It appears that metered parking has now officially moved into the space under Meeker Avenue.
Parking will cost $1.50 per hour from 7 AM to 6 PM.
The move from the Department of Transportation is the latest in a plan to reconfigure the use of the space stretching under the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, running roughly from Apollo Street to Metropolitan Avenue.
The project to re-imagine Meeker Avenue has been in the works for a long time, dividing locals on issues such as open streets and the potential redesign of parking areas. Make Meeker Move, a coalition of activists, residents, and groups like Transportation Alternatives, formed in 2015 to push for increased safety measures and protected bike lanes, with the overall goal of rectifying what they see as the BQE’s legacy of environmental racism and division in the community.
In 2017, the Department of Transportation gathered community input and presented its plan to revamp the space. This plan included elements like more open gathering spaces and enhanced safety features such as extended curbs and updated traffic signals.
In November 2020, the DOT announced its intention to install about 300 metered parking spaces on Meeker Avenue. As that area previously housed free parking spots, the plan received much pushback from the neighborhood, though DOT officials say it is necessary in order to make other improvements to the area, including bike lanes.
In May 2021, the DOT unveiled its plans to implement protected bike lanes. Though progress on the lanes has been made, their construction has not yet been finished.
“We have made progress, working in stages on Meeker Avenue, to improve cycling connections to the Kosciuszko and Williamsburg bridges. We look forward to resuming work with the expectation to open portions of this project in the Spring,” said Vin Barone, spokesman for the NYC Department of Transportation, in a statement to Greenpointers.
If you’d like to give input on another contentious transit issue, the DOT is soliciting feedback about McGuinness Blvd until March 1. You can access the forum here.