You are reading

After Three Years, City Promises Newtown Ave Curb Extensions

DOT's original proposal

DOT’s original proposal of curb extensions

Oct. 2, 2015 By Jackie Strawbridge

A plan to put curb extensions at Newtown Avenue will finally kick off this fall, according to the Department of Design and Construction.

Curb extensions are intended to increase pedestrian safety by reducing crossing distances between streets.

DDC has a contractor for the project and is currently in the process of reviewing paperwork, with plans to start construction this fall, spokesperson Shavone Williams said.

The project is three years in the making.

In September of 2012, the Department of Transportation approached Community Board 1 with a proposal to construct a pedestrian plaza at Newtown Avenue. This project would have closed off part of Newtown Avenue to cars to create a community gathering space, which would have been maintained by the Central Astoria Local Development Coalition.

Barring the Board’s consent on a plaza, DOT suggested curb extensions on either side of the street where Newtown Avenue meets 30th Avenue.

Ultimately, the Board voted overwhelmingly against the pedestrian plaza plan.

According to Williams, the Newtown Avenue curb extension project was “recently” transferred from DOT to DDC. She referred questions about events leading up to this to the DOT.

The DOT did not respond to questions as of press time.

Reach reporter Jackie Strawbridge at jackie.strawbridge@queenspost.com

email the author: news@queenspost.com

7 Comments

Click for Comments 
Vin

What they need is a cross walk sign that maybe half the ass holes walking through will have some basic attention for

Reply
NYC DOT B.S.

DOT and all no common sense . Any time city and local officials involved there is always a disaster. A for getting run over …look both ways !

Reply
Jon

I’ve almost gotten run over several times in that intersection. This is good news but it’s a pity the plaza wasn’t approved.

Reply
JD

It’s about time. I hate crossing there since cars don’t seem to understand that pedestrians always have the right-of-way in that crosswalk.

Reply
Ragina

Did the DOT take into consideration that the people who live on Newtown Av. have to get into their driveway? They already took the ability to make a right turn onto 32nd St., making us have to go all the way around to get back to 30th Av. (They reversed this street when they were doing the maintenance on the train tracks and never set it back)

Reply
Mary

You still have the ability to make a right turn onto 32nd st. It’s illegal , but you have the ability .

Reply

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Year in Review: Crimes that impacted the borough and shook the city in 2024

QNS is looking back at our top stories throughout 2024 as we look forward to 2025. In terms of crime, the borough was shaken by several high-profile murders, police shootings and drug gang takedowns, many of which shocked the entire city. Here are some of the top 2024 crime stories in Queens.

The city’s first homicide of the year went down in an Elmhurst karaoke bar

New York City’s first murder in 2024 occurred on New Year’s Day when a Manhattan bouncer stabbed two men outside an Elmhurst karaoke bar near 76th Street and Roosevelt Ave. just before 4 a.m. Torrance Holmes, 35, of Hamilton Heights, was arrested by detectives days later at his home and transported back to Queens to face justice.