DITMARS — The city is looking to turn the portion of Shore Boulevard that runs through Astoria Park into a one-way street in an effort to make the roadway safer for pedestrians, according to the plans.
The change is one of several proposals by the Department of Transportation for the streets in and around Astoria Park, along with plans to modify the bike lanes there and on nearby 20th Avenue, as well as make a number of traffic changes on Hoyt Avenue South.
The proposals were presented Tuesday to Queens Community Board 1's transportation committee, and include turning Shore Boulevard between Ditmars Boulevard and Astoria Park South — currently a two-way road — into a one-way southbound street.
It would also change the bike lanes on Shore Boulevard. Currently, the lanes, which run in both directions, are incorporated into a wide sidewalk, where they're only separated from pedestrians by a painted line — a setup some said creates conflict between people and cyclists.
The DOT wants to move the bike lanes into the actual street by eliminating a vehicle lane and installing south- and northbound bike lanes and a 3-foot-wide buffer that would separate cyclists from traffic, according to the proposal. The lane of parking on the street's left side would remain.
The change is meant to narrow the road, calm traffic and make it easier for pedestrians to cross, the plan says.
The proposal comes following months of debate over Shore Boulevard, after local lawmaker Aravella Simotas proposed closing the waterfront street to traffic.
Her idea drew both support and criticism, but the DOT said this fall that it would not be shutting down the street to cars.
The DOT is planning additional changes for the streets around the park, including modifying the bike lanes on 20th Avenue between Shore Boulevard and 37th Street, currently located between the parking lane and traffic lane in both directions.
The DOT wants to move them to the north side of the street, creating a two-way bike lane there with a 3-foot buffer between it and the traffic lane, according to the plans.
The agency is also proposing a number of changes to Hoyt Avenue North, a street which runs along the entrance to the Triborough Bridge and leads into Astoria Park.
The plan would move the single bike lane on the street from the north side, and create a two-way protected bike lane along the south sidewalk instead. It would also remove a lane of traffic, reducing the street from three lanes to two.
Florence Koulouris, CB1's district manager, said the board is discussing the proposals with the DOT and has not yet scheduled a vote on them.
