The vote is in, and it was decisive. Queens Community Board 1 voted 35 to 4 in favor of the New York City Department of Transportation’s redesign of 31st Street in Astoria — and not just the original proposal. The board backed an expanded version that extends protected bike lanes from 20th Avenue all the way north to Northern Boulevard, a longer corridor than what DOT had initially proposed. Now the question for Astoria residents isn’t whether this is happening, but what it actually looks like on the ground and what to expect during implementation.
Why 31st Street Was Targeted
This isn’t a redesign driven by ideology alone — 31st Street has a documented safety problem. According to NYC DOT data, the corridor saw three deaths and more than 500 injuries over a five-year period between 2021 and 2025. That places it in the top 10 percent of most dangerous corridors in Queens. The street carries heavy traffic connecting Astoria’s neighborhoods to the BQE, and it serves multiple schools, making pedestrian and cyclist safety especially acute concerns.
The street had previously been the subject of a redesign effort that was halted by a court decision in December 2025. The Mamdani administration restarted the process, and DOT then expanded the proposal’s scope — which is what CB1 reviewed and approved in late April 2026.
What the Expanded Design Actually Includes
The DOT’s updated proposal includes several specific design elements that Astoria residents should understand before construction begins.
Protected bike lanes: Curbside protected bike lanes would run along 31st Street from 20th Avenue to Northern Boulevard. “Protected” means there is a physical buffer between the bike lane and moving vehicle traffic — typically a row of parked cars or a concrete barrier — rather than just a painted stripe. This is a meaningfully safer design than conventional painted lanes.
One-way conversion on part of the corridor: A section of 31st Street between 20th Avenue and Ditmars Boulevard would be converted to a northbound one-way configuration. DOT says this change reduces turning conflicts at three major intersections along that stretch, which is where many crashes occur.
Shorter pedestrian crossings: The redesign includes “daylighting” at intersections — removing parking from the corners so that drivers can see pedestrians earlier, and pedestrians can see approaching cars. This is one of the simplest but most effective safety interventions in street redesign. It also shortens the actual distance pedestrians must cross.
School loading zones: The new plan includes designated school loading zones for children accessing the schools along and near 31st Street. This addresses a specific safety concern that had been raised by parents and community members during public engagement sessions.
What This Means for Drivers
Any street redesign that reduces parking and changes traffic flow generates legitimate questions from drivers. Here’s what the 31st Street plan means in practice for people who drive in Astoria.
The protected bike lane will replace some on-street parking along the corridor. Exactly how many spaces are removed will depend on the block-by-block configuration, which DOT will finalize as it moves toward construction. The one-way conversion between 20th Avenue and Ditmars Boulevard will change traffic routing — drivers heading south in that zone will need to use parallel streets like 30th Street or 32nd Street instead.
For the portion north of Ditmars Boulevard up to Northern Boulevard (the extended section added to the newer proposal), the design details are still being finalized. DOT is conducting additional public engagement on this extended stretch, and the configuration may differ from the southern portion.
The Community Board Vote and What Comes Next
Community Board 1’s 35-4 vote in favor of the plan is a strong advisory signal — but it’s important to understand what a CB vote does and doesn’t do. Community boards in New York City are advisory bodies. Their votes are not binding on DOT or on the mayor. However, a lopsided vote like this one typically carries significant political weight, and DOT has already indicated it intends to move forward with the redesign.
The next steps involve DOT finalizing the construction design, completing the public engagement process for the northern extension (20th Avenue to Northern Boulevard portion), and then beginning actual street work. No firm construction start date has been publicly announced as of early May 2026, but given the strong community board endorsement and the administration’s stated commitment, construction is expected to begin within 2026.
Residents who want to follow the project’s progress can track updates through the DOT’s project page for the 31st Street Redesign at nyc.gov/dot, and through QNS.com, which has been covering the community board process closely.
Broader Context: Astoria’s Street Safety Moment
The 31st Street redesign is part of a broader pattern of street safety investment in Astoria and across Queens. The borough has seen significant activity on cycling infrastructure, transit improvements, and pedestrian safety projects under the current administration. Astoria itself is one of the most densely populated neighborhoods in Queens, with a mix of young professionals, longtime families, and a busy commercial strip along Steinway Street and Broadway. Street design decisions here affect a large and diverse population.
The expansion of the redesign scope — extending from the original southern terminus to Northern Boulevard — signals that DOT saw the community engagement process as an opportunity to do more, not less. That’s an unusual posture; agencies more commonly scale back proposals after community feedback. In this case, the extended proposal drew even stronger support from the community board.
What You Need to Know
- What’s coming: Protected bike lanes, pedestrian safety improvements, intersection daylighting, and school loading zones on 31st Street in Astoria, Queens.
- Corridor: 20th Avenue to Northern Boulevard — a longer stretch than originally proposed.
- One-way change: The section from 20th Avenue to Ditmars Boulevard will be converted to northbound one-way traffic only.
- Safety data behind it: Three deaths and more than 500 injuries on this corridor between 2021–2025 — top 10% most dangerous in Queens.
- Community board vote: CB1 voted 35-4 in favor in late April 2026. Advisory only, but a strong signal.
- What’s next: DOT finalizes construction plans; no confirmed start date yet but expected in 2026.
- Related reading: Our earlier Queens Policy Watch piece on the CB1 vote has full details on the hearing, and our NYC bike infrastructure update covers the citywide protected lane expansion.
For Astoria residents, the question now is less about whether 31st Street will change and more about how to adapt when it does. Understanding the specific design elements — especially the one-way conversion and the school loading zones — will help drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians plan ahead. Watch DOT’s official project page and local Queens news outlets for construction timelines as they’re announced.
