Press Releases
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 3, 2025
Contact: (212) 839-4850, press@dot.nyc.gov
NYC DOT Celebrates Transformation of Astoria’s 31st Avenue Into Bike Boulevard, Enhancing Safety With Expanded Pedestrian Space and Bike Connections
Redesign of Popular Open Street Includes Critical New East-West Cycling Route and Intersection Upgrades to Slow Turning Vehicles
Project Also Adds More Than 26,000 Square Feet of New Pedestrian Space to Reduce Crossing Times and Add Public Seating
Newly installed planters and granite blocks improve visibility and painted curb extensions along 31st Avenue.
NEW YORK – New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez today announced the completion of the first phase of a transformative redesign to enhance safety and expand space for pedestrians and cyclists along 31st Avenue in Astoria, Queens.
The innovative street redesign builds on the success of the popular Open Street by prioritizing pedestrian and cyclist safety with a ‘shared street’ design that expands pedestrian space and enhances connections to existing cycling infrastructure on Crescent Street and along the East River. The new street design better reflects that 53 percent of daily trips in Astoria are done on foot, 34 percent are made using a bike, and just 11 percent are completed by car. A new one-way traffic pattern, and a reimagined shared-street design have transformed 31st Avenue into a safer multimodal corridor for all New Yorkers, with more than 26,000 square feet of new pedestrian space added to the street.
“31st Avenue’s innovative redesign as a bike boulevard will help protect pedestrians and cyclists, support Open Street operations, and strengthen connections to the 16.5 lane miles of protected bike lanes, and 21 lane miles of standard bike lanes and shared lanes in the area,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. “Streets are public space, and designs like this show that we can reimagine the use of public space to benefit all road users.”
Dedicated cycling space along 31st Avenue connects New Yorkers to existing bike infrastructure while enhancing safety for all road users.
Safety Enhancements
A two-way protected bike lane provides a vital east-west cycling connection from Vernon Boulevard to Steinway Street, creating a continuous protected bike route from Astoria to the Queensboro Bridge, where the Adams administration has recently doubled the space dedicated to pedestrians and cyclists. Traffic diversions at intersections reverse the flow of one-way traffic to reduce vehicle volumes, noise, and discourage speeding, while maintaining local access and parking for residents, deliveries and pick-ups and drop-offs. Expanded pedestrian space and painted sidewalk extensions shorten crossing distances while hardened daylighting through granite blocks and planters enhances visibility for all road users.
As NYC DOT continues its record expansion of protected bicycle lanes, the agency has sought ways to make those lanes safer and more comfortable for cyclists and other street users with additional traffic signals. New, smaller bike signals are more visible to cyclists by being located at eye-level at the nearside of corners, where they can be easily spotted before cyclists enter intersections, where most crashes occur. Additional flashing yield signals and stop signs along the corridor encourage all road users to remain alert and follow all traffic laws.
A shared streets design supports operations for the 31st Avenue Open Street by expanding pedestrian space with painted sidewalk extensions.
31st Avenue Open Street
In close collaboration with the 31st Ave Open Streets Collective and the Horticultural Society of New York (The Hort), NYC DOT has reimagined a two-block stretch of 31st Avenue from 33rd Street to 35th Street to support the neighborhood's well-loved Open Street. The shared street design features granite blocks and planters to provide hardened daylighting at intersections while protecting designated pedestrian spaces. Granite blocks throughout the shared streets double as additional seating for pedestrians. This design enables a seamless transition from weekday street operations to weekend Open Street programming during the warmer months.
For more information about programming, operating hours, and support for the 31st Avenue Open Street, visit their website.