Queens Boulevard Revamp Wins Public Design Award

FOREST HILLS, QUEENS — The city's redesign of a notoriously dangerous stretch of Queens Boulevard has won an annual award for excellence in design, the mayor's office announced.

The Vision Zero project received one of 10 annual awards from the NYC Public Design Commission, which honors ground-breaking public projects that better the lives of New Yorkers, according to a press release.

"The sustainable infrastructure, safe streetscapes, and open spaces featured in these winning projects will benefit all New Yorkers for generations to come," Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a statement.

What the mayor's office didn't mention is that the project has mysteriously stalled. City officials have so far declined to provide explanations for the delay or an estimate on when the redesign will be complete.

Meanwhile, traffic safety activists from Transportation Alternatives are spearheading protests and social media campaigns to pressure the city to finish what it started.

"When the project is complete, this multimodal transit corridor will be a destination enjoyed by locals and visitors alike and, most importantly, it will be safer for all," the award description reads.

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The Queens Boulevard redesign consists of four phases and stretches from Roosevelt Avenue to Union Turnpike. New features include a widened service road, raised bike path, pedestrian walkways, tree-filled medians, relocated bus stops, bike racks and seating areas.

Three of the four redesign phases are done. The fourth phase stalled after the local community board voted against the plan, in large part because it would replace roughly 200 parking spots with bike lanes.

"We are moving forward with the redesign and working with the community, but have no updated timeline to share at this time," a City Hall spokesperson has previously said in a statement.

The NYC Department of Design and Construction and Department of Transportation collaborated with engineering firms AECOM and NV5 on the project.