BQE
Since the DOT released plans for the BQE reconstruction this past fall, the Cobble Hill Association has called for restarting the process, with more community involvement and an open canvas for discussion on the future of the expressway and the communities that surround it. Months later, the Mayor responded – establishing an Experts Panel of planners, professors, engineers, local elected officials, and community organizations to Evaluate Reconstruction of Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. On Thursday, April 25th the CHA presented their statement on the BQE to the panel, emphasizing the need for Communities over Cars and calling for a more equitable process, safer on and off ramps, and greenspace. The three-hour meeting included proposals from the Comptroller’s office and Bjarke Ingels Group, along with questions and remarks from the 16-member panel. The CHA is committed to voicing the concerns of residents south of the cantilevered structure who cross the deadliest on and off ramps and are divided by an entrenched expressway that spews toxins and noise into their community. Additionally, we have been meeting with planners, architects, the DOT, and our local elected officials to best understand the complex problem and the best means of addressing it while using the opportunity to rethink the future of our city, with a greater emphasis on public green space and healthy walkable communities.