Fixing a problem that has not drawn complaints
While fixing things that are not broken seems to be a recurring trend in city planning, City Council member Julissa Ferreras’ plan for the 111th Street extended highways intends improvement for a neighborhood that has not asked for any in the past 40 years. For routes to Manhattan and Brooklyn, cars use the Queens Expressway to merge into the Long Island Expressway, only adding noisy havoc during peak hours. For LeFrak City residents, these problems can take away from the convenience of living by the train station. The highway on 111th Street and 114th Street, however, does not experience the same traffic, allowing residents a much more peaceful morning with the only noise pollution being that of children rushing to school with their parents on their daily commute.
The last two town hall meetings for Queens District 21 have divided city council members and supporters of their agenda with Assembly members who have tendered the frustration of the residents on 111th Street. The extended highway separates 111th Street from Flushing Meadow Park, but does not generate traffic hours. The city council has created an action plan to make better use of the highway, by tendering to the needs of local residents who walk and ride bikes. Since no alarming problems have arisen from the highway, not a lot has changed along 111th Street for long-time residents nor has such a change been desired.
Growing interest is the first move for increased support
Highways in New York burst with cars, jammed and staggered in traffic, filling the air with polluted gas while horns synchronize to pierce ears of residents around those highways. For Corona, the highway adjacent to Flushing Meadow Park, along 111th Street down to Roosevelt Avenue is used mostly by bikers who ride without a lane to protect them. Still, they feel at ease using the highway in lieu of cars plate-to-plate, flooding the street during the busy hours of the morning. Often, one will catch pedestrians crossing the highway on green light signals because of the low traffic.
Terrace on the Park is one of the more visited venues on the 111th Street Highway.
For mothers strolling their children to the park and the bike commuters of the Corona district, supporting council member Julissa Ferreras’ plan for the area will prove beneficial. Since being elected to the Council in 2009, Ferreras has aimed to improve and protect the growing immigrant community in Corona. Changing the landscape of the area can potentially lead to a host of tourists and local residents visiting the venues and the park located along the highway.
The Vision Zero outreach project for District 21 is a branch to the mayor’s goal of completely eliminating all traffic fatalities. In April 2015, a Vision Zero one-year report was released, highlighting the mayor’s efforts to improve street design: lowering speed limits, cracking down on dangerous driving and reducing pedestrian fatalities to the lowest levels since 1910. For Corona, transportation improvements may be forthcoming for the highway on 111th Street through 114th street following the discussions at the October and November town hall meetings for District 21. A correspondence from CM Ferreras was sent on September 12, 2014, asking for improvements to the highway. Since then, it’s been a priority on her agenda, growing awareness and battling local residents who live adjacent to the highway against those who want increased parking in the neighborhood.
Several public workshops have been held to spread the interest of redesigning 111 Street. Anchoring the project, CM Ferreras wants to increase the support of local residents and gain awareness of the issue faced by bike-riders and local residents. The first workshop was held last year, October 23, at the Queens Theatre in Flushing Meadow Park. A panel spoke on the leading practices from industries that operate fleets in NYC, followed by a keynote addressing distracted drivers and driver alert systems.
In the the Queens Community Board 4 Transportation Committee proposal, the action plan states 111th Street is a Vision Zero Priority Corridor with 4.9 pedestrian killed or seriously injured per mile. Furthermore, it stated that they have received complaints about the long crossing distance on 111th Street, across from Flushing Meadows-Corona Park because the road is long and dangerous and the park is a major destination.
111th Street changes proposed
CM Ferreras and supporting council members have provided visuals in their proposal, demonstrating a way to make better use of the highway. By minimizing the space of the moving lane, more can be done to accommodate other Corona residents who do not drive.
On the western sidewalk of North Corona, where the houses are located along the highway, there is an 18 feet combined parking and moving lane, and 23 feet of moving lane to the planted median on the highway stretching 20 feet. With the proposal, there would be 14 feet and 9 feet of parking lane sandwiching 11 feet of moving lane, and 7 feet of buffer between the parking lane and planted median.
Creating parking space on both sides of the western sidewalk benefits residents around the area, but will create more noise for the residents on 111th Street to 114th Street. “Increased parking is going to make the neighborhood busy. I barely drive anymore, but I walk around and the air feels fresh without so many cars just taking up space,” said Tony Laudon, resident on 114th Street.
The installation of parking spaces would ease drivers who come home later at night, when most parking spots are filled with cars maximizing every inch of space to fit their cars. “I get to the neighborhood at 9:30pm from work, but sometimes won’t step inside my house till 11pm” said Pedro Collado, a resident on 108th Street who drives to his office in Maspeth. Like other residents who drive, often sacrificing up to an hour commute to work on the train proves to be more time efficient, forcing drivers to circle around the neighborhood for two hours to find parking at night.
On the eastern sidewalk, along Flushing Meadows Corona Park, the 22 feet of combined moving and parking lane would become 8 feet of bike lane and 8 feet of parking lane, separated by just 3 feet of buffer. The moving lane would become 11 feet only giving 3 feet of buffer separating it from the planted median. The 2-way bicycle-lane would be protected by the increased parking spaces.
Installing new pedestrian crossings and expanding pedestrian space on the highway is an extension to the highway enhancements Ferreras proposed. On 111th Street, from 43rd Avenue to Corona Avenue, there are currently five intersections with crosswalks. The crosswalk on Corona Avenue is most used by families as a route to the “Playground for All Children”. It’s located on a four-way intersection, and generates the most traffic, pushing drivers to merge onto the Long Island Expressway.
From 46th Avenue, pedestrians move unprotected by a crosswalk for four blocks to 50th Avenue. The same problem exists on 52nd Avenue onward toward Corona Avenue, where the existing pedestrian crossings are 1250 feet away from each other; walking almost 5 blocks without signals to protect them.
As pictured in their action plan, the proposal looks to reduce the moving lane and maximize that space for bike riders and pedestrians.
With the proposal, four crosswalks would be installed, reducing the maximum distance between pedestrian crossing to 550 feet. A crosswalk on 47th Avenue, 49th Avenue, 54th Avenue and 55th Avenue would be created between existing crosswalks, improving the pedestrian paths that cross the Grand Central Parkway. Safety islands and median tip extensions would be painted on the extended highway to protect pedestrians while crossing the highway.
walking from 50th avenue to corona avenue, only three crossroads were present, although I never had to cross a moving lane, only a few drive-in lanes. With ferreras plan, every crossroad would take the time it took for me to reach the second from the first (hand indications)
Addressing the issue can potentially improve the community because of the high demand for parking and excess roadway capacity for an area that has low vehicle volumes and high bicycle volumes. However, the highway’s awkward location in a mostly residential area brings peace to residents in the neighborhood.
“The money invested in parking can be used towards improving the overpopulation in these schools. Parking is not a real problem,” said Laudon. Now 63 years old, Laudon has lived in Corona his whole life but has never thought that the highway needed to change. Up until Mayor Bill de Blasio made Vision Zero a priority on his agenda, Laudon admits that he never heard about it. The community board stated that the “street acts as a barrier to the park rather than a gateway.” Laudon disagrees with that notion. “The street is a barrier to ruckus and noise. There are so many different entrances to Flushing Meadow Park, that changing one entrance won’t change much,” said Laudon.
Prices rising in Corona Real Estate
Corona is a culmination of ethnicities, from older Italian residents to incoming Hispanic immigrants that make up a majority of the area’s population. The real estate in Corona is getting more expensive with the growing number of clients interested in moving into the area. Henry Beltran, realtor for Century 21 Best, says that there are no vacant houses for sale along 111th Street. “I get the most calls for that area because it is a convenient area to live,” said Beltran, who works with housing in Flushing and Corona. “The attractions around the area are great. People want to go to the [New York] Hall of Science and [the location] is close to Citi [Field],” added Beltran. He was not aware of Ferreras plan for the 111th Street highway. Regardless of possible changes, the price of real estate will continue to rise because of Corona’s growth as a landmark for diverse cuisines and attractions.
The 111th Street Highway is the simplest walking route to Hall of Science, Citi Field, Queens Zoo and the “Playground For All Children”. Pictured on 49th Street, there is no crosswalk but signs indicate where all the places are for people walking and driving by.
Most of the residents Beltran works with on 111th Street are older. Some have been around longer than his tenure as a realtor in Corona. If the city council gets approved for Ferreras plan, families with children will add themselves to the list of clients who desire to live there. Along Corona Avenue, the houses are close to P.S 14, and the entire 111th Street highway is adjacent to Flushing Meadow Park. Prices are going to continue rising, but the kind of client inquiring about the homes can change according to the people who benefit most from the plan. Families, bike riders and car owners will have more convenience in their lifestyles if bike lanes, parking spots and crossroads are created to better protect them and enhance the neighborhood.
Amended Plans
For the FY2016 budget, the total amount pledged to be funded for CM Ferreras winning projects is $921,000 for District 21 Most notably, P.S. 307 Queens Pioneer Academy’s New Smartboards project was approved for $186,000 and increased lighting was approved for $550,000, to help improve the night vision on Roosevelt Avenue from 82nd Street to 90th Street and in Junction Playground.
CM Ferreras has allocated $2.7 million in capital funds for safety improvements along 111th streets, including the rebuilding of existing medians on the extended highway. The upgrades are expected to be implemented in early 2016. The concern expressed by board members at the March 2015 Queens Community Board 4 meeting is the possible traffic congestion during special events. By creating a bike lane, increasing parking and creating more crosswalks, the highway becomes a local route, and for special events and games, the highway is no longer an express route.
The area is known to be quiet, but during special events around the area, the highway becomes the route for residents to enjoy their festive, and extend their celebrations. During the World Series, 111 Street was alive with fans venturing across the highway, all in royal blue and orange garments, headed to Roosevelt Avenue for the walk to Citifield. The potential changes will make these routes safer for people during special events in the area.
The 49th Avenue entrance to Flushing Meadow Park has no crosswalk on the highway, but is still one of the primary entrance to get to the baseball fields and Queens Zoo.
The drive-in entrance to NY Hall of Science is on 49th Avenue, next to the walk-in entrance for Flushing Meadow Park.
The Department of Transportation monitored traffic during special events to address these concerns. From two months of gathering statistics, the report states that traffic congestion is not expected to increase as a result of the proposed travel lane reduction on 111th Street south of 46th Avenue, where the highest hourly vehicle volume occurred during their two-month research.
By planning to mitigate the possible increase in traffic, signage would be updated on highways and parkways to direct Citifield-bound traffic directly to the stadium parking lot and not through the neighborhood. The DOT already came to an agreement with the New York Police Department to deploy traffic enforcement agents on and around 111th Street when needed. If the plan gets approved, this may be a partnership used often because of the decreased size of the moving lane.