The Brooklyn-Queens Expressway is an important but crumbling piece of infrastructure in New York City. As a literal dividing line throughout many Brooklyn neighborhoods, it’s not hard to see why community members and the city’s Department of Transportation have been working to improve it.
After two years of community feedback and studies, the DOT has released a new report that reimagines what the BQE might entail and how it might better serve and connect local communities. The “BQE North & South Report,” includes concepts for the entirety of the highway, but what will it mean for Greenpoint and Williamsburg specifically?
From the 2010 to 2020 census, the population surrounding our segment of the BQE increased more than any other section, making improvements especially necessary. Many of the DOT’s concepts for this area focus on Meeker Avenue, underneath the highway. Community members advocated for preserving the metered parking, improved pedestrian crossings, and more public spaces. The DOT is also exploring the idea of reducing lanes on Meeker Avenue as a traffic-calming measure.
For the section between Metropolitan and Kent avenues, the DOT shared new renderings for one concept that has been in the works for years—the BQGreen. The proposal would cap a portion of the highway to turn it into a park space, integrating Marcy Green and Rodney Park and reconnecting neighborhoods.
Some of these ideas are already in the works. The DOT recently announced a new, last-mile delivery micro hub at Meeker and Kingsland avenues. The BQFlea, an open-air market running through October, recently launched—the DOT is entertaining the possibility of turning the market into a permanent structure. The agency also says it will complete the bike lane connection between Meeker Avenue and Calyer Street this year.
Of course, many of these ideas are still in the conceptual stage, requiring additional studies and funding before they can be implemented. However, this past March, the US Department of Transportation (USDOT) awarded NYC DOT $5.6 million for further investigation.
You can check out the full report here.
I dont get it. I dont want to spend time or socialize under the highway. Just give me more parking
Without a road diet, all of these proposals are pointless – as another commenter stated, who wants to spend time in a polluted corridor with heavy vehicular traffic?