Brooklyn

Queens

Manhattan

BrooklynBrooklynBrooklynBrooklyn

Queens

Manhattan

Greenway Master Plan

Conduit ♦ Southern Queens ♦ Laurelton ♦ Cross Island

City of New YorkDepartment of City Planning

City of New YorkParks & Recreation

July 2000

GREENWAY MASTER PLANCONDUIT - SOUTHERN QUEENS - LAURELTON - CROSS ISLAND

Rudolph W. Giuliani, Mayor

Joseph B. Rose, DirectorCity of New York, Department of City Planning

Henry J. Stern, CommissionerCity of New York, Parks & Recreation

July 2000

Table of Contents

Greenway Master Plan: Conduit . Southern Queens . Laurelton . Cross Island City of New York/Department of City Planning . City of New York/Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents

Introduction INew York City Greenway System IIBelt Parkway IIIMaster Plan Organization IVSchematic DesignConduit Greenway 1 Segment One (Vermont Place to Liberty Avenue) 2 Segment Two (Conduit Boulevard) 6 Southern Queens Greenway - Route Description 9 Segment Three (Cross Bay Boulevard to 114th Street) 10 Segment Four (114th Street to Van Wyck Expressway, on-street) 13 Segment Four (114th Street to Van Wyck Expressway, off-street) 15 Segment Five (Van Wyck Expressway to Farmers Boulevard) 17 Segment Six (Farmers Boulevard to Brookville Boulevard, on-street) 19 Segment Six (Farmers Boulevard to Brookville Boulevard, off-street) 21 Segment Seven (Springfield - Idlewild - Brookville Park Loop) 23Laurelton Greenway 25 Segment Eight (Laurelton Parkway) 26Cross Island Greenway 28 Segment Nine (118th Avenue to 104th Avenue) 29 Segment Ten (222nd Street to Hillside Avenue) 31 Segment Eleven (Creedmoor to Alley Pond Park) 33 Segment Twelve (Alley Pond Park - Marina) 36 Segment Thirteen (Joe Michael’s Mile/Marina - Utopia Parkway) 28Design Guidelines On-Street Bicycle Route 40 Off-Street Multi-Use Path 41 Construction Phasing Plan 44Credits 46

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The Conduit, Southern Queens, Laurelton and Cross Island Greenways will provide a continuous, 32 mile route for cyclists, walkers, in-line skaters and joggers, following portions of the Belt Parkway and connecting some of the most scenic and significant destinations in eastern Brooklyn and southern and eastern Queens. R e c r e a t i o n a n d n o n - m o t o r i z e d t r a n s p o r t a t i o n opportunities will increase substantially with a safe and scenic route, connect ing such beaut i ful parks as Highland, Brookvi l le and Al ley Pond Parks , and providing improved access to spectacular waterfront vistas and major employment destinations, such as John F . K e n n e d y I n t e r n a t i o n a l A i r p o r t , C r e e d m o o r Psychiatric Center and Queensboro Community College. The Greenways in this Plan represent a major portion of the city's Greenway system (see page 2), and connect with some of the city's most popular, existing multi-use paths, including Joe Michael's Mile along Little Neck Bay, the Vanderbilt Motor Parkway in eastern Queens, and the Shore Parkway bicycle path in Queens and Brooklyn. Portions of the original pedestrian paths, built in 1940 in conjunction with the construction of the Belt Parkway, still exist in various states of repair. Where appropriate, this Plan proposes the revitalization of these paths to reclaim the original vision of the Belt Parkway as a scenic, landscaped corridor to be used and e n j o y e d b y b o t h m o t o r i z e d a n d n o n - m o t o r i z e d transportation.

The New York City Departments of City Planning (DCP) and Parks & Recreation (DPR) began this planning and schematic design study in the summer of 1996 with funding provided by the federal 1991 Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act's Enhancement Program. In consultation with an advisory committee composed of the local community boards, council members, Queens and Brooklyn Borough Presidents and representatives f rom Ci ty and State agencies , the Project Team completed the following: an Existing Conditions Report; a Conceptual Plan, which identified route destinations and route alignments; and a Schematic Design, which proposed design types for the identified route. Three advisory committee meetings were held to

Introduction

review these documents. The Conduit, Southern Queens Laurelton and Cross Island Greenway Master Plan (Plan) will serve as the guide for the implementation of the Greenways. The Plan presents the schematic design for the route, proposes Greenway design guidelines, and identifies an overall construction cost estimate and phasing plan.

The complete construction of the four Greenways will cost approximately $25 million. However, it is expected that the Greenway construction will be phased in over a number of years and, given the proposed route's alignment along existing streets, and adjacent to major p a r k w a y s , s h o u l d b e i n c l u d e d i n f u t u r e c a p i t a l construction, thereby minimizing the need to seek separate funding. With the implementation of these four safe and scenic Greenways, the residents of Brooklyn a n d Q u e e n s w i l l b e p r o v i d e d w i t h i n c r e a s e d o p p o r t u n i t i e s f o r r e c r e a t i o n , t h e r e s t o r a t i o n o f u n d e r u t i l i z e d p a r k l a n d , a n d m o r e f l e x i b l e a n d environmentally sound means of travel to work or for running errands.

Greenway Master Plan: Conduit . Southern Queens . Laurelton . Cross Island City of New York/Department of City Planning . City of New York/Parks & Recreation

Introduction Page I