History and Campaigns

  • 2022
    • A handwritten and an online petition have been started.
    • Neighbors for A Safer Austin Street (NASAS) starts doing street canvassing and collects over 1000 signatures.
    • A business petition is also started, gathering over 20 signatures.
  • 2023
    • NASAS presents to the Queens Community Board 6 Transportation Committee, and they request that DOT look into it.
    • Councilmember Lynn Schulman sends a letter to the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) requesting a “pedestrian safety study” of Austin Street.
    • The city, via DOT, starts street canvassing. They conducted an Austin Street survey among the community. They promise to do business outreach next.
  • 2024
    • A year goes by, and DOT does nothing.
  • 2025
    • Tired of waiting, NASAS starts an application for an Open Street on Austin Street.
    • The application is denied, with vague reasoning. But the city grants us a one-day permit for the Austin Day Open Street trial
    • In the summer, the MTA removes the Q23 from Austin Street.

A Safer Austin Street

The original campaign! For decades, Austin Street has been congested, with narrow sidewalks and dangerous conditions. Neighbors for A Safer Street (NASAS) was formed in 2022 to finally fix Austin Street.

Read more on the Austin Street issues and what we can do to fix them here: A Safer, Better Austin Street.

You can sign our petition for a better, safer Austin Street here: https://www.change.org/ASaferAustinStreet

Austin Day Open Street trial

After years of inaction from the city, NASAS applied for an Open Street permit; DOT denied it without a clear reason. But we managed to obtain a one-time permit! This trial will allow us to test the idea.

ASOS

Q23 Bus Changes

In the summer of 2025, the MTA decided to move the Q23 from Austin Street. The community brought up several issues with this move, many related to needing to cross Queens Blvd to access:

  1. The LIRR
  2. The 71st Ave elevator
  3. The shops on Austin Street

To better understand the effects of this change, NASAS started a survey to collect feedback from the community.