The city council voted on Wednesday to make the 26-block long and car-free street on 34th Ave in Queens an official city park, dubbing the strip, Paseo Park.
The name “Paseo”–which means stroll in Spanish- is a tribute to the diverse population in Jackson Heights and Queens.
The community of Jackson Heights was ranked last in the city for public green space, which inspired community members to begin creating the new public space in 2020 during the pandemic.
Council Parks Committee Chair, Shepard Krishan, reported that “Thirty-Fourth Avenue Paseo Park is the incredible story of a community coming together during a crisis to create new open space, filling it with families, music, and joy.”
The construction of the new open street has quadrupled the amount of open space in the neighborhood, attracting tourists, locals, and locally owned businesses/vendors. A co-opening ceremony for Paseo Park will occur next year.
Another upside is that crashes and injuries along 34th Ave have dropped 42% since the space was built.
Residents and locals of the area appear to be quite satisfied with the changes, as it spurs more community feeling and activity within Jackson Heights. Luz María Mercado, the Board Chair of Alliance for Paseo Park commented, “As a child of an immigrant, who grew up in Jackson Heights longing for park space, I am proud of how far we’ve come in organizing for Paseo Park.”
“I love that our Spanglish nickname for this vital community space caught on will soon be on maps,” Mercado reported to Streetsblog.
The 26 blocks contain 5 plaza blocks, anchored by public schools and Travers Park, where cars are not permitted to park except for emergency vehicles.
NYC Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez applauded the initiative, “34th Avenue showcases how we can re-envision our streets to better serve our community. Thanks to the vision and support of Jackson Heights residents, NYC DOT has turned this corridor into a community center, fostering play, cultural events, cycling, and social gatherings. Today’s co-naming celebrates this transformation, and I extend my gratitude to Councilmember Krishnan for his support.”
The co-opening ceremony is set to take place in 2024.
