Plans are in the works for an elevated parkland project in New York City's Queens borough that would involve converting 3.5 miles of abandoned railroad track.
The Long Island Rail Road abandoned its Rockaway Beach branch in the 1950s.
A study released Oct. 14 pegged the cost at $120 million. The Governor's Regional Economic Development Council and the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation funded the study.
The 47-acre park would run through the Rego Park, Forest Hills, Glendale, Richmond Hill, Woodhaven and Ozone Park neighborhoods.
Elected officials and community leaders at various levels endorsed the proposal. Funding sources are up in the air, though QueensWay could receive federal transportation funding, given the emphasis on pedestrian and bicycle paths.
The plan proposes playgrounds, exercise areas, a multi-use sports pavilion and local food concessions by key entry points for walkers and bicyclists, notably where the QueensWay meets Forest Park and where it is elevated on a viaduct at the park's southern end.
Advocates tout economic development benefits, pointing out that the High Line has provided roughly $2.2 billion in new economic activity to the Chelsea area. They estimate 1 million visitors per year to the QueensWay.
