Be the squeaky wheel who gets the grease!
Downtown-area residents can weigh in on the planned routes for Mayor DeBlasio’s $2.5-billion streetcar when city officials visit Community Board 2’s Transportation Committee meeting at Long Island University on Tuesday night, and Community Board 6’s committee at the Miccio Center in Red Hook on Thursday.
The city recently released maps of potential routes, including Community Board 2 streets in Fort Greene, Dumbo, Downtown, Brooklyn Heights, and Boerum Hill, and Community Board 6 thoroughfares in Red Hook, Cobble Hill, and the Columbia Street Waterfront District.
Officials say they want to give the trolley right-of-way on as much of the system as possible, so some of the marked streets may end up being closed to vehicle traffic and losing parking spaces to accommodate the tram.
The city says the so-called Brooklyn-Queens Connector will connect transit deserts like Red Hook with job hubs such as the Navy Yard and Industry City, but critics at previous community forums have vented concerns that the pricey Sunset Park-to-Queens system will clog up traffic, replace parking spaces, gentrify the area, and be designed to benefit the wealthy living along the waterfront and the developers who are trying to sell them condominiums.
Community Board 2’s transportation committee will take comments and questions from committee members first and then open up the floor for public comment on the issue.
Community Board 2 Transportation Committee Meeting at Long Island University’s Metcalfe Hall, Jonas Board Room (1 University Plaza at Flatbush and DeKalb avenues Downtown). Nov. 15 at 6 pm.
Community Board 2 Transportation Committee Meeting at the Miccio Center (110 W. Ninth St. between Henry and Clinton streets in Red Hook). Nov. 17 at 6:30 pm.
