Seniors in Queens Weigh In on the City's First Permanent Open Street
The city's first permanent open street, 34th Avenue in Jackson Heights, has been a game-changer for local residents, providing a safer and more pedestrian-friendly space. However, not everyone is thrilled with the new setup, according to a recent report by older adult services organization Selfhelp.
During five group "walk audits" along the 1.3-mile stretch from July through November, participants identified several areas for improvement. The main complaint was the inconsistent bike lane design, which changed location on some blocks and was sometimes painted green while other times it wasn't. Residents also noted a lack of trash bins and seating areas, making the space feel less inviting.
Paul Hellegers, a resident of Selfhelp's Northridge/Brulene/Southridge naturally occurring retirement community (NORC), expressed frustration with the motorized two-wheeled vehicles that passed through the area. "There are a lot of motorbikes and things that go through there that annoyed me," he said.
Esther Curenton, another resident of the NORC, shared mixed feelings about the open street. While she appreciated the idea of having space to walk safely, she felt that not all needs were met by the closed street. "I like the idea that people have space to walk safely, run safely, what have you... I don't think all needs are met by the closed street."
The report's findings come as the city Department of Transportation is in the early stages of a capital project to further transform the street. The project aims to simplify the corridor's design, add landscaping, and construct permanent plazas.
Selfhelp recommended that the bike lane remain consistent throughout the entire open street, rather than changing locations from block to block. They also suggested adding more trash bins and benches along the avenue, as well as improving the landscaping of certain medians and better surveilling the use of motorized bikes and mopeds.
Transportation department spokesperson Will Livingston said that the redesign of the street has made it safer, with crashes involving pedestrians down 60% since August 2022. However, he acknowledged that there is still work to be done to address the concerns raised by Selfhelp and other community members.
The 34th Avenue Open Street was initially created during the pandemic-era Open Streets program, which closed streets across the city to cars during certain hours to create more open spaces. A bill passed by the City Council in 2021 expanded the program and made the street permanent, with only local car traffic allowed from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day.
Karen Taylor, the NORC's program director, noted that the walk audits gave a voice to older adults who felt they had been left out of the initial discussions about the use of the street. "When the street became permanent, it was a very big surprise to a lot of our older adults who would've believed that they would've been notified about these things and had not been," she said.
The community is working together to make 34th Avenue an even better space for everyone. As Jim Burke, a street safety advocate, noted, "If we can make it nicer and safer and win more people over, I hope we can do that."
The city's first permanent open street, 34th Avenue in Jackson Heights, has been a game-changer for local residents, providing a safer and more pedestrian-friendly space. However, not everyone is thrilled with the new setup, according to a recent report by older adult services organization Selfhelp.
During five group "walk audits" along the 1.3-mile stretch from July through November, participants identified several areas for improvement. The main complaint was the inconsistent bike lane design, which changed location on some blocks and was sometimes painted green while other times it wasn't. Residents also noted a lack of trash bins and seating areas, making the space feel less inviting.
Paul Hellegers, a resident of Selfhelp's Northridge/Brulene/Southridge naturally occurring retirement community (NORC), expressed frustration with the motorized two-wheeled vehicles that passed through the area. "There are a lot of motorbikes and things that go through there that annoyed me," he said.
Esther Curenton, another resident of the NORC, shared mixed feelings about the open street. While she appreciated the idea of having space to walk safely, she felt that not all needs were met by the closed street. "I like the idea that people have space to walk safely, run safely, what have you... I don't think all needs are met by the closed street."
The report's findings come as the city Department of Transportation is in the early stages of a capital project to further transform the street. The project aims to simplify the corridor's design, add landscaping, and construct permanent plazas.
Selfhelp recommended that the bike lane remain consistent throughout the entire open street, rather than changing locations from block to block. They also suggested adding more trash bins and benches along the avenue, as well as improving the landscaping of certain medians and better surveilling the use of motorized bikes and mopeds.
Transportation department spokesperson Will Livingston said that the redesign of the street has made it safer, with crashes involving pedestrians down 60% since August 2022. However, he acknowledged that there is still work to be done to address the concerns raised by Selfhelp and other community members.
The 34th Avenue Open Street was initially created during the pandemic-era Open Streets program, which closed streets across the city to cars during certain hours to create more open spaces. A bill passed by the City Council in 2021 expanded the program and made the street permanent, with only local car traffic allowed from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day.
Karen Taylor, the NORC's program director, noted that the walk audits gave a voice to older adults who felt they had been left out of the initial discussions about the use of the street. "When the street became permanent, it was a very big surprise to a lot of our older adults who would've believed that they would've been notified about these things and had not been," she said.
The community is working together to make 34th Avenue an even better space for everyone. As Jim Burke, a street safety advocate, noted, "If we can make it nicer and safer and win more people over, I hope we can do that."
They said it's made the area safer for pedestrians, but what about all those motorbikes causing a ruckus? Can't they just enforce some traffic rules or something? And what's with the inconsistent bike lane design? It sounds like a hot mess to me. Sources on this one would be great... I need more info on how this is actually making our streets better.
I think the city's first permanent open street on 34th Avenue is still trying to find its rhythm. While residents like Paul Hellegers are concerned about motorbikes zipping through, others like Esther Curenton appreciate the idea of a safe walking space but feel it's not quite there yet.
. and motorbikes? really? i get that it's annoying but can't the city just put up some signs or something to deter them? 
anyway, it's good that the community is coming together to fix these issues - maybe we'll see a safer & more welcoming space for everyone soon! 
the city's first permanent open street is already having a learning curve lol. who knew seniors wouldn't be thrilled with a space designed for pedestrians? 
i mean, can you blame them? inconsistent bike lanes and no trash bins? what more could they want? 
maybe next the city will have to add ramps for people to get back into their walkers... just kidding (kind of).