A Few New Slow Zones for Queens

Yesterday the Department of Transportation announced nine additional “Slow Zones” to be implemented in the coming months throughout New York — four of which will be in Queens. In all of the areas, the city will limit the speed limit from 30 to 25 miles per hour. The first Slow Zone will be implemented on Northern Boulevard. From the DOT:

Beginning later in May, the speed limit will be lowered to 25 m.p.h. and traffic signals will be retimed to reduce opportunities for dangerous speeding along the first phase of Northern Boulevard in Queens, 4.2 miles from 40th Road to 114th Street near the Grand Central Parkway that have seen five fatalities, all pedestrians, since 2008.

This is only the first phase of the Northern Boulevard slow zone; the DOT hopes to expand it next year. Three other slow zones will go on Jamaica Avenue, Queens Boulevard and Rockaway Boulevard. The Jamaica Avenue zone will span from the Van Wyck Expressway to 224th Street, a 4.8 mile stretch that’s seen eight fatalities since 2008. The DOT plans to install it in May. The slow zone on Queens Boulevard begins at Jackson Avenue and ends at Hillside Avenue, a 7.4 mile stretch with 23 fatalities. Installation is aimed for July. Finally, the Rockaway Boulevard zone will go from 75th Street to Farmers Boulevard; that’s 5.4 miles long with 9 fatalities. That one should go in this August.