WILLIAMSBURG, Brooklyn (PIX11) — What would you like to see happen to the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway and the area around it?
On Monday night, the New York City Department of Transportation held a public meeting in Williamsburg to get community input and layout proposals for the section known as the BQE North. That’s the area in Williamsburg and near the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
Julie Bero, the DOT’s chief strategy officer, told the audience they have near-term, mid-term and long-term proposals for three sections of the BQE North, including under the BQE along Meeker Avenue and near the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The near-term plan under the BQE would include protected bike lanes, a fitness center, and a pop-up market.
Some residents and businesses in the area have expressed concerns about losing the existing parking. However, some Brooklyn residents like Chris Bastian favor capping the highway.
“If they’re going to do that for multiple blocks, that would present a good opportunity for improved bike connectivity as well,” Bastian said.
“We know there are centers of industry throughout the BQE that we need to respond to and make sure we’re accommodating the parking needs of those staff. What we’ve really heard from a lot of folks is the need to make sure people can safely cross the corridor, reconnect the communities that have long been divided by this highway,” Bero told PIX11 News.
The city DOT will be holding more public meetings. Bero says they hope to have a final proposal by next spring. Both the city and state must apply for grants to fund the projects.
