47th Street and 39th Avenue, Sunnyside
July 24, 2020 By Allie Griffin
Several Queens streets were added to the city’s open streets program, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Friday.
Four streets in Queens–including two in Sunnyside–were added to the program in which select blocks are closed to traffic and opened for pedestrians and cyclists’ use from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day. Limited local vehicular traffic is permitted during those hours.
However, the city also removed three underused Queens blocks– in areas outside Sunnyside–from the initiative in coordination with local elected officials and community partners.
The newly-added streets in Queens include:
.19 miles of 47th Street, from 39th Avenue to Skillman Avenue in partnership with the 39th Ave Open Street Coalition
.19 miles of 49th Street, from 39th Avenue to Skillman Avenue in partnership with the 39th Ave Open Street Coalition
.25 miles of 31st Avenue, from 31st Street to 36th Street in partnership with the 31st Ave Open Street Collective
.09 miles of Dutch Kills, from Jackson Avenue to Sunnyside Yards in partnership with Rockrose, a real estate company.
In Sunnyside, there are a number of open streets already in use. These include Skillman Avenue between 39th Place and 43rd Street; 39th Avenue between Woodside Avenue and Barnett Avenue; and 46th Street, between Queens Boulevard and Greenpoint Avenue–although that open street is limited to just Saturdays and Sundays between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.
De Blasio set a goal in April to open 100 miles of streets across the five boroughs to allow for greater social distancing amid the coronavirus pandemic. The city has completed about 70 miles, according to a report released by Transportation Alternatives.
The city added 1.72 miles of open streets today but also removed 2.77 miles, according to a press release.
The streets that were removed in Queens are:
.23 miles of Center Boulevard, from 57th Avenue to Borden Avenue
.16 miles of 27th Street, from 43rd Avenue to Queens Plaza North
.013 miles of 85th Street, from 25th Avenue to 30th Avenue
A full list of streets within the Open Streets program can be found on the Department of Transportation website.
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33 Comments
So you come up with some ridiculous dumb ‘witty’ answer and it should have an impact because of that?? Same could be said about drivers towards you. It’s really not that hard… people will do what is the best for them and their families and they don’t need to justify that to you crunchy granola bars or anyone. Some people drive because it’s what works for them… you walk, good for you! So you walk on the sidewalk.. we’ll drive on the street and we can coexist as no crime is being committed here.
And then there’s 50th Ave, where four mostly shade-free blocks were selected for “open streets.” The barriers are now gone — was it formally removed from the program?
People are tired of the stupid unnecessary barriers. People move them out of the way the only people who seem to want them are idiots in sunnyside
What no one is talking about is the haphazard way the program is implemented. Barriers have no safety lights and several of them on 39th Ave looked like they’ve been run into or run over. They are bent out of shape and virtually useless.
This will be one memorable summer for those of us that like outdoor activities and dining outside minus the rise in crime and shootings. Look at the bright side there is more room to space out and run if you have to.
I hope the open streets will help people relieve some stress. Many of us in Sunnyside and throughout NYC are coping with the sad news of Regis Philbins death. He will always be in our hearts. Wish some street was named after him. He bought such joy and laughter to those that watched him. So tired of pretending to care about someone who had a violent arrest record and a drug addict.
Dawn, I invite you to think about people who are actually working right now while there are no summer camps or school opening in sight. Single parents who need to drive to work every day and want to just get home to their kids and have to deal with the ridiculous zig zag mess of these ‘closed’ streets. They’re not actually closed and those barriers are used to however residents and drivers wish.. they’re constantly moved around to whoever at the moment convenience while those of you sulking over Regis’s death walk in the middle of the street. So while it may relieve some stress for those of you who have nothing else to worry about than a TV personality death, some of us Woodside/Sunnyside working residents, parents, neighbors are going through real sh.
WHAT!? Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Not understanding?
Its so hot out. The city should provide refreshments as they invite more people to walk open streets. Heat exhaustion is real folks. Stay in the shade and stay hydrated.
It only makes the street more dangerous for pedestrians because drivers are confused or they ignore the reduced speed limit. Stay on the sidewalk. You’ll be safer.
Get rid of your free car, Councilmann. Will you use public transit? Walk? Bike? Are you still at home leaving your free car on the street during street cleaning?
I would go to a city pool. But it is too hot to wear a mask because i have asthma and cant breathe in this heat. We need more open streets where masks are not required.
Funny how my senior citizen asthmatic mother can wear a mask and not nearly complain as much. I guess we’re all different in that way. Some folks still get around by driving.. you know those who actually had to go bafk to work and all.
Would be great if everyone wore masks
Or at least not talk so much if you are not wearing one and move out of the way. I went to a bodega on sunday and neither the employees and some customers were not wearing masks and talking so much. I would of left but i wanted to play lotto. Hoping i will win and could afford to move out of this city.
I’m near Rego Park and there are a certain group who haven’t worn masks since the start of Covid and never do social distancing. Too bad we, as concerned and worried citizens, can’t have them arrested and deported for endangering the health of thousands of people.
This concerns me. Homeless encampments have been popping up through out the city. And streets closing to cars is more appealing to street dwellers as they have more space to store belongings and can easily panhandle.
This happened in JH with 34th avenue closed. Homeless now live under the 34th avenue BQE underpass. They also live in Travers park.
Go to a park and leave the cars to drive
Lol at the entitlement of this troll! Might as well be an honorary member of “Queens Streets for Karens” there little buddy!
39th Ave in Sunnyside is such a beautiful tree-lined avenue. Even during these hot days it stays cool. I hope more pedestrians start to use the space now that traffic has calmed. What’s better than walking down that avenue, meandering through the Gardens streets and having a meal on Skillman Ave as the sun sets?
Plenty of people walk, bike, scoot, skateboard and skate in the street, even when there is plenty of room on the sidewalk. The quiet is a gift to people who live along it. The real estate boom coupled with Vision Aero slowdowns had pushed a lot of regional traffic on this little neighborhood street.
Jackson Heights/corona is having playstreets for kids. Games, crafts, etc. What about sunnyside????
Glad to see more of these!
This has got to be the Dumbest most disruptive thing Diblasio has enforced. Parks are open..go to the park. Dog runs are open..go to the dog run. There is absolutely NO reason why people should be walking up and down the streets huffing and puffing that traffic is TRYING to get by. There is no defending this. If you are one of those people who are actually doing this instead of walking on the damn sidewalks you are a Karen. 100 percent a self entitled annoying Karen. These streets were designed for traffic, it’s enough that cars dont have parking now because of all the restaurants doing all the outdoor dining nonsense .
Proactively opening more surface area to spread out in this time is a good thing. Vehicles will get still do ok slowing down in certain areas and honestly don’t need more incentives for use.
I never got a car in 15 years out of consideration to the planet. I don’t use an air conditioner out of consideration to the planet.
I don’t judge others but must intervene when their groundless self righteous attitude throws fits of arrogant rage. Boo hoo, you now you can’t drive fast down every single road? Tell me again which one of us is the Karen?
Most people support closing streets to cars and so do elected officials. The tides have turned. Get over it or if you can afford it just move to the suburbs with your white picket fence, backyard and two door attached garage. All of the candidates that won last month support closing streets to cars and most also support defunding the police. Air pollution increases the risk of getting very ill if you get covid 19. Close more streets to cars.
Nobody with a clear think mind supports it. You guys came into Sunnyide and destroyed a perfectly fine neighborhood with your gentrifying. Remember when you guys tried to make the area under the 40th st station a hip place to be with chairs and work outs? Stupid…and so is walking in the areas DESIGNED for traffic. It’s stupid. You have your foot traffic area.wear your damn mask and walk on the sidewalk or park. This is a CITY. A city that moves
YOU go back to the suburbs .
Ya ever look at Western Queens on a map and see the absolute dearth of green space here? How the only substantial parks in this part of town are cemeteries? Ya ever look at an avenue and add up exactly how little space is for the people who live in the neighborhood? The 4 feet of sidewalk on either side, provided there’s not a pile of trash there?
Let’s dream of something better than this. Parks aren’t parks until the people make it so. Cities aren’t cities until they become something to love, instead of something to survive.
Why don’t you go for a walk in the middle of 39th Avenue while the evening cools, nod at
your neighbors, smile at the children playing, and wonder if this might be the place and time you fall in love with someone. Might this be where your angry adolescence ends and the loving, rich part of your life begins.
Just who exactly do you think you are? We’re not allowed to live in the neighborhood our families have lived in for generations of generations because we drive?? No, seriously though.. who do you think you are?
I’m with you! This is an outrage! So what, it’s better for physical and mental health, the environment, and the community? I don’t like driving on Barnett or Skillman when 39th Avenue is faster!!! And it is too much to ask someone used to driving 30mph on these streets to reduce it to a crawl at 5mph, even for the 1 or 2 blocks necessary! Don’t they know how important they think we are! Who anyway is the manager here, because why are we even talking to the Post? Van Bramer! De Blasio! My rights!
Not every body has to love people. Some people prefer to keep themselves, drive their damn car and let you live too..m while you walk on the damn sidewalk which is what it meant for! Get over yourselves.