Nearly $30 million in federal funding going to safety improvements for Queens Boulevard

QUEENS, N.Y. (PIX11) – The city is getting nearly $30 million in federal funding for safety improvements to Queens Boulevard, according to Mayor Eric Adams.

Police said a drunk driver struck seven people, including a 14-year-old girl, as they were in an intersection on the road in Sunnyside earlier this year. Now, the city is looking to make physical improvements along the boulevard in Woodside to help prevent car crashes.

The money, part of a larger billion-dollar plan, will also be used to analyze traffic injuries to better prevent them.

The redesign project started in 2015 and crashes have already dropped by 13% and pedestrian injuries cut by 42%, according to the city.

The city is looking to expand pedestrian medians and grade-separated bicycle paths, reduce crossing distances, improve bus stop accessibility, construct a planted buffer and barrier to protect pedestrians from cars and create new lighting, seating and landscaping.

Construction is expected to begin in the fall of 2024 and will take three years.

The city is also rolling out more speed-limiting technology to 1,700 of its fleet cars used by city workers, restricting maximum speeds and ensuring almost universal compliance with speed limits across 750,000 miles traveled.

Paired with additional technological improvements, the implementation of this tool has led to a 20% decrease in crashes involving city vehicles, according to the city.