The Northern Boulevard bike lanes are a huge infrastructure improvement for our community.  For the first time residents in Douglaston and Little Neck will have a safe connection to Bayside and Bay Terrace without having to use a car or bus.  We know how dangerous Northern Boulevard was before, injuring hundreds and killing a cyclist last year as he tried to get to Joe Michaels Mile.  Northern Boulevard is a designated Vision Zero Priority Corridor due to the consistently high volume of crashes and fatalities.  Some people seem to ignore the previous tragedies, pointing to any crashes now as an excuse to rip out the street safety infrastructure we recently won.  As neighbors we know that the DoT’s plan to decrease the terrible speeding on Northern Boulevard and to add a physical wall separating cars and pedestrians/cyclists will save lives and encourage more of our neighbors to explore the community on foot or by bike.  It will also give safe, enjoyable access to new parks and neighborhoods for the often forgotten members of our community who do not have access to cars, often due to financial, age, or ability constraints.

The Douglaston Local Development Corporation, Douglaston Village Chamber of Commerce, Peak Bikes, local cyclists, Transportation Alternatives Eastern Queens Committee and Eastern Queens Greenway will host a party and bike ride celebrating the recent installation of a two-way protected bike lane on Northern Boulevard.

The celebration on Sunday, November 12, at 12 p.m., will commence at Peak Bikes, located at 42-42 235th Street, Douglaston, NY 11363.

The recently completed project between 223rd Street and Douglaston Parkway is a major step toward making Northern Boulevard safer for everyone. It includes a barrier-protected lane that provides vital protection for cyclists, improved pedestrian crossings, and traffic calming to reduce motorist’s speeds.

After the celebration, a family-friendly eight mile bike ride will begin on the new lane then travel on nearby bike routes and through parks to loop back to Peak Bikes. Participants then plan to purchase food and drinks from local eateries and enjoy them in the new public plaza adjacent to the Douglaston LIRR station.

Several Douglaston merchants will offer specials, discounts, tastings and samples to participating cyclists. Parkway Diner, Douglaston Foot Rub, Divas Nail Salon, and Douglaston Liquors and Wines are among these businesses. Peak Bikes will give participants a 20 percent discount on everything in stock that day.

Il Tuscano, Il Sapore, Best Garden, Tokyo Agogo, Dragon Express, Mike’s Deli, Velvet Nail and Hair Salon, and other Douglaston businesses also expressed strong support for the bike lane.

By the end of the year Eastern Queens will have 10 new miles of protected bike lanes installed, including the lane on Oceania/210th Street and the lanes along the edge of Alley Pond Park. Another five miles of striped lanes were painted in Glen Oaks on 82nd Avenue, 263rd Street and 74th Avenue earlier this year.

For more information, please contact:

Ilana Teitel, Douglaston Local Development Corporation
(347) 946–0017
ilana@dougldc.org

Joani and Jerry Emerson, Peak Bikes
(718) 225-5119
peakmountainbike@yahoo.com