BQE Rehab Comments Due Later This Month

Before a infrastructure project big enough to "significantly affect the quality of the human environment" can be undertaken, both Federal and State law require the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement. The rehabilitation of the 1.5 miles of the BQE that runs between Atlantic Avenue and Sands Street is one such project; this stretch alone contains 21 bridges as well as the triple-cantilever structure below the promenade. There was a Public Information Session and Scoping Meeting to launch the EIS process back on June 22, but public comment on the Draft Scoping Document prepared by New York State DOT and Federal Highway Administration is still being solicited up until July 22nd. You can leave your comments here.

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good luck with that. That stretch of the BQE is an environmental disaster. In san Francisco they have the assistance of earthquakes to help with the quick removal and redesign of antiquated, hideous, elevated highways. Here in Brooklyn we also will need some kind of disaster, like a truck collision or partial collapse, to move things along. We need an emergency. this will never be done in the normal course of business because there are too many contradictory regulations, laws, and mandates -not to mention too much politics and political grandstanding.

Posted by: sam at July 9, 2009 10:38 AM

I think a couple of trucks have already fallen off the terraced section in the last few years. Didn't change anything.

Posted by: dittoburg at July 9, 2009 10:44 AM

ditto: really? I have not heard that. A couple of trucks falling off the cantilever would be just the ticket.

Posted by: sam at July 9, 2009 10:51 AM

There was a garbage truck ( I think the driver died, poor soul) and about the same time another truck also went through the barrier and was left hanging.

Posted by: dittoburg at July 9, 2009 11:07 AM

That's amazing. I don't know what they are going to do with this. They can barely repair regular stretches of the highway. Maybe we should hire the Chinese to take over this phase of the project. They would probably build some kind of amazing underwater tunel that would connect not only wih the BQE north of DUMBO but also with Governor's Island and New Jersey.

Posted by: sam at July 9, 2009 11:16 AM

sam I think I saw that in some corcoran marketing for a governor's island 2BR.

Posted by: joe_the_bummer at July 9, 2009 1:49 PM

My friend rode his bike cross country from LA-NYC through the desert heat, thunderstorms and driving hail and made it all the way, only to break down on the BQE. This "expressway" is a joke--crumbling infrastructure, a complete blight.

Posted by: Squattersrights at July 9, 2009 2:42 PM

The key to coming up with a good rehab plan: anticipating the future.

It sounds stupid, since it's so obvious, but public projects (esp. those involving transportation) tend to get off on the wrong track when considerations of future growth (need for green space, changing mass-transit needs, changing neighborhood population trends, etc.) are discounted in favor of the lowest common denominator: wider and beefier roadways that may reduce congestion, but also act as tougher barriers to livable neighborhoods than they ever were before.

Posted by: StructureHub at July 9, 2009 3:48 PM

This stretch of the highway should be enclosed in a tunel structure and topped by green terraced parkland that would reconnect the neighborhood with the waterfront. The tunel would elimnate the noise of the highway and greatly imporve the aesthetic quality of the new Brooklyn Bridge Park. It is a shame that they did not originally opt to tunnel this section of the highway as it was built back in the day when ambitious public works were still the norm. My guess is that Robert Moses did not wish to hide his gorgeous expressway.

Posted by: Minard Lafever at July 9, 2009 4:26 PM

The BQE is a mess! The lines dont' make sense and are completely missing in parts. The city really needs to do something about this!

Leah

Posted by: lmk2101 at July 9, 2009 7:18 PM

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July 9, 2009

BQE Rehab Comments Due Later This Month

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