NYC Plans To Extend Astoria Bike Boulevard Into Woodside: What To Know

QUEENS, NY — Mayor Zohran Mamdani is planning to extend the 31st Avenue bike boulevard from Steinway Street to 51st Street in Queens.

The second phase of the project, which would begin later this year, would create a continuous bike boulevard through Astoria from the waterfront at Vernon Boulevard into Woodside, according to the city department of transportation.

Subscribe

The redesign will increase visibility at intersections, expand pedestrian space and better organize traffic, improving safety for everyone who uses the corridor.

“At the heart of this administration is a commitment to building a safer city for everyone who calls New York home," Mamdani said. “Bike boulevards calm our streets, protect pedestrians and cyclists and make clear that public spaces belong to people, not just cars. This next phase of improvements will help knit Astoria and Woodside together with safer, greener and more accessible streets for New Yorkers.”

The proposed extension will connect to existing cycling lanes on Crescent Street and the Queens Waterfront Greenway along the East River, as well as new protected lanes for 51st Street connecting to existing lanes on Northern Boulevard.

Together with protected lanes on Broadway and 34th Avenue, the project will create a fully protected east-west corridor between the East River and Jackson Heights.

In addition, the DOT plans to convert 31st Avenue from two-way traffic to one-way.

A new circular traffic diverter at 31st Avenue and 43rd Street will improve visibility for pedestrians and cyclists and shorten pedestrian crossings.

The agency will also add a new traffic signal at 31st Avenue and Vernon Boulevard and update signals at 31st Avenue and 35th Street to clarify movements at those intersections.

“The redesign of 31st Avenue as a bike boulevard was born out of a need for a safer street that prioritizes community building and safety over speeding and cut-through traffic,” NYC DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn said. “Phase two expands this successful project with more pedestrian space, shortened crossings and enhanced visibility, and brings a much-needed cycling connection from Woodside, through the heart of Astoria, to the East River.”