LIC Needs More Green Space, Bike Lanes, Pedestrian Fixes: Gov & Mayor

LONG ISLAND CITY, QUEENS — A sprawling new report that aims to bolster New York City's business districts for a post-pandemic world includes a number of recommendations that could transform Long Island City's streetscape.

The "New New York" plan was unveiled Wednesday by Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams. The 159-page report is the work of a panel that the two leaders convened back in May, aiming to brainstorm ways to reinvigorate commercial areas in the face of remote work.

Long Island City is among the 14 business districts studied in the report, alongside heavy hitters like Midtown and the Financial District, and burgeoning areas like Jamaica, Queens and Fordham Plaza in the Bronx.

Like most business districts outside of Midtown and Lower Manhattan, Long Island City has bounced back well from the depths of COVID-19, with retail spending and foot traffic already exceeding pre-pandemic levels.

But more needs to be done, according to the study's authors. Namely, the report calls for sweeping improvements to the city's "public realm," creating more pedestrian-friendly spaces that would help the business districts become "vibrant 24/7 destinations."

No funding sources or timelines were included in the report, making it uncertain how many of the proposals will ever be implemented. Still here's what is being proposed for Long Island City:

Public realm improvements

Court Square area:

• "Construction of a shared street on Court Square West, reconstruction of Thomson Avenue from Jackson Avenue to 44th Drive, with additional public space on both sides, and a new pedestrian crossing at the intersection of Jackson Avenue and Pearson Street. This Vision Zero project will modernize the local street network in this dynamic outer-borough growth center to better meet the needs of its expanding residential population and workforce."

• Complement recently completed protected bike lanes on 44th Drive (from 23rd Street to Vernon Boulevard) with additional protected bike lanes on 11th Street (44th Drive to Jackson Avenue) and Jackson Avenue (from 11th Street to Vernon Boulevard).
• Make additional pedestrian improvements on [Thomson] Avenue, including traffic calming, sidewalk extensions, new public space, and signal timing upgrades on [Thomson] Avenue between 44th Drive and Jackson Avenue between 44th Drive and Court Square.

Other areas:

• "Help improve pedestrian and streetscape conditions underneath the elevated train structure and along key streets, such as 44th Drive, Vernon Boulevard, 11th Street, and 21st Street. The improvements, where feasible, could explore features like plantings, fixed and movable seating, lighting, perimeter treatments such as fencing where necessary, and green infrastructure (to manage stormwater runoff from bridge surfaces)."

• "Create better pedestrian and bike infrastructure and new open spaces with green infrastructure around Queens Plaza and within Court Square."
• "Make key intersections on Jackson Avenue, Thompson Avenue/Queens Boulevard/Van Dam/ Jackson Avenue around LaGuardia Community College safer for all users."
• "Build out a robust bike network across LIC with innovative approaches to keep lanes clear of motor vehicle intrusion."
• " Redesign Vernon Mall/Borden Avenue to enhance pedestrian safety and experience."

Investing in "employment hubs"

This section, devoted to adding more jobs "closer to where people live," is short on details for Long Island City.

But the report suggests that the "redevelopment and reuse of underutilized land and buildings along the Long Island City waterfront, along with public and private investments in infrastructure and workforce training, can further drive growth in key sectors and boost the neighborhood’s transformation into an economically dynamic, job-rich business district."

Other notable recommendations from the report include converting the Grand Central Viaduct along Park Avenue into a pedestrian plaza, expanding open streets, making the Open Restaurants program permanent, and converting office buildings into housing.

"We are no longer living in the same New York as we were at the beginning of the pandemic, and these proposals will help to revitalize our business districts, ease New Yorkers' commutes, promote equity and tackle our 800,000-unit housing shortage," Hochul said in a statement Wednesday.

Read the full report here.