City officials held a public “visioning session” on the proposed Brooklyn Queens Connector (BQX) streetcar in Astoria Monday night — the first of what they promised would be many outreach efforts to gather feedback on the $2.5 billion proposal.
Bus lanes might be cheaper to implement, the head of the EDC said, but a streetcar could carry twice as many passengers — a critical perk for a system that would transport an estimated 50,000 riders on weekdays.
Torres-Spring also argued a rail system would increase property values along its route. This, she said, would allow the city to fund the BQX using a cut of rising property values along the rail line.
[AHA! I think we're on to something here.]
Also present at the meeting was Ya-Ting Liu, recently named executive director of Friends of the Brooklyn Queens Connector. Liu's organization was behind the project’s first feasibility study, and is currently advocating for its construction.
While developers like Two Trees are well-represented in the Friends group, Liu noted that many non-developers are also members — including Paul Steely White, executive director of Transportation Alternatives, and Thomas Wright, president of the Regional Plan Association think tank.
[Oh, you mean reps of groups funded by developers?]
29 comments:
Everything, EVERYTHING! RPA does ends up benefitting their downtown real estate buddies. They're as crooked as San Francisco's Lombard street.. Transportation Alternatives isn't a whole lot better, they campaign for their "Causes' On the dead bodies of children whose parents never taught them how to cross a street and to not play in traffic....
what about Dizzy Lizzy's light rail plan
TOO DANGEROUS IN A HIGHLY POPULATED CITY. DO THEY REALIZE HOW MANY PEOPLE WOULD BE HIT, MAIMED, AND KILLED BY THIS " RAIL SYSTEM" ON A DAILY BASIS? THEY'RE EFFIN' NUTS!
the pix segment by Mocker is a real treat. It starts off wuth everyone just livid at the concept. And then it ends with interviews of the p.r. toadies and supporters of this irrational illogical plan. Their unease with the outreach to residents negative response is clearly displayed.
http://pix11.com/2016/05/09/developers-hold-impact-meeting-to-discuss-brooklyn-to-queens-streetcar/
Wasn't citibike created for these frivolous spending cretins in the first place?. From the photo, a bike lane can be painted there, even a two way one. That looks hazardous.
And transportation alternatives is a joke, I have seen these chumps for years every may offering shitty coffee and turd health bars soliciting people for signatures, I always had an inkling they were up to no good. I can't wait to see these dipshits now.
Hmm. Wonder if these interests contributed to Duhblazios Political Action Committee, too?
If streetcars were practical they never would have gotten rid of them 75 years ago. http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/04/14/17742434-san-franciscos-cable-cars-rack-up-accidents-and-millions-in-legal-bills-settlements?lite
I think its about time we had an effective Brooklyn-Queens mass transit option. Yes developers will end up making a buck, because after all they're in the business of developing, but that does not make this proposal or similar ones inherently bad.
Put all your family members on the light rail and stage and accident and retire a millionaire,The Blaz loves writing checks,sign me up,my lawyers
CHEATUM,FOOLUM & SCREWUM specialize in phony accidents
JQ LLC Thanks for the link;
http://pix11.com/2016/05/09/developers-hold-impact-meeting-to-discuss-brooklyn-to-queens-streetcar/
Constaninides, at the end, thinks that the trolley might calm the traffic. Might not the forces of the universe be calmed if Costa left office?
Let's commission a study.
CENTRAL QUEENS NEED MORE TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVES BUT SINCE THESE AREN'T NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE THERE IS ANY MAJOR DEVELOPMENT OF HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS, CONDO'S ITS NOT GONNA HAPPEN!!
"Calming Traffic"
This is code-speak for make it so miserable for the drivers of automobiles, that they "self deport" to a free state and out of this communist state...
The hope is that we can all drive around on our bicycles, just like in Beijing...
http://www.brainsofchina.com/images/Chinese%20crowd%20on%20bikes.jpg
Kill two birds with one stone:
Buses that LOOK like trolleys. Check 'em all out
HERE.
Say no to the Brooklyn-Queens Connector.
BQX = Boondoggle!
Just wait until a huge snowstorm hits! They really think this thing will run then? How about just improving our subway system instead of wasting money on something that probably won't be accessible in the winter and will probably break down every single day like the 7 train does?
Can we talk about this train will be powered? They make no mention of the overhead wires and the inherit hazards (and ugliness) they will bring.
Now think about what will happen on a very windy day, when one of these cables snaps.
Decades ago, we moved our high voltage power lines underground because of safety. We are literally turning back the clock.
By the time this transportation travesty gets on track everyone will work from home rendering it useless.
I might also add one other factor involved is how transplants from flyover country (the prime demographic these luxury towers are aimed at) view buses. Whereas a bus line would be a much more cost effective and efficient, a bus line will never do.
Their SWPL (Stuff White People like) attitude is that only poor proles and minorities ride on a bus and hence, it's a "dirtbag's" form of public transportation. Unacceptable in a "Luxury Product City".
No self-respecting suburbanite would be caught dead on a bus and probably wouldn't dream of buying or renting a property without a subway or other proper form of public transportation on hand. Have to sell those properties to make a buck, ya know.
So a trolley would fit the bill and be more in line with our ruling godling's fetish of all things European- just like how they fap to bicycles. Further, it would promote more inane virtue signaling, fund more political donor crony capitalists, and like, you know, just be like totes aaahh-sum. The out of towner kidults will just love it!
Well, let 'em find out the hard way setting up and operating a trolley line isn't as easy as setting up and playing with a Lionel electric train set, not to mention the liabilities on accidents- train, relatively large mass with considerable momentum and kinetic energy, meets pedestrian, car or bicyclist in an inelastic collision- not pretty.
Then, on the lighter side, there is learning the meaning of the old "banana line" joke.
Don Cavaioli
Let's see. How easy would it be to derail one of these behemoths?
Anonymous said...
By the time this transportation travesty gets on track everyone will work from home rendering it useless.
Or moved to another State with LOWER taxes and more freedom...
Let's spilt the 2.5 billion between subway and highway maintenance where it's needed a lot more than this nonsense.
Or moved to another State with LOWER taxes and more freedom...
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winner winner. 10th gen NYer, left NY a year ago and moved south, and it was the best decision of my life. More room, better weather, cheaper living, cleaner, legal access to guns, lower taxes, and far less human trash has to be encounters on a daily basis. I havent had to smell a bum or had someone beg me for money in months. Its glorious not to have someone reaching into your pocket all the time.
Let's see, what better use $2.5 billion (and of course that figure would go up):
1. MTA upgrades that actually make the subway work properly.
2. Fix poor conditions of streets and sidewalks.
3. Garbage: NYC is the filthiest city in the country.
4. Fix DOB, DOT and other corrupt city agencies to work properly and actually do their jobs you know like actually investigate every illegal conversion complaint and do something about that.
5. Increase NYPD staff and have quality of life units that focus on just that, you know like illegal truck driving on residential streets.
6. Fix NYCHA housing.
Oh Christ, I can go on and on, but why bother with something petty like infrastructure when we can have Mr. Rogers Neighborhood for the glass tower people.
Who will plow and de-ice the tracks during the winter? Who decides where the stations will be? Will there be bathrooms in all of the stations too? This will not fly. What happens when a utility company needs to dig up a street? Will service be disrupted? Next!
This is more of a shelbyville idea anyway
Speaking as someone whose Grandfather as a toddler lost half his foot to a trolley I say FUCK NO!
"If streetcars were practical they never would have gotten rid of them 75 years ago. http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/04/14/17742434-san-franciscos-cable-cars-rack-up-accidents-and-millions-in-legal-bills-settlements?lite"
Re the above; Yes, BQX is economically ridiculous, but the comment above also makes no sense. Streetcars were removed due to a combination of idiotic faith in the automobile and financial influence of bus makers, tire makers, and oil companies. Misguided "leaders" like LaGuardia thought that cars and buses were "modern" as compared to streetcars. The practicality of streetcars is pretty much proven by the hundreds of cities re-installing them.
I bet they money they want to leech from us with this new proposal to put 24/7 traffic cams everywhere will be used to build this trolley that will only benefit rich hipsters and the mayor's real estate buddies.
I'm seriously starting to question if it's worth staying in this city I used to love.
"Streetcars were removed due to a combination of idiotic faith in the automobile and financial influence of bus makers, tire makers, and oil companies.... Automobiles are a far superior method of transportation if you consider they go all the way to your destination (not within a mile of it) and run according to your timetable not the MTA's. This is something you might appreciate if you have a baby, lots of groceries or an older person who can't move like they used to. Also how do streetcar manufacturer's differ from bus makers, other than streetcars have a much higher purchase price. Streetcars require maintenance as well. If the City did not overpopulate due to overdevelopment by greedy developers and greedier politicians the traffic nightmare that is NYC would not have occurred. Overdevelopment is not inevitable, it is allowed. Once again, you can have my car when you pry the steering wheel from my cold dead hands.
> Transportation Alternatives
Those are the very same assholes who are pushing Vision Zero and now this plan to put traffic cameras everywhere and have them on 24/7 "to protect the children".
I wonder where their money is coming from?
"Automobiles are a far superior method of transportation if you consider they go all the way to your destination (not within a mile of it) and run according to your timetable not the MTA's. This is something you might appreciate if you have a baby, lots of groceries or an older person who can't move like they used to. Also how do streetcar manufacturer's differ from bus makers, other than streetcars have a much higher purchase price. Streetcars require maintenance as well. If the City did not overpopulate due to overdevelopment by greedy developers and greedier politicians the traffic nightmare that is NYC would not have occurred. Overdevelopment is not inevitable, it is allowed. Once again, you can have my car when you pry the steering wheel from my cold dead hands"
Just a brief reply to your angry and uninformed response:
I am a car owner, had two children and am now getting old enough to be more concerned about getting around. None of this affects the argument at hand or the history of why streetcars were removed. At no time in this city's history was it easy to get around with everyone using a personal vehicle and it can never be that way. Read some articles about horse traffic in the 1800's as an example. So, although overdevelopment is a major problem, New York would never survive with a system of private car use without a large mass transit infrastructure. The argument and history of bus vs. streetcar is that General Motors and allied corporations stood to make a fortune manufacturing buses as opposed to streetcars. General Motors did not make streetcars, only cars, buses and trucks. Tire companies made tires and not steel wheels. This is all accepted history-an easy search (even for you) will find it. Your "cold dead hands" statement only aligns you with an idiotic group of death merchants. Nobody wants to take your car away from you. Obama and the evil government are not planning to raid your garage.
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