Mayor Bill de Blasio is expected to announce ambitious plans for a 16-mile, $2.2 billion streetcar route to connect some of the city's up and coming, but still transit-light, neighborhoods.
"In a major reimagining of the New York City waterfront, Mayor Bill de Blasio is set to propose a streetcar line that would snake along the East River in Brooklyn and Queens, linking the industrial centers of Sunset Park to the upper reaches of Astoria," reports Michael M. Grynbaum.
Mayor de Blasio's streetcar plan calls for a 16-mile rail line, "that runs on rails embedded in public roadways and flows alongside automobile traffic," according to Grynbaum.
The expected cost of the system is $2.2 billion, and "[a]dministration officials believe the cost can be offset by a revenue stream taken from the expected rise in property values along the route." As Grynbaum notes, the neighborhoods along the route, like Greenpoint and Brooklyn Navy Yard, have already undergone rapid development.
The article also credits the proposal to the "long-held fantasy of the city's urban planners…" The proposed map for the so-called Brooklyn Queens Connector can be seen below.
FULL STORY: Mayor de Blasio to Propose Streetcar Line Linking Brooklyn and Queens
Brooklyn-Queens Connector Streetcar Plans Released
Plans for the Brooklyn-Queens Connector, otherwise known as the BQX, are still on the table, despite reports of the project's demise.
MIA or DOA? The Brooklyn-Queens Streetcar Fading Fast
The lack of news on the proposed Brooklyn Queens Connector (BQX) is hardly a death knell, but that doesn't mean no news is good news, either.
Op-Ed: Brooklyn-to-Queens Streetcar Won't Pay for Itself
Who thinks the Brooklyn-to-Queens (BQX) would pay for itself? Someone whose paycheck depends on it, Neil deMause argues.
Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.
Half of Post-Fire Altadena Home Sales Were to Corporations
Large investors are quietly buying up dozens of properties in Altadena, California, where a devastating wildfire destroyed more than 6,000 homes in January.
Opinion: What San Francisco’s Proposed ‘Family Zoning’ Could Really Mean
Mayor Lurie is using ‘family zoning’ to encourage denser development and upzoning — but could the concept actually foster community and more human-scale public spaces?
Jacksonville Launches First Autonomous Transit Shuttle in US
A fleet of 14 fully autonomous vehicles will serve a 3.5-mile downtown Jacksonville route with 12 stops.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont