U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is announcing$29,750,000 in federal funding for the New York City Department of Transportation’s (NYC DOT) implementation of the Queens Boulevard Great Streets Transformation and Supplemental Planning for Vision Zero. Queens Boulevard has historically been a dangerous highway with limited crossing opportunities, ranking in the top 10 corridors in Queens County for crashes resulting in fatalities or serious injuries. Senator Gillibrand helped secure this funding to reimagine and transform the corridor from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant program, and earlier this year, she wrote to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to stress the importance of this infrastructure project.
“Queens Boulevard is one of New York City’s most dangerous roads, where dozens of pedestrians have died over the past few decades,” said Senator Gillibrand. “I am so proud to bring home nearly $30 million in federal funding to reimagine the corridor, significantly reduce accidents and injuries, and make Queens Boulevard safe for our families to use.”
The nearly $30 million in federal funding will help:
- Enhance the low-cost quick-build solutions already implemented to address safety issues;
- Build elevated crosswalks and pedestrian malls, enhanced medians and pedestrian refuge islands, and elevated protected bicycle lanes;
- Provide supplemental planning to enhance surveillance on traffic-related fatalities and injuries not routinely available in police crash reports.
Lastly, NYC DOT will retrofit a portion of fleet vehicles with active and centrally managed Intelligent Speed Assist to prevent speeding as a demonstration activity. The U.S. Department of Transportation announced 385 Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 SS4A grant awards totaling $817 million to local communities.