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IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 10, 2024
Contact: (212) 839-4850, press@dot.nyc.gov

Safe, Sustainable, Connected: NYC DOT Details Concepts to Enhance Safety, Resiliency, and Public Spaces Along The BQE in Brooklyn

New Report Centers Equity in Vision for BQE North and South Corridors in Brooklyn Based on Community Input

Concepts Include Near-, Medium-, and Long-Term Projects, Such As Highway Capping, Protected Bike Infrastructure, and New Plazas

NEW YORK – New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez today detailed concepts to enhance safety, connectivity, and public spaces along the Brooklyn Queens-Expressway (BQE) in Brooklyn. The concepts were presented in a new report BQE North and South: Safe, Sustainable, Connected that details the city’s vision to equitably reimagine the BQE North and South Corridors in Brooklyn. The report includes dozens of near-, medium-, and long-term proposals—including streetscape and intersection redesigns, dedicated bike and bus infrastructure, highway capping, and new plazas, to improve safety, resiliency, and public space—and reconnect communities divided by the highway.

“Today we are further than ever before, with big ideas in hand to reconnect communities along the north and south corridors of the BQE – directly from impacted communities. We extend our deep thanks to local residents for their candor, and to the Federal government for a $5.6 million grant to study feasibility,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. “We can now build to strengthen community bonds not break them as Moses did decades ago.”

“The bold concepts outlined in this report would invest in working-class neighborhoods and reconnect communities long-divided by the Brooklyn Queens Expressway,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. “Through a corridor-wide approach, we can equitably address safety, public space, and connectivity needs for neighborhoods that have often been left out of conversations around the BQE. We are immensely grateful for the work of our community partners and look forward to continuing to bring these concepts to New Yorkers for further development. We also thank our sister agencies at the city, state, and federal levels, as well as our community partners, for their ongoing support.”

“Working with all levels of government, including our federal and city partners and surrounding communities, we are examining innovative ways to enhance the quality of life for residents along the corridor and look forward to our continued work with all partners and stakeholders to lay out the future of the BQE,” said New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez.

The agency will use these concepts to gather additional public feedback and all concepts will be subject to further analysis and feasibility studies. Several of the proposals are already slated to be implemented this and next year. The city will also work closely with the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) to advance future projects along the state-owned sections of the corridor, as necessary. NYC DOT and NYSDOT will further develop at least one complex capital project in both BQE North and South, funded by a $5.6 million federal Reconnecting Communities planning grant to improve the quality of life for residents living near the BQE.

BQE North and South Concept Types

• Streetscape and Safety Enhancements: These concepts identify in-house redesigns of streets along and across the BQE corridor, centering safety for all road users. New pedestrian plazas and public spaces can also be created around the BQE through the closure of slip lanes or short street sections often near triangle parks. NYC DOT can undertake these projects using in-house resources in the near-term and also further develop them into capital projects built with more permanent materials.
• Intersection Redesigns Near BQE Ramps: NYC DOT will explore safety enhancements and improved traffic flow at certain ramps along the corridor where vehicles transition on or off the highway. These locations tend to have unique intersection geometries and will need continued data collection, community input, and close coordination with NYSDOT.
• New Uses for Spaces Under the BQE: Spaces under the elevated BQE structure can be activated to create expansive new uses such as markets, community hubs, microhubs, bike parking, electric vehicle charging, and metered parking.
• Capping of the BQE Trench: Public space can also be achieved through various capping concepts where the highway is in a trench, which would be long-term projects that require close collaboration with NYSDOT.
• Maintenance: Throughout BQE North and South engagement, participants raised the need for enhanced cleaning under and along the BQE. To build on NYC DOT's existing capacity and cleaning already undertaken by DSNY and NYSDOT, the agency recently acquired new capacity through a contract transfer and will be scheduling additional regular cleanings in key areas. NYC DOT and NYSDOT are also holding regular meetings to coordinate local maintenance and construction management.

With the BQE North and South Report, NYC DOT aims to center equity by prioritizing needed safety and public space improvements in communities long-divided by the highway. The report’s concepts reflect feedback collected from more than 2,600 respondents who participated in dozens of in-person and virtual workshops, as well as online surveys. For outreach, NYC DOT has undertaken a first-of-its-kind public engagement process involving community partners: 16 local organizations along the corridor that have partnered with the city to conduct over 400 grassroots engagement events or meetings in seven languages. Thanks to the strong neighborhood ties of the partner organizations, residents gained new access points to learn about the project and provide feedback.

The city is approaching the BQE corridor in Brooklyn in three sections: BQE North, from Kosciuszko Bridge to Sands Street; BQE Central, from Atlantic Avenue to Sands Street; and BQE South, from Atlantic Avenue to the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. The city owns the Central section, or about 12 percent of the highway in Brooklyn, while the state owns the North and South sections, or 88 percent of the Brooklyn highway. The city is also responsible for the streets and sidewalks under and around the entire highway. NYC DOT will advance concepts for the BQE North and South as New York City develops a long-term fix for BQE Central. This report only focuses on BQE North and South.

“I am pleased to see New York City continue community engagement on the future of the BQE, taking a corridor-wide approach that listens carefully to communities from Sunset Park to Williamsburg to examine positive changes for the blighted areas underneath and next to the roadway like bike lanes, better lighting and new park space,” said U.S. Senator Charles Schumer. “I was proud to deliver millions in federal funding from the Reconnecting Communities program to facilitate this community planning process and look forward to an ongoing effort that addresses the BQE’s role in dividing communities.”

“I was proud to advocate for the $5.6 million Reconnecting Communities grant secured from the Biden administration to help reimagine long stretches the BQE. This grant will help our city develop a plan to rectify environmental justice issues that plague the northern and southern portions of the expressway,” said Congressmember Nydia M. Velázquez. “NYC DOT's report is a good start in identifying significant BQE corridor projects to advance with further engineering study and design through the federal grant, as well as taking more immediate steps to improve the environment, safety and health around the highway. I look forward to continued public engagement in the coming months so we can advance measures that best serve the needs of communities along the corridor.”

“The Brooklyn Queens Expressway cuts through communities and it’s time to advance a new vision for the entire BQE corridor that truly transforms it,” said State Senator Andrew Gounardes. “I'm grateful to the NYC DOT for recognizing the need to envision a better future for all who live along the BQE by producing this report and for working alongside NYS DOT to apply for the Federal Reconnecting Communities Grant to continue this vital work.”

“The BQE is long overdue for a serious overhaul to reconnect our communities, and these projects have the potential to be such a significant benefit to our neighborhoods,” said Assemblymember Emily Gallagher. “I’m grateful for NYC DOT’s hard work in collecting community input and creating these proposals, and looking forward to the continuing community engagement.”

“I’m pleased that NYC DOT has plans to improve the BQE North and South corridors and to create a healthier, safer, and more beneficial space for the public. I’m also excited about the prospect of new transformative projects which will be possible through NYC DOT’s award of the federal Reconnecting Communities planning grant,” said Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon. “I'm looking forward to robust community engagement which centers the voices of those most impacted by the BQE, so we can plan together to ensure that these projects meet the needs of our communities.”

“Community access to areas around the BQE have always been challenging. I am happy to see that DOT is taking steps to enhance streets under and around BQE by making them more pedestrian friendly and safer for everybody,” said Councilmember Justin Brannan. “There are so many opportunities to make real improvements to the lives of countless Brooklyn residents by simply making it easier for them to cross the street to visit friends, shop and access the waterfront.”

“I appreciate DOT exploring further study of the BQGreen project in the Southside of Williamsburg, which has been a long-standing priority for North Brooklyn and would deliver innovative new green space,” said Councilmember Lincoln Restler. “I hope the Reconnecting Communities grant will inspire DOT to maximize changes in their control to implement creative activations and mitigate the worst street level impacts of this highway across Brooklyn.”

“The Brooklyn Queens Expressway has long been a symbol of environmental injustice and systemic racism, cutting through and harming our communities for decades. Work to undo this painful legacy is critical, especially for communities in South Brooklyn where options for improving the elevated portion of the expressway are constrained,” said Michelle de la Uz, executive director, Fifth Avenue Committee. “This report captures important recommendations from the community to improve the lives of New Yorkers who live along the BQE in South Brooklyn. FAC thanks the NYC Department of Transportation for engaging communities along the BQE corridor in this effort and looks forward to further refining and advancing recommendations to transform the BQE corridor while uplifting neighborhoods equitably.”

“We are grateful to the Adams administration for their extensive outreach to communities in creating the “BQE North and South: Safe, Sustainable, Connected” report, and we were excited and proud to be part of the group to collect and provide input as a community partner and community visioning council member,” said Rabbi David Niederman, president of the United Jewish Organizations of Williamsburg and North Brooklyn (UJO). “This is a collection of concepts that was shared by various groups and participants, and we’re confident that is the start of extensive engagement of the community boards and local communities to be vetted before moving ahead with studying a specific proposal. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bring extensive improvements to the streets around the BQE, and it shall be deliberate and inclusive of all.”

“The BQE is an essential freight corridor for the region, and we appreciate DOT recognizing the need to balance the goals of reconnecting communities while maintaining the safe and efficient movement of goods and services along this vital artery,” said Zach Miller, Director of Metro Region Operations, Trucking Association of New York. “Not only does this roadmap ensure that truck access remains a key component of the next iteration of the expressway, but DOT is using this as an opportunity to install microhubs throughout the project which will add greater efficiency to the network.”

"The YAMA TEAM's vision efforts worked to transform the narrative around the BQE Corridor by focusing on community-driven feedback that prioritized underrepresented voices, enhancing walkability, and fostering environmental justice,” said Gabriel Hernandez, Community & Partnerships Manager, Yemeni American Merchants Association. “This initiative is not only about reimagining infrastructure but also about building a more inclusive and sustainable future for all.”