manhattan pedestrian on Thursday according to police has won the right to pick up trash in a wide swath of Southeast Queens, raising concern for safety there.

May 17, 2024

Friday’s Headlines: Fleet Week Edition

Some good news about the city fleet. Plus other news from a busy day.

May 17, 2024

DOT Proposes Bus Lanes To Speed Up Crosstown Transit In Upper Manhattan

Bus lanes are coming to 96th Street as part of a handful of last minute transit and streetscape changes for congestion pricing.

May 17, 2024

Letter from Sweden: Congestion Pricing is Going to Be Great … With a Few Bumps

Swedes, even drivers, were stunned to hear that a majority of New York-area residents oppose congestion pricing.

May 16, 2024

Thursday’s Headlines: Will Albany Green Light More Red Light Cameras

Ydanis Rodrgiuez lobbies Albany to reauthorize and expand the city's tiny speed camera program. Plus more news.

May 16, 2024
See all posts