Almost $200 million in Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE) repair funds may be shifted out of this year’s city budget if Mayor Eric Adams gets his way — raising concerns among local lawmakers that City Hall is kicking the can down the road when it comes to keeping the highway’s crumbling triple-cantilever section safe.
The mayor’s Executive Budget proposes to cut $180.5 million from the Department of Transportation’s spending on BQE fixes this year — a drop from $225.1 million to just $44.6 million — and moves those funds into later years, according to a City Council briefing document from Thursday.
City Council Member Lincoln Restler, whose district includes the Brooklyn Heights waterfront area with the deteriorating section of the highway between Atlantic Avenue and Sands Street, accused the agency of moving the project over to the slow lane.
“The dramatic reductions in funding by upwards of $180 million that should have been spent this year… is of grave concern and, frankly, is indicative of the lack of urgency the DOT is placing on making the necessary repairs at this location,” said Restler at a lengthy May 12 Council budget hearing on transportation.
The city still plans to spend the same $1.5 billion overall through 2031 on BQE repairs, according to the brief, but Restler warned that holding off on short-term repairs could hamstring a larger revamp of the highway.
“I am disappointed and concerned about the safety of our community, about our ability to preserve the lifespan of the triple-cantilever for these 20 years, so that a bolder, more transformative solution can take place,” the pol said.
The funding shift was first brought up by the Council’s Finance Committee chairperson Justin Brannan, who also questioned the move.
“Has it been determined that, with the cantilever reaching the end of its useful life expectancy, is shifting the planned work from ’23 into the out years safe?” the Bay Ridge lawmaker asked.
DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez assured the politicians that the structure remains sound.
“There is no issue related to safety,” Rodriguez said. “None of this decision to move money puts anything at risk.”
21 comments:
Absolute idiots Dandy Eric and Kathy Clown has lots of tax papyers money. Hell she is giving away free Abortions to anyone from anywhere !
Clowns will be clowns...
This whole BQE situation is not going to end well. The incompetent and corrupt NYC politicians will kick the can down the road until the BQE collapses. And then what?
The Sheeple State deserves what is coming.
NPC_translator said...
This whole BQE situation is not going to end well. The incompetent and corrupt NYC politicians will kick the can down the road until the BQE collapses. And then what?
And then they will be voted back in.
Time for motorists pay a lot more taxes for this. Their era of freeloading off taxpayers has got to come to an end.
Miss Trump yet Sheeple ?
NYC politicians can't fill a pothole never mind rebuild a roadway! I like the sound of Ultra MAGA, Thanks sleepy Joe I’ll take it... LONG LIVE THE MAGA KING!
They should just shut it down and replace it with a light rail system.
Let the trucking companies pay for it. That's what the free market is for.
The KrAzY “progressives” would like to see all cars and trucks gone altogether.
It has nothing to do with crazy progressives whom are, for the most part, the 'Hipster Generation' that is going nowhere fast: clueless dups of the ruling class.
Now class is in session students, please pay attention!
1. Cut back on cars.
2. Cut back on car pollution.
3. Cleaner air is the green light to extending the envelope to more development.
4. Developers using their pawns like 'Mystery Mike' change zoning
5. Exhibit A - western Queens going from 3-5 stories to 30-50 stories overnight.
6. Voting base totally clueless as they have always been treated like children - have no idea what to do and the power they have if they can grow a pair.
7. A Crop of Newbie Elected Officials? As long as their hipster/ethnic support base is intact they are just along for the ride.
America has become the ship without a captain and seized by pirates.
My expectations for this administration cant get much lower.
Avid cyclist from Queens here. I'll ride my bike on the long island Express way if I want to. I don't care for cars
Stranger than fiction my friends.
Elections have consequences, and this is one of them !
Some dope said:
"Avid cyclist from Queens here. I'll ride my bike on the long island Express way if I want to. I don't care for cars"
Please do that as soon as you feel the need, then they'll be one less bake nazi to deal with.
I can’t wait for Brandon’s administration to tell me I will just have to take the non-existent public transportation to my dr’s appointments. Or that I’ll just need to walk or bike the 5-20 miles one way with a back injury!
@“ Or that I’ll just need to walk or bike the 5-20 miles one way with a back injury!”
Maybe you wouldn’t have that back injury if you had got more exercise and spent less time putting your big fat ass in a car.
@" Anonymous Anonymous said...
Some dope said: "
Good to see that you are at least honest enough to describe yourself perfectly.
As for your comments about the "bake nazi", I'm curious to know what a "bake nazi" is ? Is that something like the bakery equivalent of the "Soup Nazi".
I think he/she meant to say baked on 420 !
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