Queens Boulevard an Award Winner—No Longer the 'Boulevard of Death'

Streetsblog has announced the winners (and/or losers) of the 2015 Streetsie Awards. After opening the awards to a public vote, the final tally is in, providing a country-spanning look at the year in transportation.

Perhaps the biggest Streetsie (it got its own preview post by Angie Schmitt) goes to the "Best Urban Street Transformation"—this year awarded to the New York City Department of Transportation's redesign of 1.3 miles of Queens Boulevard. Schmitt describe the changes on the street, which took place after years of lobbying: "This was the year NYC DOT responded, carving out space for walking and biking on the corridor’s service roads using paint and plastic bollards, while eliminating or calming dangerous slip lanes. Much more of Queens Boulevard needs to be overhauled for safety, but this project proved that the most dangerous street in the city can change."

Additional Streetsie Awards went to the following catagories:

• Worst livable streets villain
• Best tactical urbanism win
• Worst boondoggle
• Best sign of progress
• Biggest let down

Queens Boulevard has done well in collecting accolades as publications and advocacy groups reviewed the year, including a third place finish on the list of best new bike lanes in the country produced annually by People for Bikes.