Several streets across Queens will be car-free Monday so kids can trick or treat safely (Photo: DOT)
Oct. 26, 2022 By Michael Dorgan
Several streets across Queens will be car-free Monday so kids can safely trick or treat.
Nine streets in the borough will be closed to traffic from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. as part of a new city-wide initiative called Trick-or-Streets, announced by the Dept. of Transportation Tuesday.
The goal of the program is to improve road safety and reduce the risk of trick-or-treaters being hit by motorists. Halloween is the deadliest time of the year when it comes to child pedestrian fatalities, according to a study by the Washington Post.
The car-free streets will be located in Astoria, Long Island City, Sunnyside, Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, Murray Hill, Queens Village and Jamaica.
Five of the nine streets selected are stretches that are already part of the city’s Open Streets program, where traffic is limited along the routes during certain days and hours. However, these streets will become completely car-free from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. this Monday.
For instance, the 31st Avenue Open Streets program in Astoria — which is closed to traffic from 33rd Street to 35th Street on weekends—will also be closed to traffic on Monday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The Open Streets of Woodside Avenue in Elmhurst, 34th Avenue in Jackson Heights, Barton Avenue in Murray Hill and Murdock Avenue in Jamaica will also be closed to traffic.
The remaining four streets that will be car-free on Oct. 31 between 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. includes a section of 39th Avenue in Sunnyside, a portion of Hollis Avenue in Queens Village, as well as segments of 45th Avenue and 12th Street in Long Island City.
The initiative, a concept that was proposed by Mayor Eric Adams, was announced by DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez at an Open Streets ribbon-cutting event at Jackson Heights on Monday.
More than 100 streets across the city will be closed to traffic Monday as part of the new initiative.
“New York City will be showing how to transform miles of public space into a Halloween wonderland,” Rodriguez said.
“I… hope families will take the opportunity to safely Trick-Or-Treat on an Open Street.”
Meanwhile, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards said the initiative was another example of the benefits of Open Street programs.
“Turning these spaces into spooky hubs of haunted Halloween fun for families next week is yet another incredible example of why the Open Streets program is so great.”
The city has created an interactive map of all of the participating streets here.
The following streets will be car-free from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Oct. 31:
31st Avenue, from 33rd Street to 35th Street — in Astoria
Woodside Avenue, from 76th Street to 78th Street — in Elmhurst
34th Avenue, from 69th Street to Junction Boulevard — in Jackson Heights
Barton Avenue, from 149th Place to 150th Street — in Murray Hill
Murdock Avenue, from 180th Street to the dead end — in Jamaica
39th Avenue, from Barnett Avenue to 48th Street — in Sunnyside (several streets in Sunnyside Gardens will also be closed, although they have yet to be announced)
45th Avenue, from 21st Street to 23rd Street — in Long Island City
12th Street between 44th Avenue and 43rd Road — in Long Island City
Hollis Avenue from 211th Street to 212th Street — in Queens Village
Queens Borough President Donavan Richards spoke about the new initiative Tuesday (Photo: DOT)
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