Corona

The elderly pedestrian who was struck by a hit-and-run driver in Corona Sunday afternoon died from her injuries.

On a tour of her council district in East Elmhurst and Corona with Errol Louis of NY1 on Friday, Council Member Julissa Ferreras highlighted two livable streets projects: Corona Plaza, a popular gathering spot near the 7 train, and wider medians on Astoria Boulevard to help seniors cross the street.

Compared to the population at large, Latinas have high rates of diabetes and obesity, putting them at elevated risk of heart disease. At the same time, women are less likely than men to get around by bicycle. In an effort to integrate active transportation into the daily lives of Latina residents, community groups in Queens are organizing a new Spanish-language program to teach women bike repair and ride leadership skills. Corona Plaza and the Queens Museum will serve as focal points for the program, beginning in June.

A proposed Major League Soccer stadium in the middle of Queens’ largest park might have some cheerleaders in Albany, but lots of questions must be answered before the first game can be played. Perhaps the biggest issue is the stadium's transportation plan, the details of which -- those that have been made public, at least -- differ from what neighborhood advocates say MLS is telling them.

In existence for just a few weeks now, the pedestrianized Corona Plaza has the makings of a livable streets success story. Check out this time-lapse video from DOT depicting the evolution of a new community space.

Something special is happening in Corona, Queens. Last week, Streetfilms visited Corona Plaza -- the city's newest car-free space, next to the 103rd Street stop on the 7 train -- and found it already packed with families, children, and shoppers.

It hasn't been open a week yet, and Corona Plaza is already a popular gathering spot. In the next few days, Streetfilms will be posting a video about the new plaza featuring Council Member Julissa Ferreras. In the meantime, enjoy some more photos of the plaza getting lots of use over the weekend courtesy of Clarence. "It was almost like a mini Summer Streets," he said.

A pedestrian plaza that garnered support from local business, a unanimous vote at Queens Community Board 4 in June, and the backing of City Council Member Julissa Ferreras is being installed in Corona. The project is on the site of a service road that functioned as a parking lot for moving trucks. Now the space is host to planters and movable chairs, where people are already relaxing. Installation should be complete in the next few days. Later this year, DOT will meet with community members to evaluate the plaza. If the project gets a thumbs-up, DOT will begin working on a long-term redesign.

The crowded streets of Corona, Queens will receive a welcome infusion of public space this July, thanks to the New York City Department of Transportation's plaza program. With wide-ranging community support, DOT will close a block of  service road between National Street and 104th Street to traffic and fill it with plants, tables, chairs and bike racks [PDF].