21st Street Redesign Coming To Astoria This Spring, MTA Says

ASTORIA, QUEENS — The project that will add a bus lane, pedestrian improvements, and dozens of trees to a congested and dangerous stretch of 21st Street will get underway within weeks, the city and MTA told an Astoria community board on Wednesday.

The redesign will cover about two miles of 21st Street between Queens Plaza North and Hoyt Avenue — running from the RFK Bridge to the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge. The chronically clogged street serves three bus lines — the Q66, Q69 and Q100 — plus drivers and thousands of daily pedestrians.

Besides stifling bus speeds, the street's current layout also poses a hazard to those who use it: three pedestrians have been killed and dozens injured on 21st Street since 2015, landing it a spot on the city's Vision Zero priority list.

After considering three different bus lane options, ranging from a modest signal-based system to a more ambitious center-running bus lane, the Department of Transportation ultimately settled on a sort of middle-ground choice: a pair of offset bus lanes that run one lane away from the curb on both sides of 21st Street.

Construction will begin between late spring and early summer and last about two months, MTA representative Chris Hrones told Community Board 1 during Wednesday's meeting.

Dissenting views

Not all were happy with the city's plan. In December, transit advocates accused the city of capitulating to the wishes of car owners by choosing the offset bus lanes over the center-running lanes, which would have done more to speed up buses but also take away parking spots in the process.

"21st St is such a horrible experience for everyone that any change will be great - but that shouldn't encourage taking half-measures," tweeted resident Adam Fisher-Cox, who has pushed for a more ambitious redesign.

Some local groups like the Old Astoria Neighborhood Association have taken the opposite view, arguing that the new bus lanes will worsen congestion by taking away space from private cars, and pushing for the lanes to be in effect during rush hour only. (The group's president, Richard Khuzami, stressed that OANA still supports adding bus lanes in some form.)

The city has acknowledged those concerns, but is ultimately moving ahead with the plan unveiled last year.

Other notable changes will include building new left-turn lanes at six intersections of 21st Street, pedestrian islands at five intersections, and painted curb extensions at another six corners, according to the MTA. About 50 to 100 trees will also be planted along the corridor by the end of 2022.

Meanwhile, the chaotic intersection of 21st and Astoria Boulevard will get a more comprehensive safety redesign by extending curbs and converting Newtown Avenue to a one-way westbound street.

The push for a 21st Street redesign began early last year, when then-Councilmember Costa Constantinedes first raised the issue. Since then, the city has gathered feedback on the plan through public meetings, pop-ups on street corners, and by convening a 50-person advisory board comprised of community stakeholders.

Related coverage:

• Last Chance To Share Ideas For 21st Street Bus Redesign Project
• You Can Now Improve Bus Routes, Bike Safety On 21st Street: DOT