Updated Feb. 9, 2013: The panel to discuss the BK Gateway Transportation Vision scheduled for today has been postponed due to the weather. Get further details on the panel here.
The growth of population and transit ridership in and around our community has boomed over the last two decades, yet our local transportation infrastructure has not kept up with this ever-growing demand, especially in light of the addition of the new Barclays Center. A group of elected officials, civic groups, and advocates are bringing attention to the matter with the release of BK Gateway Transportation Vision, a report that highlights those challenges and the need for a comprehensive transportation/land use plan for the area.
The Park Slope Civic Council was one of the participants in the study that led to the report, along with the Tri-State Transportation Campaign, the Prospect Heights Neighborhood Development Council, Boerum Hill Association, and City Councilmember Letitia James.
The report recommends a variety of means to help accommodate growth, ease congestion, and improve safety, including
- implementation of residential parking permits;
- targeted subway service improvements on the R, N and D lines;
- creation of a “Pedestrian Safety Rapid Response Team” to address safety concerns around the Barclays Center; and
- an expanded protected cycling network, particularly along Flatbush and Atlantic Avenues.
“The tools to address these challenges already exist and have been successfully implemented elsewhere in New York City, throughout the country and world,” the report states. “Through successful collaboration, central Brooklyn will be able to welcome, and better accommodate, industrial, business and population growth.”
The report is available for download at the Tri-State Transportation Campaign’s website here.