Sunnyside’s Bike Boulevard pedals on after CB approval
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39th Avenue in Sunnyside will become one of five Bike Boulevards in New York City after it was approved by Queens Community Board 2 on Wednesday, June 24, 2021. Photo via DOT
By Jacob Kaye
A new “Bike Boulevard” is coming to Sunnyside this summer after Queen Community Board 2 voted in favor of the Department of Transportation’s plan to bring the new street design to the neighborhood Wednesday.
While the plan ultimately received the support of the board and a large group of the public who spoke during the meeting, it was not without its detractors.
Perhaps poorly named, the Bike Boulevard along 39th Avenue between Barnett and Woodside Avenues is not only for bikes. Cars, parking and pedestrian spaces are all included in the DOT’s design. The new street concept would see the introduction of a series of traffic calming measures, including protected bike lanes, added signage and a lower speed limit.
“It’s all about the traffic calming here, which does make it safer to bike but also makes it safer to walk and drive as well,” said Craig Baerwald, a city planner with the DOT.
The Bike Boulevard will be one of five to come to the city this summer – one for each borough. The new street designs were introduced as one of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s “Streets Week” initiatives last month.
According to the DOT, the location for each Bike Boulevard was chosen from a list of already existing Open Streets, which were introduced last year to offer outdoor, socially distanced spaces to cooped up New Yorkers.
Unlike the Open Street, the Bike Boulevard won’t have a barrier restricting car access to 39th Avenue. Instead, the two-way street will be cut down to a one-way, with parking spaces on either side and a protected bike lane installed closest to the curb.
The stretch of 39th Avenue from 49th to 50th Street would head one-way east and cars would be forced to turn south at 50th Street. From 51st to 50th Street, cars would head west and turn north at 50th toward Barnett Avenue.
The entrances to the street at both Barnett and Woodside Avenues would also get a makeover, with new pedestrian spaces, bike lanes, signage and softer turns for cars.
“I think this is very exciting and I think it’s needed,” said Laura Shepard, a board member and bike advocate. “It’s really good to see this street is getting some attention.”
The majority of public participants spoke in favor of the new design, citing the dangers posed by speeding cars and trucks that have taken over the street.
“I’m hopeful that the review of 39th Avenue and its traffic calming measures will make it safer for people who don't have my sense of adventure,” said Jason Stahl, who lives on 39th Avenue.
For people who commute by bike, creating a protected space for cyclists would complete a network of safe streets for cyclists riding through the neighborhood, residents said.
“[39th Avenue] is now the single most unsafe and most stressful stretch in my commute,” said Angela Stach, who spoke in support of the plan. “I feel emotional about this becoming a reality.”
But some worried that the new design would invite speeding e-bike riders and cyclists, complicate routes for drivers and destroy the historic nature of Sunnyside Gardens.
“I’m rather disturbed,” said Steve Cooper, a board member. “As far as I can see, this is just going to make it very, very difficult for the residents of Sunnyside Gardens to get around.”
While traffic will be diverted off 39th Avenue at certain points, the bike boulevard will remain open to vehicular traffic and no parking spaces will be eliminated, according to the DOT.
Many of the residents who spoke out against the plan Wednesday feared it would change the fabric of the neighborhood.
“Sunnyside Gardens is a historic community that’s being forced to be an interchange,” said Patricia Pan. “You are turning a landmarked neighborhood into a maze.
The sentiment was echoed by Gregory Casey, who said he’s lived in Sunnyside Gardens for nearly 50 years.
“I thought this plan was a bad idea before tonight and I think it’s atrocious now,” Casey said. “We never had a problem until recently when some of these newbies began moving into the neighborhood with their bikes.”
The pandemic brought with it an historic boom in cycling in the city. Last month, there were more rides taken on Citi Bikes than at any other point in the program’s history. But the increase in ridership has not translated to an increase in safety. In Queens alone, 99 pedestrians and 60 cyclists were injured in car crashes in April, NYPD data shows.
The implementation of the Bike Boulevard is expected to begin in the late summer or early fall.
