April 26, 2016 By Jackie Strawbridge
The City is hosting a local public meeting on the Brooklyn-Queens Connector, the proposed $2.5 billion streetcar that would run between the two boroughs from Astoria to Sunset Park.
The meeting will take place May 9 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Variety Boys and Girls Club, 21-12 30th Road, according to the City Economic Development Corporation.
The EDC described the meeting as a “community visioning session,” the first of several throughout Queens and Brooklyn, and part of a larger outreach campaign that will also include working with Community Boards and civic associations.
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced plans for the Connector in February at his State of the City address, as a way to invigorate the waterfront communities along a 16-mile stretch between Queens and Brooklyn.
As Politico New York first reported, plans are in gear with the upcoming public meetings as well as a City-commissioned “rapid assessment” of a possible streetcar.
The “rapid assessment” examined routes, travel times and environmental considerations, among others. It found that the streetcar proposal overall is reasonable and would cost $2.5 billion, Politico reported. A more in-depth assessment of the Brooklyn-Queens Connector will now follow.
Over the next three months, streetcar meetings will also be held in Long Island City and Brooklyn neighborhoods including Williamsburg, Dumbo, Red Hook and others. Specific locations and dates will be announced in coming weeks, the EDC said.
