In a major re-imagining of the New York City waterfront, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is set to propose a streetcar line that would snake along the East River in Brooklyn and Queens, a 16-mile scenic ride that would be his administration’s most ambitious urban engineering project to date.
The plan, calls for a line that runs above ground on rails embedded in public roadways and flows alongside automobile traffic, a sleeker and nimbler version of San Francisco’s trolleys.
By winding along the East River, the streetcars would vastly expand transportation access to a bustling stretch of the city that has undergone rapid development, from the industrial centers of Sunset Park, Brooklyn, to the upper reaches of Astoria, Queens, but remains relatively isolated from the subway.
The streetcar system, which would realize a long-held fantasy of the city’s urban planners, is expected to cost about $2.5 billion, significantly less than a new underground subway line, city officials said.
Its operation, however, remains far-off. Under the plan, construction would start in 2019, after studies and community review; service would begin several years after that, perhaps not until 2024, officials said.
The de Blasio streetcars would travel about 12 miles per hour, with a trip between Greenpoint and Dumbo in Brooklyn lasting around 27 minutes, less than current routes on buses and subways. Barriers could physically separate the streetcars from automobiles along some portion of the route, although officials said those details would be determined later.
The cars would directly link Brooklyn and Queens, two boroughs that can be difficult to travel between without a detour into Manhattan. And though an exact route has not been made final, the system would most likely serve growing commercial centers like the Brooklyn Navy Yard and Long Island City, Queens. About 45,000 public-housing residents live a short walk from the route, the administration said, a priority for Mr. de Blasio, who has focused on combating inequities.
Administration officials believe the system’s cost can be offset by tax revenue siphoned from an expected rise in property values along the route.
Because the cars would operate on city streets, the project is not expected to be subject to state approval, meaning it would not require the blessing of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, who last year was quick to quash a major State of the City proposal by Mr. de Blasio to build lower-cost housing over train yards in Sunnyside, Queens.
Neighborhoods that the proposed streetcar line might serve include Astoria and Long Island City in Queens and Greenpoint, Dumbo, Red Hook and Sunset Park in Brooklyn.
Transit has never been a passion for Mr. de Blasio, and while the mayor earned praise from transportation advocates for his Vision Zero safety plan, he was criticized after casually suggesting that the city tear out the open-air pedestrian plazas in Times Square.
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker
No comments:
Post a Comment