4 MAY 2017 Queens Business THE QUEENS COURIER including a more detailed accounting of the utilities that are under the route and creating engineering solutions to minimize impact and cost,” Liu said in a statement on the Friends website. Liu continued to say that even the “most conservative analysis” shows that the value capture approach will pay for most of the project, and remains the most innovative way to bring new transit to New York City. “As the city continues its work, we think making sure the benefi ts outweigh the costs is crucial to the success of the BQX and are confi dent the facts will bear that out,” Liu added. THE NEW TRANSIT LINE BROOKLYN & QUEENS NEEDS The BQX would not compete with the existing modes of transportation, but, rather, enhance them, Liu continued. The light rail would be cost-comparable and connect to 10 ferry landings, 30 diff erent bus routes, 15 diff erent subway lines, 116 Citi Bike stations and 6 LIRR lines. “When you look at the subway map, and you think of our existing subway system, it was built 112 years ago,” Liu said. “And it was established from a time when Manhattan was really considered the center of the universe … It’s 2017, and that is just not refl ective of how New Yorkers today live, work, play and get around.” With more people than ever working and living along the waterfront, and given the volume of emerging industries in the area, Liu continued, there is a need for more transportation options. “All of this is happening and burgeoning along this waterfront corridor,” Liu said. “Yet, we cannot get between the two boroughs easily. And that just doesn’t make sense.” Serving as the connective tissue between these two communities that are right next to one another, Liu said, residents will be able to commute between Brooklyn and Queens faster and more easily than before. Liu invites residents who wish to learn more about the transit project to visit the Friends of BQX website at bqx.nyc. “If you think about the history of New York City,and what it’s been built on: it’s built on public transportation,” Liu said. “And what BQX will do is allow more New Yorkers, across all spectrums of social and economic levels, to access aff ordable, reliable and faster rides and commutes on public transit … Transit is the lifeblood of New York City and, frankly, more is more is more.” The BQX will also service the Queensbridge and Ravenswood Houses in Long Island City The BQX will also make stops at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
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