Brooklyn Today April 2: Brooklyn Today: Congestion pricing approved. What’s that mean for Brooklyn?

The Lede

Good morning! After years of debate, congestion pricing in NYC was finally approved in the $175 billion 2020 budget hashed out by the state legislature and Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Sunday. Downtown Brooklyn and Brooklyn Heights organizations have supported congestion pricing as a means of reducing pollution and traffic via the decrepit BQE, in light of its upcoming massive reconstruction. Some business owners in Brooklyn, however, are worried about the effect the tolls will have on their bottom line. Here are the pros and cons on how it will affect the borough.

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The Rundown

CONGESTION PRICING IS APPROVED. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR BROOKLYN?

Congestion pricing could shorten express bus travel times on Brooklyn and Queens routes by up to two hours per week, and while some Brooklyn commuters will be hit by the fees, the majority of residents will not feel the pinch, local politicians said.

NYDIA VELÁZQUEZ CALLS FOR ADDITIONAL $300 MILLION FOR SUPERFUND SITES

The boost in federal dollars for the Environmental Protection Agency would help revitalize more than 1,300 contaminated sites across the nation, including the Gowanus Canal and Newtown Creek, both of which were declared Superfund sites in 2010.

SHOULD INDUSTRY CITY BE REZONED? SUNSET PARK WORKERS SOUND OFF

Leaders of Industry City want the city to grant zoning changes so they can build hotels, academic facilities and big stores. There have been a variety of opinions. We took to the streets to find out what workers think of the proposed rezoning.

ADAMS DEMANDS OVERSIGHT, REFORMS FOR CONTENTIOUS HOUSING PROGRAM

Brooklyn BP Eric Adams called for the city to return seized small properties to their original owners after they were foreclosed on through a program from the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development that a judge called “overly broad and improper.”

GRIMM CONSIDERING SECOND SHOT AT RETURN TO CONGRESS

Michael Grimm resigned from Congress after pleading guilty to a charge of tax fraud. He stated that he believes the time is right for him to make another attempt at a comeback. “The cloud is gone,” he told Politico. “It’s over. It’s in the past.”

WOMAN KILLED BY N TRAIN ON SUNSET PARK TRACKS

The woman was pronounced dead at the scene at 8:30 a.m. at Sunset Park’s 59th Street N and R subway station. Service was temporarily suspended until 9:10 a.m.

MURDER STILL ON THE RISE IN BED-STUY, DESPITE INCREASED POLICE PRESENCE

At the beginning of March, the NYPD deployed eight additional cops to four precincts each — including the 79th in Bed-Stuy — that had seen spikes in violent crime. Some advocates, however, say increased police presence is not the answer to drive down violent crime.

More Brooklyn News

A councilmember introduced a bill that would require the city to study whether rezonings create displacement for current residents. (Curbed)

A car drives directly into a McDonald’s in Canarsie. (NBC New York)

An iconic Turkish restaurant in Sheepshead Bay closes after more than 30 years. (Brooklyn Paper)