Tonight: Kips Bay and Astoria Community Boards Consider Complete Streets

By Stephen Miller
Oct 9, 2013

There are two community board meetings tonight on complete streets plans in Manhattan and Queens.

21st Street in Astoria and Long Island City could become friendlier to cyclists and pedestrians if CB 1 takes action. Photo: ##http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20131008/long-island-city/transit-advocates-pushing-for-safety-improvements-for-busy-astoria-street?utm_content=stevsco%40gmail.com&utm_source=VerticalResponse&utm_medium=Email&utm_term=Transit%20Advocates%20Pushing%20for%20Safety%20Improvements%20for%20Busy%20Astoria%20Street&utm_campaign=Transit%20Advocates%20Pushing%20for%20Safety%20Improvements%20for%20Busy%20Astoria%20Streetcontent##DNA##

The full board of Manhattan CB 6 is considering a resolution, passed by its transportation committee on Monday, to support a DOT plan to fill in a gap on the Second Avenue protected bike lane. Currently, the avenue from 23rd Street to 14th Street has a buffered bike lane, while sections to the north and south are protected by a lane of parked cars. DOT’s plan would remove a car travel lane and replace it with parking.

The public is invited to give brief comments to the full board tonight before it takes up the resolution. CB 6 has a history of slow progress on livable streets, so encouragement from users of the Second Avenue bike lane could help make the difference tonight. The meeting starts at 7:00 p.m. at 550 First Avenue.

In Astoria and Long Island City, Transportation Alternatives volunteers have been gathering signatures for a petition to Queens CB 1 asking the board to request a redesign of 21st Street to include shared lane markings for cyclists and safety improvements for pedestrians. If the board requests a redesign, DOT says it will consider it.

CB 1 has been downright hostile to livable streets in the past, so demonstrating local support for a complete streets design on 21st Street is important. The meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at 45-02 Ditmars Boulevard (the entrance is on the 46th Street side). If a resolution passes committee, it will go to the full board, which is scheduled to meet on October 15.