OPINION: Why the BQX Steetcar will bring a better city
Does the Brooklyn-Queens waterfront region need its own streetcar? The announcement of the Brooklyn-Queens Connector (BQX) by Mayor de Blasio in 2016 has trigged passionate debate on the merits of the 17-mile, $1.7 billion project. Rightly so: an undertaking this complicated–and a vision this grand–are worthy of thorough discussion. However, I want to highlight three things that could help put this initiative in perspective, since I fear at times the block-by-block wrangling over the details of this project is eclipsing the bigger picture.
First, the BQX is not just some shiny new toy. The larger purpose is economic development, the biggest such proposal for Brooklyn and Queens in a generation. A valid historical comparison is the construction of the East River bridges in the 19th and 20th centuries, which unlocked opportunity for millions of New Yorkers by providing East-West connections that helped to solidify the economic ties between the city’s population centers. The BQX would be the comprehensive transit solution we need to unite the Brooklyn-Queens waterfront, creating a North-South spine that will lay the foundation for a future with more jobs, affordable housing, and office space.
Second, we are in the midst of unprecedented growth in Brooklyn and Queens. If you look at demographic data, as well as employment and residential growth trends, what emerges is all the makings of a labor force and creative-talent pool that no longer needs to commute to Manhattan to pursue their enterprises. These drivers of the new economy are already feeling at home in neighborhoods like the Brooklyn Tech Triangle and Long Island City. Just wait until the BQX unites these employment hubs and makes them accessible for the residents of Red Hook and Ravenswood.