BQE neighbors present city with united vision for highway’s rehab
“This is our moment in time to do something forward looking.”
A dozen community groups representing residents along the BQE presented the city with a united vision, setting out their common expectations for the highway’s reconstruction. The groups want a plan that will reunite communities long divided by the roadway and put the brakes on “car culture.”
The 12 organizations, which represent neighborhoods from Carroll Gardens to Vinegar Hill, have joined forces to present a common vision for the BQE rehab, Cobble Hill Association President Amy Breedlove told the crowd at the organization’s annual meeting Tuesday evening. Though preserving the landmarked Brooklyn Heights Promenade is among the coalition’s demands, the vision intends to speak across individual neighborhood interests to convey a bigger picture, Breedlove said.
“The truth is, we want a lot more than just a couple of things on a list. We’re calling for the city to rethink and reimagine this corridor. And take us to a really future-looking place where it’s community-oriented, not car-oriented. Where the air we breathe is more important than getting from Point A to Point B. Though that’s important, too,” she added. “So we want to transform the BQE, and not repair it.”
Breedlove said CHA and the 11 other organizations have been working with the Comptroller’s Office, the architecture firm Bjarke Ingels Group, Mayor Bill de Blasio’s BQE panel and the city’s Department of Transportation. The mayor’s BQE panel is led by Carlo Scissura, president and CEO of the New York Building Congress.