Readers: The BQX is a total waste
COURIER LIFE, FEBRUARY 21-27, 2020 27
The city should not waste $2.73
billion on Mayor Bill de Blasio’s
recently-revived Brooklyn-Queens
Connector trolley — also known as
the BQX— and instead spend the
city’s resources to improve the buses
of transit-starved Red Hook, residents
said at a local outreach meeting
on Feb. 13.
“I think it’s a fi asco, a monumental
potential waste of money
when in fact there are far more effi
cient modes of transportation,”
said John McGettrick, a co-chair
of the Red Hook Civic Association.
“We currently have inadequate bus
service with the B61, putting this
there would be more of an impediment
and make that bus service
even worse.”
The city’s Department of Transportation
and Economic Development
Corporations — the agencies
partnering on the project — held a
workshop featuring maps of the proposed
trolly route from Red Hook to
Queens, along with reps who took
questions and feedback from locals,
ostensibly to help improve the city’s
designs for the controversial transit
project.
Readers had a lot to say online:
We need better Bus service not to
over priced Street Car named Disaster.
We need the B71 which would travel to
Manhattan and the B77 which would
service Park Slope and UPS Site & Valentino
Park. Those who in Red Hook
who say they support it are getting
something from the BQX People.
Robert Berrios
Please Ms. Francis Brown is getting
paid under the Table by the BQX
she has a car and barely uses public
transportation. She works in the Community
as a crossing guard. Plus her
residents of Red Hook East are closer
to the Subway and the Buses. No one
in Red Hook wants the BQX at all. We
want better bus service.
Lisa Alvarez
The “hipster express.” There has
never been a more elitist project. So
not meant for the working man.
George Ryan
Astoria (where it begins) residents
are saying the same. Total waste of $
and will cause traffi c nightmares. Just
improve bus service!
Cathy Evelyn
Terrible spot for a ferry!
The hotly-contested Coney Island
ferry is slated to land at the Kaiser
Park pier near Bayview Avenue, city
offi cials announced.
Reps for the NYC Economic Development
Corporation — the quasigovernment
agency overseeing
the project — stated that offi cials
“strongly recommended” the Kaiser
Park location at a community
meeting Wednesday, citing the area’s
calm waters and existing pier,
which is expected to help mitigate
construction costs.
“Because of the depths of the
water, in order to make the W.
33rd Street site work, we would’ve
had to build a very long pier and
a barge that’s more exposed,” said
James Wong.
Readers spoke up online:
Landing this ferry at Kaiser Park
is a BIG mistake!! The Coney Island
pier is the correct place for this project.
No need for shuttles, extra traffi
c…and why? Landing the shuttle
right on the boardwalk is nothing
short of ideal for visitors, locals going
to lower Manhattan. I live in Brighton
and can say with certainty that I
would use the ferry daily to go to lower
Manhattsan but, if placed at Kaiser,
will NEVER use it! Wont take a bus
through the gritty section of Coney to
get to what would be a home run for
all at the existing Coney pier….think
again DuhBlasio! Do something right
for once…
Glenn Kessler
One understands budget constraints,
ocean readiness and such,
but this plan still kind of seems like
half-baked cookies. A mile-long walk
is quite a lot for the general public. A
few hundred yards is at the limit for
walking.
Unless there is a frequent bus that’s
easy to understand and use for fi rsttimers.
Ólafur Þórðarson
Who is this ferry for anyway? The
population of SeaGate can’t support it,
too few people. Do they expect people
in Trump Village and Luna Park and
Brighton to fi rst take a bus to this location,
then the ferry to Manhattan
and then another bus or train to their
work location. And who wants to walk
a mile to Nathan’s? Place the ferry at
the Pier, please!
Cindy Brenholz
Based on where it’s landing, it can’t
be for the amusement area or the people
east of it – it’s too far and not signifi
cantly more convenient than the
subway. That leaves Sea Gate, which is
how many people? Frankly, faster subway
and bus service sounds more productive.
Zork Mid
The city does not, and never has,
known how to deal with Coney Island.
Again, they are penny-wise, pound
foolish. The ferry site at the boardwalk
pier would be more expensive,
yes. Bur think of how many more
people would come into Coney Island
to spend money. In fact Coney would
blow up in increased development,
creating vastly increased income for
the city.
Ferry at Kaiser Park? I’ll bet within
a couple of months, not more than fi ve
people who’ll step on and off it per day.
Bruce Brodinsky
This is a terrible placement. I love
that it’s coming, let’s gentrify the hell
out of Coney. But the location is just
far from thought out. The other side
makes so much more sense than having
people wait or even walk through
the ghetto. Bunch of penny pinchers
in this government. What’s going to
happen is the cost of the park landing
will rise to the cost of 33rd street due to
BS delays and garbage union workers
that work slower than a 1 legged dog on
tranquilizers.
Alex Skills
Diversity, Tolerance, and
Mutual Respect
As a Community of like-minded
people - a Community of people who
although may worship under different
religions and who may come from
varied races, ethnicities, cultures, and
lifestyles and who may have different
political views - we all share the same
basic and undeniable right to be allowed
to live our lives in an environment
of tolerance and mutual respect
for each other. There is no room in our
Community and Neighborhood; in our
City; in our State; in our Country; or in
our World – for intolerance or violence
against any person because of a different
religious belief; a different race or
nationality; a different political position;
or a different sexual orientation.
In light of the recent spate of acts
of anti-Semitism against members of
the Jewish Community – we as a Community
of like-minded people from all
faiths and religions and from all backgrounds
- stand up together with one
voice and shout as loud as we can - that
we stand in solidarity with our Jewish
brothers and sisters that we will
neither tolerate nor accept this type of
criminal behavior against the Jewish
community or any community or any
person.
Unfortunately, anti-religious bias
knows no boundaries, as we have
also seen acts of vandalism and property
damage made against Catholic
Churches and other houses of worship.
We decry such behavior whether
carried out: in acrimonious words
spoken; in physical acts of violence
against any person; or in acts of vandalism
and together seek that justice
is pursued under the fullest extent of
the law for such criminal behavior. We
cannot and will not tolerate such malevolent
acts and behavior, because, if
it happens against any one person or
any one group, it happens to all of us.
As we enter a new year and a new
decade, it is incumbent for all of us to
set a new tone for acceptance and tolerance
of each other and to celebrate
our diversity as a strength and something
to unite us rather than as a
weakness or something to fear. In this
new year and decade - let us together
take the fi rst steps to extend a hand
to another person to show compassion
and kindness and to demonstrate
tolerance and mutual respect for our
neighbors as well to strangers. Let
us take the time to learn more about
each other to better understand and
appreciate what is important to each
of us and our faiths and the tenets of
what each group holds as relevant. If
we, one at a time, can make an effort
to live our lives this way - we can set
a new tone that will spread its wings
and have no boundaries.
It’s time to stand up and let everyone
know that criminal behavior against
and intolerance of others, because of
their differences, will not be tolerated.
In its place, it’s time to come together
and show respect for each other. Let’s
do this together for all of us as a community
of like-minded people and for
our children and future generations.
Thomas Sorrentino – Partner,
PKF O’Connor Davies, LLP;
Commissioner on the NYC Taxi
and Limousine Commission, and
Community Organizer
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