Red Hook Trolley May Actually Happen
After more than a decade of talking about it, the Department of Transportation is taking an important step towards the creation of a light-rail trolley line connecting Red Hook to the start of Brooklyn Bridge Park at Atlantic Avenue; the news would be particularly welcome in light of recent cuts to bus to and from…
After more than a decade of talking about it, the Department of Transportation is taking an important step towards the creation of a light-rail trolley line connecting Red Hook to the start of Brooklyn Bridge Park at Atlantic Avenue; the news would be particularly welcome in light of recent cuts to bus to and from the isolated former industrial neighborhood. Rep. Nydia Velazquez secured $300,000 in funding for a study of the project back in 2005, but the transportation department is only just now drawing down on the funds. Velazquez has a request pending for $10 million to build the project, a number that falls at the low end of estimates by Bob Diamond, who’s been lobbying for the project through his group Brooklyn Historic Railway Association since 1989. You can see a map of BHRA’s proposed route here.
Trolley Good News for Red Hook Rail Plan [NY Post]
Red Hook’s Streetcar Plan Garners Support [Brownstoner]
Resurrecting Red Hook’s Trolley Tracks [Brownstoner]
Could Streetcars Return to Brooklyn? [Brownstoner]
Photo by fldelundell
Yeah, and it looks like to get to “Borough Hall” they’re planning on using the Atlantic Avenue tunnel.
Seems like adding a bus route would be cheaper and infinitely quicker to implement. It would also have the benefit of being more flexible.
Red Hook may be underserved, but there would seem to be other options.
of course I’ve been to RedHook. Plenty of times. I can walk there. Just don’t see enough usage to justify major infrastructure costs.
congressional districts include about 600k people…so that would easily span LES and RedHood and lot of other ‘hoods. Especially if designed to include areas with larger hispanic populations.
Umm… Did any of your look at the route map?!
Jaysus. This looks like a LEGITIMATE and very much overdue trolley line connecting Red Hook to Borough Hall via Richards, Columbia and Atlantic.
How is this not appropriate? or Needed? Have any of you been to Red Hook?
wait, Nydia V. was my rep on the lower east side. Is she in Red Hook now?
Yeah, I’m uncomfortable with this given that MTA is cutting so many things. I would feel better about it if it seemed to serve some kind of legitimate daily transport needs, not just getting to the park.
Am I the only one cyncial enough to see this for what it is: another hack New York politician trying to get their name in the paper, thanks to another “earmark” appropriation courtesy of the US taxpayer? At a time when the MTA can’t afford to keep up its present level of service, Hack Velazquez pulls an old appropriation out of her a$$ to announce a “study”. Note that the MTA has nothing to do with this study, it would be conducted by the DOT.
Good grief.
“By Petebklyn on May 18, 2010 9:22 AM
on the surface of it, sounds like wishful thinking and nostalgia and not really economically feasible or reasonable. Sounds very expensive for little usage.”
I think you’re right. This is really a 1:1 scale model railroad for Bob Diamond to play with.
Bring it all the way downtown!