DOT Takes Over Brooklyn Greenway Plans

Sample of Greenway proposal map, courtesy Brooklyn Greenway Initiative. Full map here [PDF]

Twelve years ago, a few committed unpaid activists in Brooklyn banded together to push for the creation of a tree-lined cycling and pedestrian route along what was then 14 miles of inhospitable roads between Greenpoint and Sunset Park, along the waterfront. Called the Brooklyn Greenway Initiative, the grassroots effort has slowly blossomed, and with the proposed bike lane addition to a gnarly stretch of Flushing Avenue, there will be an almost uninterrupted stretch of dedicated bike lanes from Greenpoint to DUMBO. Now the DOT is officially making the entire Greenway dream a top priority.

"This is a major, major, major development," Brian McCormick at the Brooklyn Greenway Initiative tells the Daily News. "This is where it becomes real." Using $16 million in federal, state and city funds, the DOT hopes to have a bare-bones version of the route in place within three years or so. "Up until now, it's really a project that has been talked about by local groups. Now it's a city project," says DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan. "We're greening it up as quickly as we can. There's money in our pocket, and we're putting down a down payment on a greener waterfront."

But believe it or not, not everyone believes more trees and bike lanes are a wonderful thing! Sara Lee, a manager at a candy manufacturing company in Sunset Park, gripes, "It's a waste of money. Give us a bus stop instead."

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By John Del Signore in News on March 30, 2010 4:11 PM

Comments [rss]

Meg

Correction re headline:

NYC DOT has taken over the planning and implementation of the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway, which is great news for the project. However, the city has not taken over Brooklyn Greenway Initiative (BGI), which is an independent 501c3 nonprofit organization. BGI has been advocating and building consensus for the greenway for more than a decade, and we are currently co-sponsoring a series of greenway planning workshops that is being led by NYC DOT. We invite your participation at the upcoming workshops: April 8 (Sunset Park), April 13 (Red Hook), April 22 (Greenpoint/Williamsburg). BGI also hosts greenway cleanups, bike tours, and other public events along the waterfront, all with the goal of building a long-term stewardship base for the greenway. More information can be found at www.brooklyngreenway.org.

Thanks,

Meg Fellerath

Brooklyn Greenway Initiative

BDS=(Boycott.Divest.Sanction)

this is GREAT news.

Fellow People of Brooklyn we have been getting ripped off for generations. Look at how nice they have it Manhattan with Central Park and all the water front parks. We as the most populated boro deserve better.

Look at all that land by the waterfront. Despicable (pos) land developers want to make it into PRIVATE luxuary condos!!

the city needs to sweep in, use eminemt domain and make east river park from greenpoint down. then you can go ahead and build your towers of luxuary condos inside the boro, but dont give any more of OUR waterfront to those souless rich sons of b*tches.

longacre

Nice step but why does it start and end in the middle of nowhere? It should extend to Fort Tilden.

paulie

Good idea... but Tilden isn't even in mainland BK.

The Bay Ridge destination is a good idea. The park there already has a bike lane that is dozens of blocks long.

They can always extend it if this works.

BDS=(Boycott.Divest.Sanction)

IMO. the critical part to get a wide park in north brooklyn, as the land developers are already re-imagining the area and trying to squeeze out every dollar they can from it.

Sunset park can wait, all that below 3rd ave industry will stay the way it is for another 30 years. for some reason no one wants to live there, which is strange, cause it could be a fantastic area.

longacre

And north to the Queensborough Bridge.

Kevin Walsh

>>>The bike lane on the west side has turned into a bike peedway

I meant speedway, but it might occasionally BE a peedway.

www.forgotten-ny.com

Kevin Walsh

Bus lanes should be more of a priority. But if the MTA keeps cutting service, it might force everyone on bikes.

Hopefully there are pedestrian lanes. The bike lane on the west side has turned into a bike peedway --if you're not a racer and if you're a pedestrian or casual bike rider, you have no shot.

www.forgotten-ny

Gwinny

I never use the Hudson path anymore, for two big reasons:

1. Too many pedestrians walking in the bike path when they have their own dedicated path just 10 feet over (this is in the West Village/Tribeca area).

2. Too many spandex-clad speed demons on bikes, weaving in and out of the pedestrians in the areas where it's a shared route (i.e. the Upper West Side). It's not the Tour de France, people.

so you see, it's a problem for both bikers and pedestrians -- not just pedestrians.

Gwinny

... I mean not just pedestrians and slow bikers. pedestrians are part of the problem.

JacqueMehoff

I don't have a problem with the pedestrians or joggers.

it's those bikers that go fast and pass too close that pisses me off. it happened to me a couple of times and I do stay in line. it's a good thing I don't get startled when it gets shoulder to shoulder bumping and I keep my line and stay to the right. note I go under 10mph so even if I hit a guy either they'll see me beforehand or injury would be minimal.