The New York City Department of City Planning (DCP)’s Transportation Division and Queens Office recently held its kickoff meeting for the Western Queens Transportation Study, which sets out to link new and existing development by focusing on bike, pedestrian and transit improvements. Various city agencies, the MTA, local civic associations, members from Community Boards 1 and 2 and the Tri-State Transportation Campaign were invited to participate in the Technical Advisory Committee to help guide the federally-funded study.

This effort couldn’t have come sooner. The stage has been set for the neighborhoods in the study area—which include Roosevelt Island, Long Island City and Astoria—to host a massive influx of new waterfront development along the East River. Developments such as Halletts Point, Astoria Cove, Silvercup West, Queens West, and Hunters Point South are set to bring in up to 15,000 new residential units (along with retail and studio space), in addition to Cornell’s 11-acre Roosevelt Island campus, poised to be the island’s biggest development yet.

Like we’ve seen in parts of Brooklyn, Long Island City and Astoria have seen their populations grow in recent years, but the transportation network in the area remains relatively unchanged. Transportation issues identified by the DCP include:

• Access to residential uses
• Access to Roosevelt Island
• Bicycle network
• Pedestrian network
• On-street parking
• Transit connectivity
• Wayfinding signage
• Streetscape

Filling in the last-mile gap between the waterfront and subway stations is key to the area’s success. Although western Queens is served by subway lines (G/7/E/M/R/N/Q) that connect to Manhattan, Brooklyn and eastern Queens, stations are located on the eastern and southern edges of the area, some of which are as far as 15 blocks from the waterfront. These connectivity issues can be addressed by the expansion of Citi Bike to serve Long Island City and Astoria. And while there are buses that serve the area, they don’t run very frequently.

DCP’s “Toolbox of Recommendations” include:

• Bus frequency
• Bus routes
• Ferry service
• Bicycle network improvements
• Pedestrian improvements
• Intersection improvements
• Wayfinding signage
• Lighting
• Parking regulations
• Signal timing improvements

These recommendations are on the right track—community representatives voiced strong support for these improvements, especially for Citi Bike expansion. While the bike share system may arrive earlier than expected in Long Island City, community members, along with State Senator Michael Gianaris and City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer, have called on the City to expand the system to Astoria, Woodside and Sunnyside.

And because western Queens is likely to see more cyclists and pedestrians, the study also calls for improved pedestrian and bicycle safety. The study area includes intersections that have seen fatal pedestrian crashes in recent past. DCP plans to make improvements accordingly, using city crash data to guide traffic calming measures. The New York City Department of Transportation has already started making safety improvements in this area, along with a plan to install nine miles of new bike routes for Long Island City and Sunnyside.

Further discussion triggered other topics, such as expanding East River ferry service (Senator Charles Schumer recently called for federal funding to bring landings to Astoria, the Upper East Side, and Roosevelt Island), introducing Select Bus Service to the area and “un-superblocking” old industrial lots near the waterfront.