Helmet Giveaway, Safety Initiative Kicks Off At Queens Boulevard

FOREST HILLS, QUEENS — City officials handed out bike helmets along Queens Boulevard in Forest Hills on Thursday as part of an announcement about the city’s continued efforts to keep bikers safe.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) and Police Department (NYPD) announced the continuation of the “Bicycle Safe Passage” enforcement initiative, which aims to protect bikers by holding drivers accountable for blocking bike lanes, double parking, and failing to yield to pedestrians and cyclists. The agencies will continue a targeted, citywide enforcement against these violations through Aug. 11, according to a news release.

Cristina Furlong, co-founder of the advocacy group Make Queens Safer said that the initiative “not only protects cyclists, but importantly alerts and educates motorists on their role in preventing crashes and injuries.”

She thanked the city for the helmet giveaway and for starting on the long-delayed final phase of Queens Boulevard redesign project — happening where the announcement took place.

Education and safer infrastructure “continue to make cycling in New York City an option,” she said.

In addition to talking about the enforcement initiative and handing out helmets — which are required in New York for all riders under the age of 14 — officials also used the news conference as a time to celebrate the Queens Boulevard redesign.

The street safety project, which involves redesigning the 1.2-mile stretch of the boulevard between Yellowstone Boulevard and Union Turnpike in Forest Hills, was initially slated for completion in 2019, but stalled multiple times due to the pandemic and local pushback about parking spaces. The project will add crosswalks, slip lanes, and other safety improvements along the roadway.

In May, Mayor Bill de Blasio promised that the redesign would begin in July, and according to city officials crews have begun work on the project.

Kim Wiley-Schwartz, assistant commissioner of education and outreach at the DOT said that the agency is focused on enforcement and infrastructure changes as ways to protect cyclists.

“By combining strong, targeted enforcement with the kind of bold engineering changes that have
led to a dramatic drop in fatalities and injuries on Queens Boulevard, we’re protecting cyclists
and promoting sustainable mobility,” she said.

Thursday’s helmet giveaway is the first of several slated for Aug. and Sep., including an event on Sep. 19 in northeast Queens.

Learn more about helmet giveaways here.