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Queens has always been one of the most exciting boroughs in the entire city, but unlike Manhattan or Brooklyn, it doesn't have one singular, uninterrupted path that bikers and pedestrians can take along its waterfront.
Luckily, that might soon change: New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez just announced that the city will launch a planning process to develop a Queens Waterfront Greenway to close the current gaps in bike and pedestrian paths along its waterfront, per NYC's website.
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Once complete, the proposed path would stretch 16 miles from the Long Island City waterfront, continue through East Elmhurst and past LaGuardia Airport, through College Point and eventually end at Fort Totten.
Before construction can begin on the path, NYC DOT, NYC Parks and the NYC Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), will host public workshops throughout October to get the community's input on the project.
“A waterfront Greenway in Queens will better connect residents to the East River and Long Island Sound through new bike paths and pedestrian space and create a critical commuting corridor for riders. We look forward to developing our historic greenway expansion hand-in-hand with local residents,” said Ydanis Rodriguez. “Come one, come all Queens residents and New Yorkers, make your voices heard about the future of this greenway at one of our inclusive and multilingual workshops.”
The waterfront Greenway in Queens would be part of a major project by the city to create 40 miles of Greenways in the outer boroughs, which involves other ambitious Greenways along waterfronts in the Bronx, Staten Island and across Brooklyn.
The Queens greenway path will not only facilitate commutes within the borough by local residents, but it will also open the possibilities for how we experience Queens in general. The Greenway would allow someone to bike from Astoria to Flushing all along the water—a feat that would require perilous maneuvers across heavy traffic if you tried to do it today.