By Joseph Morales

To most, Southeastern Queens comprises of Queens south of the Grand Central Pkwy and east of the Van Wyck Expwy(I-678). While it is less densely populated than most of Western Queens, people in many parts of the area still rely on walking and transit to get around. In the two Community Board Districts that cover the bulk of the area, 15 and 33% of residents, respectively, do not own cars. Additionally, there are many youth in these communities who also rely on walking and transit, as you have to be 18 to drive independently in most cases in New York City. 

             Southeastern Queens is known for some verdant streets and offering a nice urban/suburban blend for its residents. However, the area sorely lacks open space. According to a map from the NYC Parks Department, there are significant portions of Queens CB Districts 12 and 13 that are not within walking distance of a park. In addition, both districts are among the ten districts in New York City in which 0% of residents live within walking distance of a pedestrian plaza. For reference, New York City has 59 community districts. Due to how far residents are from parks, getting to open spaces often requires either a long walk, drive or transit ride for most residents. This makes spaces far less accessible for residents here than residents from other communities, especially for transit commuters. As Southeastern Queens has no subway service in most areas, it is extremely difficult for most without a car to get to open spaces as they have to rely on buses. 

              Thankfully for community members, the New York City Department of Transportation(NYCDOT) is planning Southeastern Queens’ first-ever pedestrian plaza. The new plaza will be located on 180th St at the intersection of 180th St and Murdock Avenue in the St. Albans neighborhood. The plaza will be in a dead-end block that serves almost no use to motorists and is the perfect size to serve as a space for community members.  According to a presentation from the NYCDOT, the purpose of the plaza is to create more communal open space and increase pedestrian safety at the intersection of Murdock Avenue and 180th St. The plaza proposal also includes a curb extension across the street from the plaza as well as painted crosswalks. While the area is already an open street, the plaza will offer significant enhancements.

                The plaza itself will be 3,750 feet long and protected by granite blocks and delineators. It will also include permanent street furniture such as seats, tables, and planters. In addition, the NYCDOT plans to add asphalt art to the plaza to make it a warm and inviting space for community members to spend their time. The NYCDOT and Addisleigh Park Civic Association will release a Request for Proposals(RFP) for artists who will complete the asphalt art at some point this spring. An RFP is a document that details a project and solicits contractors to bid for the ability to complete the project.  The Addisleigh Park Civic Association will also likely be responsible for maintaining the plaza as a partner of the NYCDOT. Most open streets and public plazas have partners that are responsible for their maintenance and upkeep.

                The new plaza will not be the first time the space will be used for the community. Since Spring 2022, the space has been one of NYC’s “Open Streets” managed by the Addisleigh Park Civic Association. Currently, it is fully closed to vehicular traffic seven days a week from 9 AM-10 PM and serves as a space for community members. There is even a small makeshift bookcase that served as a mini-library. However, the open street status means that permanent street furniture could not be present and the activities possible were limited due to the street still being designed for cars. With a plaza, community members can use the space for any car-free purpose so long as it can be accommodated within the space’s boundaries. On my visit to the plaza on Saturday, May 4th, 2024, I noticed chairs being hung to what appeared to be a string along with two dysfunctional basketball hoops. One of the hoops was completely bent, and the other had no backboard, making both unfit for game use. The street became a plaza will address this issue by allowing permanent seating along with higher quality recreational fixtures to be added without the concern of where to place them when an open street is closed, or there is inclement weather. Hence, the plaza will make a huge difference in how the street area will be utilized. 

                    The Murdock Ave location was chosen for plaza construction by the NYCDOT due to its significant success as an open street. As part of the Open Streets program, the NYCDOT pays attention to successful locations and considers changes to tangibly enhance the open street for users. Since the programs inception in 2020, not too many open streets have received enhancements based on the NYCDOT’s criteria. The ones that have implement or proposed enhancements are been predominantly concentrated in more densely populated communities such as West 22nd St in Chelsea, W 103rd St on the Upper West Side and 34th Avenue in Jackson Heights. Avenue B on the Lower East Side and 4th Street in Park Slope have also been evaluated for improvements. The implementation of this plaza is truly an outlier and effectively be a pilot for how the city creates open space in less densely populated communities with more car ownership.

                    The project to build the plaza will be completed by the fall with street markings and delineators coming by the summer. The street art and furniture will be installed by late summer or the fall at the absolute latest. Given the streets’ current use by the community, the new plaza will make the space even better for relaxing, having fun and making memories for residents. Additionally, the plaza can be a model for how more cities can utilize more of their streets in more neighborhoods for non-travel uses through willpower and innovation.

Works Cited

CBS New York Team. “New York City kicks off 2024 Open Streets season. Find street closures near you.” CBS News, 20 April 2024, https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/street-closures-new-york-city-open-streets-map/. Accessed 4 May 2024.

New York City Department of City Planning-Transportation. “Car Ownership in NYC.” Tableau, 24 November 2022, https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/dcptransportation/viz/ACSProfiles/Dashboard1. Accessed 4 May 2024.

New York City Department of Transportation. “Murdock Avenue and 180th Street | Community Board 12 | April 2024.” NYC.gov, 9 April 2024, https://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/murdock-ave-180-st-apr2024.pdf. Accessed 4 May 2024.

New York City Department of Transportation. “NYC DOT – 2023 Projects.” NYC.gov, 2024, https://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/about/projects-2023.shtml. Accessed 4 May 2024.

New York City Department of Transportation. “NYC DOT – Current Projects.” NYC.gov, https://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/about/current-projects.shtml. Accessed 4 May 2024.

Surico, John. “New York’s Most Exciting New Public Space is a Street in Queens.” Project for Public Spaces, 5 August 2022, https://www.pps.org/article/new-yorks-most-exciting-new-public-space-is-a-street-in-queens. Accessed 4 May 2024.

Transportation Alternatives, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Spatial Equity NYC, 18 October 2022, https://www.spatialequity.nyc/?c=3&b=community&md=f&v=histogram&mc=3&m=17&pm=%5B5,17,11%5D&dt=f&pq=412&pc=%5B-73.778,40.692%5D&cm=t&ct=tttttt. Accessed 4 May 2024.