Construction is nearing completion on the first of three green infrastructure projects in an $8.4 million program converting concrete roadway medians into stormwater-absorbing landscapes in Whitestone, Forest Hills, and Queens Village, Queens. Announced Thursday by Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani, Governor Kathy Hochul, and Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Lisa F. Garcia, the newly-engineered medians are expected to capture a combined five million gallons of stormwater each year, easing strain on the sewer system and reducing combined sewer overflows into the East River, Flushing Bay, and Jamaica Bay.
Construction efforts removed the old concrete medians and curbs and clears overgrown or dead trees, weeds, and accumulated debris. New inlet openings divert water off the streets and directly into the planted areas, where crews install specially engineered soils and underground storage systems designed to absorb stormwater. All work has been coordinated with the Department of Transportation and NYC Parks. Work was funded in part by $5 million in New York State grants.
In Whitestone, the medians along Francis Lewis Boulevard between 20th Avenue and 21st Road stretch 1,105 feet and capture runoff from a 1.17-acre drainage area. They will manage 1.11 million gallons of stormwater annually, reducing combined sewer overflows into the East River.
In Forest Hills, the Union Turnpike medians between Metropolitan Avenue and 71st Road, the largest of the three, extend 3,245 feet across a 2.56-acre drainage area and are designed to handle 2.43 million gallons of stormwater each year, preventing overflows into Flushing Bay. Planting is set for this fall.
In Queens Village, construction on Springfield Boulevard’s medians between Lucas Street and Merrick Boulevard is expected to begin later this year. The 1,182-foot installation ties into a 1.51-acre drainage area and will manage 1.44 million gallons of stormwater annually, limiting overflows into Jamaica Bay.
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This is a really great idea. Need more of this! Thank you, Mayor Mamdani!
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This is excellent. Every time we get substantial rainstorms, millions of gallons of untreated sewage is dumped into waterways. This is a terrible problem we’ve ignored for far too long.