QueensWay park proposal revealed

New Yorkers have gotten a first glimpse of a 3.5-mile park, larger than Manhattan's High Line, that would transform Queens if its gets the go-ahead.

The QueensWay project would convert more than three miles of abandoned train tracks -- running from Forest Hills to Ozone Park -- into a multipurpose public space.

Friends of the QueensWay, the grassroots group spearheading the project, unveiled the results of a yearlong study that showed off some of the park's potential features and amenities, such as a bike path, viewing areas with benches and ecological learning centers.

Supporters say QueensWay -- which needs approval from the city and $120 million in funding -- would be a major benefit for the community, but some detractors have other ideas for the land, like a railway to the Rockaways.

"A positive use of the space will generate a lot of business and energy to the area, totally," said Geoffrey Croft, president of the nonprofit NYC park advocates. "It's a terrific idea."

The track hasn't been used in 52 years since the Long Island Rail Road shut down the Rockaway Beach Branch and its 47 acres were overrun with vegetation, trash and, at times, squatters.

Travis Terry, a Forest Hills resident who is on the Friends of the QueensWay's steering committee, said he and his community were inspired by the High Line and wanted to create a safe, open alternative that drew visitors from around the world.

"The greenway is a great plan to show the cultural diversity of the neighborhood," he said, adding that more than 322,000 people live within a mile of the proposed green space.

Among the proposals in the feasibility study are a multipurpose space and outdoor nature classrooms for nearby schools.

"We can tell you with the plan, and the partnership with the Friends of the QueensWay, that this will be a world class piece of work," said Will Rogers, president of the The Trust for Public Land, the national parks group that worked with the Friends of the QueensWay on the study.

Croft said the emphasis on traffic safety and increased park land for New Yorkers are key in getting the approval from Mayor Bill de Blasio, who has been pushing his Vision Zero and park expansion agendas, and the City Council. The administration would most likely fund most of the project's costs, the advocate said.

"Remember, none of the mayors supported the High Line initially. What got it rolling was tying it the economic development of the West Side."