Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Bicycle Infrastructure

Queens CB 11 Plans Secret Meeting to Delay Northern Blvd Safety Fixes [Updated]

The DOT project calls for six miles of protected bike lanes on Northern Boulevard and other streets near Joe Michaels Mile. Image: DOT

Earlier this year, Queens Community Board 11 voted in support of a DOT safety project that would create several miles of protected bike lanes linking to the Joe Michaels Mile bike path. There were multiple public meetings about the redesign, which is set to move forward, but now members of the board are planning a closed meeting on Monday to hear objections to it, Streetsblog has learned. (Update: After we published this post, CB 11 said the meeting will be open to the public and posted the location and time on its website.)

The DOT plan calls for six miles of protected bikeways, including a stretch of two-way bike lane on Northern Boulevard, one of the most dangerous streets in Queens. In 2015, a driver struck and killed Michael Schenkman, 78, as he tried to bike onto Joe Michaels Mile from Northern Boulevard, prompting the city to create a plan for safer access.

Community Board 11 voted for the project 18-11 last month. But a faction on the board remains opposed to the Northern Boulevard changes, which would replace a rush hour traffic lane/off-peak parking lane with a barrier-protected two-way bike lane, and wants to prevent them from being implemented.

CB 11 chair Christine Haider confirmed that the transportation committee will be holding a closed meeting on Monday to discuss "some suggestions that have come to our attention regarding the project." She refused to discuss what those suggestions were, why the project is being revisited after the board's earlier vote, or why the committee meeting will not be open to the public.

"It’s not a public hearing," she said. "It’s a simple committee meeting that doesn’t require a public meeting."

When the full board discussed the project in June, transportation committee co-chair Bernard Haber objected to repurposing a lane of Northern Boulevard for bike travel, arguing that the bikeway should take right-of-way from the Alley Pond Golf Center instead. That would negate the safety benefits of slimming down an overly-wide street, and it would take more time and money to implement, DOT said.

The board settled the matter publicly with its vote of support that night. Now some members want to revisit that decision out of public view. How's that for local democracy?

While the intent is to hold a closed-door gathering, if you're concerned about safety on Northern Boulevard, you can still tell the board what you think of this maneuver on Monday at 7:30 p.m., 46-21 Little Neck Parkway. The council member who represents the area and appoints people to CB 11 is Paul Vallone, who can be reached at (718) 619-8611.

Update: Haider called Streetsblog later this afternoon and said the meeting is now listed on the community board's calendar and open to the public. In fact, she said, it was always planned as a public meeting. When I pointed out that this contradicted what she told me earlier in the day, she said there's a difference between a "public meeting," which this will be, and a "public hearing," which this will not be. I asked what the difference is, and she said "the whole world is invited" to a public hearing, and ended the call before I could get the definition of a public meeting.

Whatever you make of that exchange, the board has now given the public about 72 hours notice about this Monday evening meeting.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Beach Reading: Zohran Mamdani’s Answers to Streetsblog’s Mayoral Candidate Survey

Spend the holiday weekend with Zohran Mamdani's answers to Streetsblog's mayoral candidate questionnaire.

July 4, 2025

Friday Video: Why NYC Needs ‘Low-Traffic Neighborhoods’

London's Church Street, like so many of our business corridors, was choking on cars — until the advent of the low-traffic neighborhood.

July 4, 2025

Friday’s Headlines: E-Bikes in Parks … Permanently Edition

The Parks Department will permanently allow e-bikes in city parks following a two-year pilot. Plus more news.

July 4, 2025

Anti-Miracle On 34th Street: Adams Administration Pauses Work On 34th Street Busway

The highly-anticipated 34th Street busway may not happen under Mayor Adams after all, sources said.

July 3, 2025

Manhattan DA Says Alleged Central Park Hit-and-Run Cyclist Didn’t Flee, Drops Charges

Prosecutors said the 30-year-old cyclist "remained on the scene for about 45 minutes after the crash and waited for paramedics to arrive to treat the injured person."

Sean Duffy’s ‘Great America Road Trip’ Wants You to Drive to Central Park

Sean Duffy's "Great American Road Trip" encourages Americans to drive to sites in the most transit-rich and car-choked parts of the country.

July 3, 2025
See all posts