Car-Free Pilot Project for 78th Street Jackson Heights

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Overview of the 78th Street Play Street Pilot Project

The Problem: A Lack of Public Space

Children, especially from low-

income and immigrant families, are

being denied the right to playbecause of a severe shortage of

accessible public space in Jackson

Heights. Travers Park is neither

sufficient in size or layout to handle

t he g row ing needs o f ou r

community.

The areaʼs limited recreation space

has t roubl ing publ ic heal th

consequences given the growth of

childhood obesity. Locally availablepublic space provides our richly

diverse neighborhood with access

to no-cost recreation exercise and



The Solution: A Pilot Project for a Car-Free Street

What: As part of the Department of Transportationʼs city-wide initiative to expandopen space, local community groups are requesting a car-free street inJackson Heights. This car-free street will act as an expansion of TraversParks, alleviating its severe overcrowding by providing more space forchildren to play and adults to exercise and relax. It will also serve as agathering space for neighborhood events, informal socializing, and betteraccess to and more space for the local Greenmarket. In a City Council

district that ranks last in access to park space, a car-free street is aninnovative solution to the most pressing challenge in our community.

For the past two years, the Jackson Heights Green Alliance, along with thesupport of other community groups and hundreds of volunteers, hassuccessfully managed a Play Street on 78th Street between 34th Avenueand Northern Boulevard on Sundays from June to November.

Where: 78th Street between Northern Blvd and 34th Avenue in Jackson Heights

When: Every day from July 1st to August 31st, 2010

Who: A partnership of the Jackson Heights Green Alliance, Jackson HeightsBeautification Group, Friends of Travers Park, and Queens CommunityHouse

How: The entrance to 78th Street from Northern Boulevard will be blocked withDepartment of Transportation-approved planters and/or barricades. Anaccess lane will be created for emergency and Garden School vehiclesonly Appropriate signage will be added to notify motorists of this change









May 10, 2010

Community Board 382-11 37th Avenue, Suite 606Jackson Heights, NY 11377

Dear Board Member:

I am writing to encourage you to vote in favor of the 78 th Street Play Street proposal beforethe Community Board. The Play Street enjoys widespread and diverse support in thecommunity.

Supporters of this exciting opportunity for Jackson Heights to expand our extremely limited public recreation space include: parents; children; senior citizens; neighbors on 78th Street;community groups such as the Jackson Heights Beautification Group, Friends of TraversPark, Jackson Heights Green Alliance, and Queens Community House; and elected officials

such as Congressman Joseph Crowley, State Senator Jose Peralta, Assemblymember MichaelDenDekker, Council Member Julissa Ferreras, and myself. The issue has received positivecoverage from the New York Times, the New York Daily News, the Queens Chronicle, and NY1. Notably, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene says that play streets are ani l f fi h i hildh d b i

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May 12, 2010

Community Board 3

82-11 37th Avenue, Suite 606

Jackson Heights, NY 11377

Dear Board Member,

As you know, the 78th Street Play Street has been a success in previous years. I am

writing now to ask you to adopt the current proposal before the Community Board to

extend the operation of the Play Street to every day for the months of July and August.

Making 78th Street between 34th Avenue and Northern Boulevard a car-free zone provides

a natural extension of Travers Park, and gives neighborhood children additional space torecreate. Creating a pedestrian alley will promote community interaction and enhance

the quality of life for district residents.

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Michael G. DenDekker Assemblyman 34th District

THE ASSEMBLYSTATE OF NEW YORK

ALBANYCOMMITTEES

AgingAlcoholism & Drug Abuse

Consumer Affairs and ProtectionGovernmental Employees

TransportationVeterans’ Affairs

May 11, 2010

Community Board #3

82-11 37 Avenue

Jackson Heights, NY 11372

Dear Members of Community Board #3:

I am writing in strong support of the proposed closure of 78 th Street to use as a Play Street

during the upcoming summer months. As a Representative and resident of the area, I know only

too well as to the lack of parks in the district. The ongoing reconstruction work at Travers Park

severely cuts into the space that children can use as it is.

For the past two years this street has been closed on Sundays and has efficiently and

effectively been used as a Play Street. The numerous community organizations involved have

come together to manage this endeavor and will continue to do so under this proposed plan.

City-wide the closing of streets to vehicular traffic has become more and more popular with

the residents and I know that the parents of the young children who utilize Travers Park will beon board with this proposal as well, as they will be afforded some peace of mind during the

children’s play time.



Play Street 2010 Pilot Project: Frequently Asked Questions

Why do we need a Play Street in Jackson Heights?

Jackson Heights is a dense residential neighborhood with a severe shortage of accessible open space. A

high percentage of large apartment buildings deprives most residents of even a backyard in which to

experience nature. Most neighborhood residents, particularly poorer and immigrant populations, have

virtually no access to green space.

This richly diverse neighborhood is home to a wide range of racial, ethnic, social and economic groups.

But large swaths of the population are vulnerable to social isolation from language barriers, culturaldifferences, lack of mobility, health problems, and other constraints. Even more than other groups, these

residents can benefit greatly from access to locally available open space, including no-cost recreation,

exercise, and the opportunity for interaction with their neighbors. The neighborhood’s limited recreation

space also has troubling public health consequences given the growth of childhood obesity in the city.

By making 78th Street a car-free Play Street, we can address these concerns by instantly expanding safe

and accessible open space in Jackson Heights.

What is the 78th Street Play Street?

The Play Street is a grassroots neighborhood initiative that started in 2008, making 78th Street between

Northern Boulevard and 34th Avenue car-free on Sundays from June to October, transforming it into a

community gathering place and extension of Travers Park. The Play Street is a safe place for children to

play and adults to relax, exercise and interact. The Play Street has been supported and staffed by several

neighborhood groups including The Jackson Heights Green Alliance, Jackson Heights Beautification

Group, Friends of Travers Park, Queens Community House and hundreds of neighborhood volunteers.

Local businesses have supported the Play Street with in-kind donations and many neighborhood

institutions have also sponsored community events on the Play Street (see www.jhgreen.org for full list).

http://www.jhgreen.org/



How is the Play Street utilized?

The past two years have provided a detailed assessment of how the public will utilize the Play Street,

which becomes a physical extension of the naturally-occurring activities in Travers Park such as bike

riding, roller skating, arts and crafts, ball-playing and social interaction. The Play Street has also benefited

from programming including concerts, workshops, book readings for children, and art showcases.

How will the Play Street affect the Greenmarket?

As in previous years, the Play Street will create synergy between recreational activities and Sunday

Greenmarket activities. The Play Street provides additional space for the Greenmarket to operate onSundays and creates space for Greenmarket shoppers to sit, rest and socialize, especially families and the

elderly.

As in past years, Greenmarket vehicles will have limited access to 78th Street to load and unload.

Volunteers will supervise vehicle access to ensure safety.

How will the two-month car-free pilot project work?

Access to 78th Street will be closed to vehicular traffic from Northern Blvd for the months of July and

August. Department of Transportation-provided signage and barricades will be used to safely create a car-

free zone. A ten-foot wide movable barricade at Northern Blvd will be easily movable to allow emergency

vehicle or Garden School access.

What about access to the Garden School?

Vehicle access to the Garden School will be carefully provided from Northern Blvd via a ten-foot lanethat will be kept clear of any equipment and amenities. During the day, when children are on the street,

supervising adults and youth employment program participants will make sure that children are kept safe

while vehicles are accessing the school at a low speed.



How will the Play Street affect parking?

There are approximately 47 parking spots on 78th Street between Northern Blvd and 34th Avenue. These

spots would not be accessible to vehicles during the duration of the pilot project. In anticipation to this

change, Council Member Dromm, working with the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) has

installed Muni-meters along 37th Avenue and side streets to increase neighborhood parking capacity.

DOT estimates that an additional 53 parking spots were created by this improvement in parking

management, a net gain even when the 47 spaces on 78th Street are temporarily suspended.

How can I get involved?

Play Street is an open project entirely created and operated by neighborhood volunteers. We encourage

participation and are always looking for other volunteers, programs and events. To find out about

upcoming events and programs and to volunteer, please visit our website www.jhgreen.org or email us at

[email protected]

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT. WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ON THE

STREET THIS SUMMER.

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]







AUGUST 4, 2008

JACKSON HEIGHTS JOURNAL

Neighbors Use City’s Street Closings as a Way toExpand Their Park By FERNANDA SANTOS Correction Appended While city officials have begun a program to turn streets into car-free zones as a way of increasing open space, a small band of residents in a dense and diverse corner of

western Queens have championed their own effort to use a roadway to make more roomfor their children to play. The residents wanted an inexpensive and simple way to somehow expand theirneighborhood’s only park, the 1.9-acre Travers Park in Jackson Heights, and an effort by the city to close off roadways for car-free use gave the plan some traction. Receiving a permit to temporarily close a blocklong section of 78th Street on Sundays isthe fruit of the group’s effort. Ron Hayduk, a political science professor at the Boroughof Manhattan Community College and a father of two, learned in January that a friend

was working for the city’s Transportation Department, identifying neighborhoods thatlacked public space. “And that’s what got things started ” Mr Hayduk said on Sunday



Park, in the borough’s northern edge, has 1,200 acres, and the Rockaway Peninsula hasseven miles of beachfront. But there is only one park in Jackson Heights. Travers Park is perhaps a bit longer than a football field and rarely empty during the warm months. It has handball and basketball courts that host cricket and softball gameson weekends and tai chi classes on weekdays. On Sunday, it had children playing tag while teenagers rode their scooters, not far from where a group of men played soccer. The park has some bushes, a few trees and hardly any grass. Some parents havenicknamed it “concrete jungle” because the ground is covered with cement. The grass-roots undertaking in Jackson Heights sprouted from discussions in cornermarkets, in coffee shops and at meetings of several civic groups. The many ideas toimprove Travers Park included buying the land now occupied by a car dealership to thenorth of the park. Mr. Hayduk, meanwhile, reached out to Andy Wiley-Schwartz, assistant commissionerof the Transportation Department’s Office of Planning and Sustainability, with aproposal: What if the city let the neighborhood’s residents close 78th Street from 34th Avenue to Northern Boulevard on Sundays? With Travers Park occupying the same block, between 77th and 78th Streets, he reasoned, the closing could help relieve theovercrowding in the recreational area. “It wasn’t an ideal solution,” said Dudley Stewart, a Web designer who lives near thepark with his wife, Laura, and their 3-year-old son, Spike. “But it was a solution.” The parents, including Mr. Stewart, presented their plan to the area’s community board,met with neighbors and local business owners to explain its details and gatheredhundreds of signatures for a petition



boys whom he had just met. In the meantime, Marita Herlihy, who is from Ireland,raced after her 5-year-old daughter, Aideen, who was learning to ride a bicycle. “You couldn’t do it if there were cars coming by,” Ms. Herlihy said. “But this is also great because it brings together all the different types of people who live in thisneighborhood.” This article has been revised to reflect the following correction: Correction: August 6, 2008

The Jackson Heights Journal article in some editions on Monday, about efforts by residents in the Queens neighborhood to expand Travers Park for their children by closing a street on Sundays, referred incorrectly to the location of a car dealership theresidents considered buying to add space. It is to the north of the park. It does not abutthe park to the south.



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Car-Free Pilot Project for 78th Street Jackson Heights