Increased foot traffic and rapid development in LIC have prompted renewed focus on street design and safety. Via Google Maps
May 9, 2025 By Shane O’Brien
The Long Island City Partnership (LICP) has released a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a traffic and pedestrian safety study along the Queens Plaza and Jackson Avenue corridors.
The Queens Plaza and Jackson Avenue area, which LICP describes as a “gateway” to Long Island City, is one of the neighborhood’s busiest intersections, creating safety issues for the motorists and pedestrians who use it.
LICP said the area is “plagued” by long-standing infrastructure issues such as unsafe crossings, confusing bike and pedestrian interfaces, inadequate lighting and “poorly designed” medians.
The infrastructure study, funded by a $100,000 grant from the New York State Regional Economic Development Council (REDC), will assess existing conditions in the area, including pedestrian circulation, lighting, crosswalks, bike lanes, and safety hazards.
Consultants are expected to propose actionable, design-driven interventions that improve safety and connectivity, ultimately supporting a more walkable and economically inclusive LIC.
LICP’s RFP outlines a 10-month project timeline and is open to qualified consultants with expertise in pedestrian safety, mobility studies and urban design in the New York City context. Submissions are due by May 31, 2025, and can be submitted here.
The RFP calls for robust community engagement, drawing on input from residents, business owners, cultural organizations and other local stakeholders.
LICP’s study will explore how to better connect pedestrian, bike, and transit infrastructure in this key LIC gateway. Via Google Maps
LICP noted that there is an increased need to address those issues due to the continued addition of high-rise residential towers, hotels, schools and small businesses to the area.
The partnership further noted that Queens Plaza was once used as a pass-through route to and from the Queensboro Bridge but stated that the area has changed drastically in recent years.
“What was once considered a vehicular corridor is now surrounded by residential density, cultural institutions, commercial activity, and public space—all demanding a safer, more connected streetscape,” LICP said.
LICP President Laura Rothrock said the partnership’s office is located right off Queens Plaza, and she personally witnesses the area’s “disjointed design” on a daily basis. She added that the current design creates safety issues for thousands of pedestrians, straphangers, cyclists, and drivers who use the area every day.
“This area has changed tremendously since Queens Plaza was last redesigned in 2009. Long Island City is a different place now—denser, more dynamic, and more diverse—and our streets need to reflect that. This study is about helping the built environment catch up with the reality on the ground,” Rothrock said in a statement.
LICP said the study is part of its efforts to ensure that Long Island City keeps pace with the neighborhood’s rapid growth in recent years.
Meanwhile, Council Member Julie Won noted that the neighborhood’s population has grown by 78% over the past decade, adding that the study is necessary to improve street safety in the area.
“Long Island City Partnership’s new traffic and pedestrian study is necessary to ensure that Queens Plaza and Jackson Avenue have adequate street safety measures to accommodate our evolving neighborhood,” Won said in a statement. “As people continue to live, work, and play in Long Island City, we remain committed to advocating for the City to create safer streets for our neighbors.”
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