New York City breaks ground on Queens Boulevard redevelopment

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Thursday that the Department of Transportation has broken ground on a Queens Boulevard corridor revamp plan in a $100 million Vision Zero project to transform the area into a livable, safe area that connects neighborhoods, protects residents and enhances quality of life.

“We don’t accept that streets like Queens Boulevard have to be dangerous, that children and grandparents have to be taken from their families year after year,” de Blasio said. “And so, shoulder-to-shoulder with this community, we are taking action on one of the most ambitious and complex overhauls ever undertaken by the city. This street has earned the name ‘Boulevard of Death.’ Today, we begin work on the ‘Boulevard of Life.’”

“For the first time in history, our city is taking concrete, progressive steps toward re-engineering the ‘Boulevard of Death’ to ensure it truly does become a boulevard that is filled with life,” City Council member Jimmy Van Bramer said. “Under the leadership of (Department of Transportation) Commissioner Polly Trottenberg, the de Blasio administration continues to build upon its commitment to protecting the lives of Western Queens children, families and seniors who live along the boulevard. No families should ever suffer the loss of a loved one along this major thoroughfare, and our city’s $100 million investment into Queens Boulevard sets our city on a course closer to the day when Vision Zero is a reality.”

“It’s no secret that Queens Boulevard has been, for too long, one of the most dangerous corridors in New York City,” U.S. Rep. Joe Crowley (D-NY), whose district includes this area, said. “Sadly, too many New Yorkers have lost a friend, family member or a neighbor to the hazardous conditions on this major thoroughfare. I commend the city for making Queens Boulevard a priority in its Vision Zero initiative and for making the necessary investments in this plan, which will, without a doubt, help ensure the safety of pedestrians, cyclists and motorists alike.”