NYC to study transportation, parking in booming north Williamsburg, Greenpoint

March 2, 2016 Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Councilmember Stephen Levin (center) with city officials at a press conference announcing the traffic study. Photo courtesy of Councilmember Levin’s Office

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NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) Brooklyn Borough Commissioner Keith Bray and Councilmember Stephen Levin announced on Tuesday that the city will begin a comprehensive study to look at traffic and transportation in rapidly-growing North Williamsburg and Greenpoint.

DOT will use the study to evaluate transportation and traffic congestion, and develop recommendations to mitigate congestion and enhance mobility and safety.

“The DOT is excited to embark on a study that will inform how New Yorkers move around in North Williamsburg for years to come,” Bray said in a statement. “We look forward to working with Councilmember Levin, local leaders and the entire community as we move forward with the study.”

“I am thrilled that DOT will be moving forward with a long-awaited transportation study in North Williamsburg. Residents have been asking for this kind of study for years. This neighborhood has changed in recent years and our approach to congestion and mobility needs to evolve with it for us to meet the needs of everyone in the community,” said Councilmember Levin. Levin secured funding for the study.

The proposed study area is bounded by Newtown Creek to the north and east, Flushing Avenue and Broadway to the south and the East River to the west. This fast-growing area is home to a mix of residential, commercial, and industrial uses.

The study will look at demographics, land use and zoning, traffic, pedestrians and cyclists, safety, parking, public transportation, and movement of goods/trucks in the area. It will collect data on traffic, turning and pedestrian counts at major corridors and intersections throughout the study area.

The study will be coordinated with the Department of City Planning, which is preparing the North Brooklyn Industry and Innovation Plan.

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams said that the analysis “must lead to concrete action to improve transportation access in an area where infrastructure is straining under increased development, and I strongly encourage DOT Commissioner Trottenberg to replicate this effort in other Brooklyn neighborhoods facing similar challenges.”