Mamdani Will Extend Astoria Bike Boulevard East into Woodside
Mayor Mamdani will extend the 31st Avenue bike boulevard in his old Astoria neighborhood beyond Steinway Street all the way to 51st Street in Woodside, officials said on Wednesday.
The Department of Transportation’s bike boulevard designs maintain local car access, but dramatically reduce non-local drivers by diverting roadways to prevent cut-through traffic — creating a calmer, safer experience for two-wheelers.
On 31st Avenue, the agency plans to convert the street from two-way to one-way eastbound from Steinway Street to the six-pointed intersection with 43rd Street and Newtown Avenue, and one-way westbound from there to 51st Street (see map, right)
At the jumble of 31st Avenue, Newtown Avenue and 43rd Street, DOT will install a “circular traffic diverter” — also known as a traffic circle — to give more visibility to people walking and biking, while also shortening pedestrian crossing distances.
At the eastern end of the redesign in Woodside, cyclists will be able to connect to protected bike lanes the city plans to install in both directions this year between 31st Avenue and Northern Boulevard.
Completed in 2025, the 1.1-mile first phase of the project west of Steinway Street included the city’s widest protected bike lane on some blocks. DOT has implemented similar “bike boulevards” across the city, including on 39th Avenue in nearby Sunnyside, Underhill Avenue in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, and Broadway in Midtown and Flatiron in Manhattan.
The 2021 Sunnyside project faced loud opposition that immediately quieted after it went into effect. Streetfilms’ Clarence Eckerson documented the transformation of the corridor:
DOT showed off its proposal for 31st Avenue at Wednesday’s Queens Community Board 1 transportation committee meeting. As with phase one, drivers will be able to access every block of the redesigned corridor.
The project area saw 119 total traffic injuries from 2021 to 2025, including 35 pedestrians and 18 cyclists, according to city figures.
DOT’s proposal includes some updates to the phase one segment, including a traffic signal at the intersection with 31st Avenue and new loading zones and parking meters to reduce illegal parking. DOT is also considering lighting turn bans at 21st Street and 31st Street.
“Now that we’ve simplified these intersections, we’ve been monitoring, and are hopeful that we can lift these bans, now that visibility has improved,” DOT Project Manager Claire Brennan told Queens CB1 members on Wednesday.
Last month, Queens CB1 endorsed the Mamdani administration’s plan to put protected bike lanes in both directions on 31st Street, which runs north-south up the spine of Astoria.
The city began implementation of the 31st Street redesign this week.
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