Queens Gazette

New Traffic Patterns At Astoria Intersection





 

 

Motorists who travel through the maze of traffic at 31st Street and Hoyt Avenue in Astoria to reach the Grand Central Parkway, Astoria Boulevard or the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge (Triborough Bridge) should pay special attention to new signage at the bustling intersection – where the city recently installed a series of new traffic patterns, signs and signals. 

Drivers are advised to take notice of the changes, since failure to follow messages on new signage puts them in risk of a $130 summons and two points on their driver’s license, law enforcement sources said.

The changes were made following months of hearings and an exhaustive traffic study that showed a need for safe crossings on Astoria Boulevard from 29th to 33rd Streets, reduced congestion and new vehicle-to-vehicle safety measures in the designated area, a city Department of Transportation (DOT) spokesperson said.

The following is a breakdown of changes in traffic patterns and signals in the Hoyt Avenue/31st Street area. Note: some of these changes may have recently been completed.

•Rush-hour turns are banned from southbound 31st Street onto Hoyt Avenue South. Translation: Left turns are banned during rush hours, from southbound 31st Street onto Hoyt Avenue South.
•Turns are banned at all times from southbound 31st Street onto Astoria Boulevard. Translation: Left turns are banned at all times from southbound 31st Street onto Astoria Boulevard. 
•A new traffic signal will be installed at 29th Street and Hoyt Avenue South to replace an existing “Stop” sign. DOT will monitor timing of the signal and make adjustments as needed. The agency will install advanced signage at the location to give motorists appropriate notice of the change.
•DOT will install a new, “Countdown” red light signal at northbound 31st Street onto Astoria Boulevard East to provide pedestrian safety at the location. Timing of the signal will be monitored and adjustments will be made as necessary. Translation: Motorists can no  longer make a “fast turn” from northbound 31st Street onto Astoria Boulevard east on a constant green light at gas station. New street markings will designate pedestrian crosswalks at the location.
•DOT will install a dedicated bus lane on Hoyt Avenue North, just west of 31st Street, with a priority signal that will provide buses with entry to the RFK Bridge entrance ramp in advance of other traffic.
•New concrete landscaped sidewalk extensions to increase pedestrian safety and neighborhood connections.
•Signal timing upgrades and signals connected to central monitoring system to reduce congestion.
•DOT will also add 41 new “back-in”, angled parking spaces on Hoyt Avenue South between 26th and 29th Streets to make up for parking lost by the construction of a new senior center in the area.
•DOT will install new “Countdown” traffic signals throughout the intersection to improve pedestrian safety in the area.
•Plans also call for the development of a “green space” to replace a traffic island on Astoria Boulevard east just off 31st Street.

The 31st Street/Hoyt Avenue traffic hub was long ago identified as one of the busiest, most deadly intersections in the nation.

NYPD statistics show that approximately 300 traffic accidents and approximately 25 pedestrian accidents, with one fatality, occur at the intersection each year, a DOT spokesperson said.

Officials at Community Board 1 closely monitored DOT proposals for the traffic pattern changes, participated in preliminary discussions and joined in a walk-through of the area that contributed to findings released in the DOT traffic study.

The community board also held a public hearing on the traffic changes where local residents, business owners and traffic safety advocates were able to voice comments and complaints regarding the proposed changes.

For more information, maps and visual aids on the 31st Street/Hoyt Avenue traffic pattern changes, visit  www.nyc.gov/dot.

 


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