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TRANSPORTATION

LIC GETS YOU EVERYWHERE
AND AROUND THE BLOCK

Long Island City has a wealth of transportation assets making the neighborhood ideal for both residents and businesses. While LIC is well served by public transit, the system is strained during rush hour. The area’s streets are also not currently built to handle the increased pedestrian, bicycle and vehicular demand, and experience congestion during rush hours. In addition, because of LIC’s mix of uses and its evolution over time,
as well as the presence of various kinds of transportation infrastructure,
portions of the neighborhood feel disconnected.

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GOAL

Catalyze transit improvements to expand capacity, improve reliability and enhance connectivity;

invest in roadway infrastructure;

and support streets improvements to provide safer connections for pedestrians and bicyclists, increase local connectivity, and reduce vehicular congestion.

GOAL

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MAP

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Current Strategies

Transit

  • MTA and the City have dedicated nearly $1.2B for public transportation improvements, including a new, modern signal system on the E, F and 7 lines to dramatically improve service frequency and reliability, an electric bus pilot for the B32 line, and station upgrades to Queensboro Plaza. Additionally, the MTA has reached agreements with local developers to facilitate station improvements at Court Square, including a new elevator and new stairwells.
     

  • Three NYC Ferry routes serving LIC with as many as fourteen boats per hour in the peak time and over 1,200 riders per weekday, with larger boats planned for additional capacity as needed
     

  • Advancing environmental review, design and planning work for the proposed BQX streetcar that would connect LIC residents to employment hubs and public transit
     

Streets, Bicycle, and Pedestrian Connections

  • The Jackson Avenue Streetscape Project improved streetscape amenities and roadway design and expanded parks surrounding Court Square
     

  • Bicycle and pedestrian improvements to Queens Plaza improved traffic flow, enhanced pedestrian environments, and created Dutch Kills Green open space
     

  • DOT’s LIC/Hunter’s Point Area-wide Street Infrastructure Project Phase A will fully reconstruct streets and include safety and streetscape improvements.
     

  • Other DOT capital projects include pedestrian safety improvements near LaGuardia Community College, in Dutch Kills, and between Borden and 51st Avenues; bus boarding curb extensions on 31st Street; three Safe Routes to Schools projects; the rehabilitation of the 49th Avenue bridge; and street resurfacing on 21st Street
     

  • Improvements to expand pedestrian and bike access, to provide safer routes and enhance circulation and connections
     

  • Ongoing street milling and paving, pedestrian ramp rehab, and new bus pads
     

  • Over 40 Citi Bike Stations
     

  • DOT work with stakeholders through a City Hall-led interagency task force, focusing on how to improve parking and streetscape conditions in LIC industrial area

New Actions

  • Allocate $10M to fund an additional portion of DOT’s LIC/Hunters Point Area-wide Street Infrastructure Project, bringing total funding for pedestrian and safety improvements to $57M and permitting work to be synchronized with DEP sewer infrastructure upgrades.

  • Conduct a bus network redesign in Queens, led by MTA and DOT, to take a holistic approach to bus route modifications in Long Island City and beyond and to respond to current and future development.

  • Explore the impacts of for-hire vehicles (FHV), on neighborhood circulation and access. In August 2018, Mayor de Blasio signed legislation placing a one-year freeze on the issuance of new FHV licenses. The law requires TLC and DOT to complete a study evaluating the impact of FHVs on congestion, air quality, and other factors across the five boroughs. The study is underway, with recommendations due by August 2019.

  • As part of Fast Forward, NYCT would like to see a dramatic increase in the number of station accessibility projects. The agency is currently conducting a feasibility analysis of all of its stations. The City will advocate for the prioritization of the Vernon/Jackson, Court Square, Hunter’s Point Avenue, and 21st St – Van Alst stations, as feasible.

  • Work with MTA/LIRR and Amtrak to study the feasibility of creating a new rail station in Sunnyside Yard at Queens Boulevard.

Given past and projected growth in Long Island City, the Administration acknowledges that transportation is an ongoing concern. The City will continue to work with our partners at the MTA to seek additional improvements to the local transportation network as appropriate.

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