CORONA — Community Board 4's transportation committee has tabled a full presentation on a long-delayed controversial plan to add bike lanes to 111th Street — asking the Department of Transportation to come back with more information yet again.
DOT officials presented their latest amended plan to remove car lanes and add bike lanes and crosswalks to the major corridor, which abuts Flushing Meadows Corona Park, to the board’s smaller transportation committee Tuesday night.
The proposal has been delayed for months by the city even though it was designated as a priority under the mayor’s Vision Zero plan.
The plans were first presented to the board’s transportation committee in 2015, to major criticism from the board — but then further presentations were continually delayed by the DOT. The DOT revised the plan in October after an earlier presentation to the board.
This week, CB4 members requested, among other things, the average speed of cars down the street — as well as the results of the DOT's multiple surveys along the street — according to district manager Christian Cassagnol.
“It is tabled, the committee did have some questions and DOT will provide us answers to the questions,” Cassagnol said.
He said the plan could go to a full board vote in January or February of 2017.
A spokeswoman for the DOT said they “look forward to providing CB4 with the data they requested at the meeting soon.”
CB 4’s vote is only advisory, and the city can move forward with the plan, which they did following a vote against the Queens Boulevard bike lanes in Elmhurst.
On Tuesday, Mayor de Blasio said they city planned to increase Vision Zero initiatives as pedestrian deaths were up five percent this year compared to last year.
The program, which he launched in 2014, "has just begun," de Blasio said.
"There is much, much more to do."
