NYC Comptroller: Remove Cars from BQE
Left: DLANDstudio
NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer has proposed a radical solution to the crumbling Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. The plan calls for removing all cars between the Battery Tunnel and Navy Yard, which make up the large majority of the traffic on the roadway. With the cars removed, the roadway would not need to be completely rebuilt, saving money and time.
Details of the plan:
-Deck over the entrenched BQE along Hicks Street in #CobbleHill and Carroll Gardens and construct a linear park on top.
-Below the deck, two lanes would be devoted to trucks (one in each direction) and select bus service. The truck lanes would merge into the lowest level of the 3-tired section north of Atlantic Ave and would require decking over Furman Street.
-The park above would continue onto the middle level of the three-tiered section, below the promenade and above the new truck route.
-This would mean only one level has to be rebuilt, saving time and money and reconnecting the neighborhoods with the waterfront.
-Cars will be forced to take the Battery Tunnel, Queens-Midtown Tunnel, or Belt Parkway.
Comptrollers Office
Comptroller Stringer outlined his plan in a letter to the Department of Transportation:
“Repairing the BQE is an opportunity to reimagine a vital section of our city… But to really do that, we need to broaden our vision and consider all the options. We cannot simply preserve the Robert Moses status-quo that nearly destroyed our communities and bankrupted our city. That’s why my office is proposing a balanced way forward that will allow the City to fix the dilapidated highway, limit disruptions to the community, save valuable dollars, and start to build a better, greener, and more vibrant future for our city.”
“This is a chance to invest in more sustainable and healthier neighborhoods across the boroughs. The plan we’re putting forward has been made in consultation with elected officials and community stakeholders, and balances traffic, environmental, and residential considerations. It doesn’t just mitigate local traffic concerns in the near-term, but will incentivize more sustainable transit for decades to come. We need to engage in a transformative, community-focused process, and I hope the Department of Transportation will evaluate the merits of this plan.”