Flushing Bus Improvements

Flushing in Motion | Flushing Main Street Sidewalk Widening

 

Flushing in Motion

Flushing in Motion will be modeled off of Midtown in Motion, a congestion management system that was installed in Midtown Manhattan in July 2011 to improve traffic conditions by enabling city traffic engineers to identify and respond to traffic conditions in real time. The first phase of the program included 100 microwave sensors, 32 traffic video cameras, and E-Z Pass readers at 23 intersections to measure traffic speeds. Over the course of a year, engineers in DOT’s Traffic Management Center (TMC) used the technology to quickly identify congestion issues as they occurred and use networked Advanced Solid State Traffic Controllers (ATSC) to remotely adjust Midtown traffic signal patterns, unplug bottlenecks and smooth the flow of traffic, leading to a 10% reduction in travel time through Midtown.

Flushing Main Street Sidewalk Widening

Downtown Flushing has some of the most crowded sidewalks in New York City. According to DOT’s 2008 World Class Streets report, the pedestrian volumes on Main Street were the 3rd highest recorded in NYC, and the highest outside of midtown Manhattan. This high level of pedestrian activity demonstrates the commercial vitality of Downtown Flushing, which relies on its sidewalks to accommodate people using transit, walking through, shopping, or doing all of the above. To help reduce pedestrian crowding and improve safety, DOT is working with the Department of Design and Construction (DDC) to widen the sidewalks on Main Street between 38th Avenue and 40th Rd/LIRR trestle. The construction project, which started in July 2016 and is scheduled for completion in summer 2017, will widen the sidewalks between 2’ and 10’ to create more uniform sidewalk and roadway width. Accompanying utility and sewer work will replace pipes and update outdated infrastructure. This construction, though mostly occurring during overnight hours, will have residual traffic impacts during the day, which will result in increased congestion.

Due in part to this construction and the importance of buses in downtown Flushing, DOT will be managing traffic by allowing only buses, local deliveries, and emergency vehicles on Main Street southbound between Northern Boulevard and 40th Road. This traffic mitigation strategy prioritizes southbound access for buses and local deliveries, and benefits transit passengers and local businesses.

NYC DOT is also planning two related small-scale projects as part of the larger traffic mitigation strategy in downtown Flushing. First, DOT is currently exploring traffic and safety mitigations at the Northern Boulevard and Prince Street intersection including extending north-south crossing time for pedestrians and possibly allowing eastbound right turns from the Northern Boulevard main roadway (coming off the bridge) onto southbound Prince Street. Second, the conversion of 39th Avenue between Prince Street and Main Street from one-way westbound to two-way is planned for November 2016. These two projects are designed to increase southbound access to downtown Flushing.

May 31, 2018: Presentation to Community Board 7, the Flushing BID, and Council Member Peter Koo: Download the presentation

October 18, 2016: Presentation at the Main Street Business Roundtable to Flushing BID Download the presentation