One interesting detail to note: the BQX streetcar proposal, as its currently known, originated not from the de Blasio Administration but from a Brooklyn-based real estate company.
Dana Rubinstein has the scoop on the details of a city-commissioned report to study the Brooklyn-Queens Connector streetcar (BQX) proposal announced in February of this year.
The article reveals a few surprising details, the first being that the BQX was "dreamed up by executives at Two Trees, the DUMBO-based real estate company owned by the Walentas family." Also included are details about projected ridership, projects costs, and travel times. Rubinstein also reports that about" 70 percent of the route would get a dedicated right-of-way."
That last detail inspired Yonah Freemark to tweet his reactions to Rubinstein's article. Freemark's tweets include a reference to a February column he wrote to describe the necessary planning decisions for a successful BQX.
BQX, as I suspected, will have considerable portions without its own ROW. It also will run at 10.5 mph, not 12 mph as previously reported
— Yonah Freemark (@yfreemark) April 25, 2016
Sad to see concerns in my op-ed from Feb coming true, despite what consultants told me https://t.co/yRMHDPHZ4X https://t.co/v9qRr8FRsK
— Yonah Freemark (@yfreemark) April 25, 2016
Read the full story: City gives new BQX streetcar details, and revs up outreach plan
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.
Brooklyn Queens Streetcar Hopes to Learn from D.C. Streetcar's Mistakes
The long-awaited opening of the D.C. Streetcar on Feb. 27 brings time for reflection on Mayor Bill de Blasio's proposed $2.5 billion Brooklyn Queens Connector, part streetcar, part light rail. D.C.'s line took a decade of planning and construction.
Concerns Raised About the Brooklyn-to-Queens Streetcar Proposal
We've gathered a sample of the responses to Mayor Bill de Blasio's proposal for a $2.2 billion streetcar to connect Brooklyn to Queens.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
In Texas, data centers are swallowing promised parkland
Residents who moved to Taylor, Texas for a rural community now have to contend with three data centers in their backyard.
How a Chicago-sized wind farm beat the odds and powered on
The project spanned five presidential administrations and a standoff with a U.S. military base.
MTA gives itself 30 days to transform pit into basketball court
The site has been under construction since 2022; the city originally estimated it would finish the court in 2024.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority