Plans Outlined for Future Downtown Greenway

Last night was the third round of NYC DOT community workshops for the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway, and it focused on the Downtown Brooklyn segments of the 14-mile route. DOT presented eight projects (there are 24 projects, or geographic segments, in total) of the final route plan that spanned from Williamsburg Street West along Flushing, through Vinegar Hill, down into Dumbo and through Brooklyn Bridge Park. There aren’t specific time lines for the segments, as some will be done along with city sewer and water main repair work, and funding for all of them still has to be secured. A few interesting points: The addition of “smooth cobble” bike lanes throughout Vinegar Hill and Dumbo (the setup is pictured above), a revamp along Flushing Avenue and Williamsburg Street West, and a continued greenway on Kent Avenue South. Click through for the details on all eight projects…

Project #5: Kent Avenue South
-Continue greenway from on Kent Avenue to Williamsburg Street West
-This is a DOT in-house project so it may get done sooner than other projects listed

Project #6: Williamsburg Street West Greenway Upgrade, on Williamsburg Street West from Kent to Flushing
-There are currently jersey barriers with two bike lanes.
-Longterm plan: Permanent barrier with more landscaping and extend sidewalk to fully buildout exisiting interim improvements and create a two-way gravel separated path with a landscaped buffer

Project #7: The Navy Yard, on Flushing from Williamsburg Street West to Navy Street and on Navy Street from Flushing to York
-No specific design proposed, just schematics
-On the Navy Yard side of the block, there will be a shared-use, two-way bike lane.
-A parking lane will be taken away for “bump-outs” with street landscaping
-Two lanes of traffic either way, one parking lane on south side, and a nine foor turn bay/flush median/refuge island in middle of road.
-Two-way bike lane on Navy Street, as well as extended sidewalks on Flushing and Navy

Project #8: Vinegar Hill, on Hudson Avenue from York to Plymouth Street
-Limited two-way traffic
-One lane of smooth cobble bike paths and decorative sidewalk surfaces
-One lane of parking

Project #9: Dumbo, on Plymouth Street from Hudson to Main Street, Water from Hudson to Anchorage, and Anchorage from Water to John (goes around the Con Edison property)
-Smooth, one-way cobble bike lane, one lane of parking, one lane of traffic
-Decorative sidewalk surfaces

Project #10: Brooklyn Bridge Park
-Proposed path improvements
-Work with park on permanent path design