Safety Revamp Of Astoria Waterfront Streets Posed By DOT: Report

ASTORIA, QUEENS -- A cluster of waterfront roads in Astoria that locals complain are difficult to navigate could soon undergo a laundry list of changes that transportation officials say will make them run smoother - and safer, QNS reported.

Astoria's Community Board 1 members cast a unanimous vote of support on Tuesday for a plan the Department of Transportation unveiled to improve Vernon Boulevard, 30th Avenue, 8th Street and Astoria Boulevard intersections, according to QNS. A one-way conversion of a block on Main Avenue, more crosswalks and a few extra parking spaces are among the plan's highlights.

A DOT study found the intersections they're focusing on didn't have a high number of traffic accidents, project manager Dan Wagner told QNS. The department aims to keep it that way.

“The good news is that the safety data in this project is very low,” he told QNS. “Instead of trying to address safety issues, we're trying to pre-empt them from coming in the future.”

Crosswalks are unmarked and stop signals are scarce in the project area, which makes it hard for pedestrians to tell when to cross the street, he said.

This plan would add four enhanced crosswalks: Two along 30th Avenue at 8th Street and Main Avenue, one at Astoria Boulevard and Main Avenue, and another at Vernon Boulevard and 31st Avenue, QNS reported. It would also include five new curb extensions, including one to expand the Greenstreets Triangle.

The plan also explored converting the block of Main Avenue between 8th Street and 30 Avenue into a one-way street, and banning right turns for drivers heading west on 30th Avenue to Main Avenue, according to QNS.

The DOT last proposed to get rid of a moving lane on Astoria Boulevard between Main and 8th avenues, making room to convert the block's 31 parallel parking spaces to 41 angled spots, according to QNS.