Long Island City’s Jackson Ave gets enhanced, beautified, and improved

Pulaski Bridge improvement project almost complete, LIC

It’s not botox or a little nip-n-tuck. Jackson Ave in Long Island City is getting a full-fledged makeover. Let’s start at our personal favorite LIC deathtrap, aka the intersection of Jackson & 11th St/Pulaski Bridge. Thanks to the DOT, it’s not as much of life-threatening experience to cross the south side of Jackson Ave since the installation of a much needed crosswalk, which seems to be timed long enough to actually traverse the crossing.

On top of that, they isolated the right turning traffic from the bridge onto Jackson, and made the intersecting 49th Ave one way OFF the bridge only, which is fantastic since before you had to literally mimic the hypothesized zig-zag pathway of JFK’s bullet to somewhat illegally and awkwardly join bridge traffic dumping onto Jackson. It was extra special fun when those bullet turners then decided they really need to take a left onto Jackson, hurling themselves horizontally against 3 lanes of traffic. Going downhill. Fun times indeed. We’ll miss them, but you won’t really miss many of the parking spots lost in the Pulaski’s Improvement Project, since the DOT is in the process of turning 1/2 of 49th Ave into diagonal metered parking spots. Win and win.

Renovations at the Court Square/23rd St subway station, Jackson Ave, LIC

Moving northeasterly on Jackson, a major renovation of the Court Square/23rd Ely subway station is currently underway, which will connect the 7-train with the E,V,G without having to do the outside subway station transfer shuffle. Financed jointly by Citigroup and The City, there will be street level elevator access to the 7-train, and an overhead canopy right at the transition off the 7-train. Maybe some new escalators too. (Fuzzy about that, but definitely the elevator.)

Jackson Ave Beautification Project, Long Island City

And last but not least, the promise of the Jackson Ave beautification promise seems to be delivering. The center of the avenue has been ripped out, and the median is taking shape. Right now it just makes Jackson a nightmare to navigate between Court Square and Queens Plaza, but soon folks, soon it will be beautified with foliage and sculpture. In the meantime, just squint your eyes and try to imagine the future.

• Jackson Ave might actually become safe to cross [liQcity]

• Jackson Ave Beautification Project [liQcity]