Department of Design and Construction311Search all NYC.gov websites

May 11, 2017

DOT and DDC Join Queens Elected Officials to Celebrate Resurfaced 21st Street from Long Island City to Astoria

Eight lane miles of 21st street repaved this spring spans two Council districts

Contact:
Dan Leibel
718-391-1251

Queens, NY – New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) Queens Borough Commissioner Nicole Garcia and Department of Design and Construction (DDC) Commissioner Feniosky Peña-Mora were joined by Council Members Costa Constantinides and Jimmy Van Bramer, as well as Assembly Member Aravella Simotas today to announce the repaving of 21st Street in western Queens.  The newly resurfaced portion of the major thoroughfare spans 1.75 miles (eight lane miles) from 47th Avenue to Broadway.

“Repaving 21st Street means smoother rides for residents traveling on this critical Queens corridor from Long Island City to Astoria,” said DOT Queens Borough Commissioner Nicole Garcia. “Continued investment in our roadways makes this project and so many others across the borough, possible.”

“DDC expedited this project to provide relief to residents as quickly as possible, working at nights to minimize disturbances to the community and to traffic,” said DDC Commissioner Feniosky Peña-Mora. “Over 58,000 square yards of asphalt weighing 9,460 tons were put down in under a month, covering eight lane miles of roadway. We’re very pleased to help provide a new and safer surface for this heavily traveled street.

21st Street in Queens
21st Street in Queens, where 800 tons of new asphalt has been laid spanning 1.75 miles (NYCDDC)

DDC began capital work to mill and repave the 21st Street roadway in mid-April.  Repaving was completed in early May and markings are set to be installed by the end of this month.  This work is being completed with $1.1 million of federal National Highway Performance (NHPP) funding and $300,000 in NYS Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS) funding. Following the completion of repaving, DDC will enhance pedestrian ramps to meet ADA requirements and improve curbs and sidewalks where feasible.

“Seeing the repaving of 21st Street come to fruition is a win for our community. Since my first day in office, residents had expressed deep concern and frustration with the condition of this roadway. Many of the life-long residents at Queensview, North Queensview, and the HANAC Archbishop Iakovos Senior Residence had said they couldn’t recall the last time the street was ever repaved. Crosswalks were uneven and cracked with gaping potholes which made it exceedingly difficult for our senior citizens and families with young children to safely navigate. Now that 21st Street has been freshly repaved, it’s better prepared to accommodate the pedestrians, motorists, and bicyclists who use it day-in and day-out to get around the neighborhood,” said Council Member Costa Constantinides.

“We have been fighting for the repaving of 21st Street for years,” said Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer. “Resurfacing this 20 block corridor means safer transit for everyone, and I am thrilled that drivers, pedestrians and cyclists no longer need to be terrified of unpredictable and unsafe roads up and down 21st Street.”

DDC Commissioner Feniosky Peña-Mora, Councilmembers Jimmy Van Bramer and Costa Constantinides
DDC Commissioner Feniosky Peña-Mora with Councilmembers Jimmy Van Bramer (left) and Costa Constantinides (right)

“For far too long, 21st street has been a bumpy nightmare for the many drivers who use this major roadway to access our community and our bridges,” said Assembly Member Aravella Simotas. “This resurfacing is a great example of how we can make our neighborhood and our daily lives better when we work together. I commend my colleagues in government, Councilman Costa Constantinides and Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer, the NYC  Department of Transportation and the Department of Design and Construction  for their tireless efforts in ensuring that the city invests in the future of our community.”

In 2015, Mayor de Blasio announced a $1.6 billion commitment to resurface roads citywide over the next decade, with 2,500 lane miles to be resurfaced in Fiscal Years ‘16 and ‘17.  He has also budgeted for 1,300 lane miles each year for Fiscal Years ‘18 and ‘19.  This historic investment in road resurfacing is resulting in smoother roads and fewer potholes for all New Yorkers.

This latest resurfacing project shows the city’s continued efforts to maintain more than 19,000 lane miles (over 6,000 miles) of roadway citywide. As of this week, DOT has resurfaced 59 lane miles in Queens, and over 180 lane miles citywide this calendar year. For information about DOT’s ongoing efforts to address potholes and roadway maintenance, please visit www.nyc.gov/dot, and please report any pothole condition to The Daily Pothole or to 311.



About the NYC Department of Design and Construction
The Department of Design and Construction is the City’s primary capital construction project manager. In supporting Mayor de Blasio’s lenses of growth, sustainability, resiliency, equity and healthy living, DDC provides communities with new or renovated public buildings such as such as firehouses, libraries, police precincts, new or upgraded roadways, sewers, water mains in all five boroughs. To manage this $15 billion portfolio, DDC partners with other City agencies, architects and consultants, whose experience bring efficient, innovative, and environmentally-conscious design and construction strategies to city projects. For more information, please visit nyc.gov/ddc.