Ask The City About Its Bus Redesign Proposals For 21st Street

ASTORIA, QUEENS — Astoria residents can share their thoughts on new proposals for a bus redesign on 21st Street with the city’s Department of Transportation at a local meeting on Wednesday.

The DOT is joining the Old Astoria Neighborhood Association’s (OANA) June virtual meeting, which starts at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday night and is slated to run for two-and-a-half hours.

The transportation agency’s community outreach segment is a time for any questions from locals, including inquiries about the DOT’s proposed 21st Street bus redesign options, which were released at the beginning of June.

The bus redesign project was launched at the beginning of April and focuses on improving bus routes, as well as pedestrian and bike safety, on a section of 21st Street bordered by Queens Plaza North in the south, Hoyt Avenue North in the north, Vernon Boulevard in the east and Crescent street in the west.

This segment of 21st Street was chosen for the study since it's part of Queens' contentious borough-wide bus redesign plan — which is now slated for completion in 2020, according to the MTA website.

It was also chosen after being named one of the city's most dangerous streets for pedestrians and bikers under Mayor de Blasio's citywide pedestrian safety plan, Vision Zero, after an increase in pedestrian deaths.

Wednesday’s meeting is part of the agency’s ongoing efforts to include the Astoria community in the redesign, including feedback from commuters on 21st street, a series of meetings with a Community Advisory Board (CAB), and an interactive map where people can upload feedback.

Based on the interactive map and meetings with the CAB, the DOT issued three possible redesign options, which are still being updated based on feedback from the community, according to the DOT.

The proposals include a short bus lane near the curb for pickups and dropoffs, a full curbside bus lane, or a center running bus lane with islands.

All three proposals aim to address the issues brought up by the community so far, including pedestrian safety concerns about a lack of crosswalks in the corridor, as well as issues with bus congestion and curbside drop offs.

The OANA meeting will begin with presentations by Congresswoman Carolyn Malone and former City Councilmember Costa Constantinides, and conclude with the DOT’s segment.

Find out more about the event, and how to join from different streaming platforms, on the OANA website here.