Brooklyn organizations raise concerns about city's plan to redesign the BQE
The BQE Environmental Justice Coalition is made up of a wide range of organizations impacted by the roadway.
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Local organizations want their voices heard as the Department of Transportation moves to the next phase of the BQE Central Project.
The BQE Central Project is a plan to transform a 1.5 mile stretch of the expressway, including the triple cantilever, to address structural and connectivity needs.
"We are all for repairing the triple cantilever and the sections of BQE Central that are in very decrepit shape," said Lara Birnback, executive director of the Brooklyn Heights Association.
Birnback says what they're not for are urban highways that don't meet the needs of the community.
"Public health concerns, sustainability. We haven't seen any of those things really addressed in the plans that D.O.T. has put forward so far," said Birnback.
The DOT says it is entering the environmental review of the plan. Local organizations have joined forces to create the BQE Environmental Justice Coalition.
"The BQE is literally right next to our playgrounds, our schools we're constantly exposed to pollution and traffic," said María Fernanda Pulido Velosa, from the El Puente organization located in Williamsburg.
"We're advocating for transformative planning in the whole corridor," said Pulido Velosa.
The BQE Environmental Justice Coalition is made up of a wide range of organizations impacted by the BQE, including:
El Puente
UPROSE NYC Environmental Justice Alliance
Red Hook Initiative
Woodside on the Move
Brooklyn Heights Association
Cobble Hill Association
Riders Alliance
Open Plans
DUMBO Neighborhood Alliance
North Heights Neighbors
350 Brooklyn
Tri-State Transportation Campaign
360 Furman
To give public feedback on the project click here.
