Located on the site of a major rail transit hub in Brooklyn, the Atlantic Yards project has the opportunity to be one of the highest profile transit-oriented developments in the world. But will it really promote transit use and reduce congestion?
"The Atlantic Yards project in Brooklyn claims to achieve the goals set forth in New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's long-term sustainability plan – along with providing thousands of new apartments and jobs and bringing a major league sports team, the NBA Nets, to Brooklyn. Yet curiously the mayor's voluminous 2030 plan includes no mention of the megaproject, Brooklyn's largest-ever. And in many respects, Atlantic Yards, which was driven by the developer and backed by the state with minimal city involvement, would actually undermine green development and be unsustainable in the long run."
"Atlantic Yards is promoted as a prime example of "transit-oriented development" because it is located over the third largest transit hub in the city. Yet Forest City Ratner plans to build a parking garage with over 3,000 spaces, and in the first phase, which could last 10 to 20 years, create over 2,000 spaces in open parking lots. These would attract more cars and increase traffic congestion. At the same time, the plans currently provide for no improvements to subway and train stations, which are already over-capacity, and no additional trains. Bus service, under the latest proposals, would not be expanded and could even decline."
FULL STORY: Atlantic Yards and the Sustainability Test?
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