By Dennis Holt
Brooklyn Daily Eagle

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — The major study to find ways and means to get to Brooklyn Bridge Park other than by auto has been completed. Now a variety of alternatives have been proposed, including a significant reconfiguration of the western end of Atlantic Avenue.

This review and study was funded by a $1 million grant by Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez. It is an add-on review of the master plan of the new waterfront park, now being implemented.

The study was created by the Downtown Brooklyn Waterfront Local Development Corporation (LDC), created in 1998 to develop a plan for Brooklyn Bridge Park. In turn, the group hired Sam Schwartz PLCC as traffic consultant for this widespread review.

One of the key elements of the review would make it easier and safer for pedestrians to get to the park, either from their home or from nearby restaurants, subway stations or other places.

Most experts believe that Atlantic Avenue will turn out to be the most-used entry point to the park. Suggestions for that area include simplifying the BQE exit ramp, reducing the pedestrian crossing at the entrance ramp on Atlantic Avenue, and improving all other pedestrian crossings. The same objectives are also recommended for the Old Fulton Street entrance.

Extending current bus routes to serve the park have also been suggested, as has the creation of a bus turnaround at the MTA vent building below the Promenade near Montague Street. And although the report did not take note of it, there may well be new bus routes in Downtown Brooklyn in the future, including more buses on Atlantic Avenue.

The study also recommended a series of new and improved bicycle routes to and from the park, in addition to those already planned by the city as part of the new Greenway project.

A shuttle bus service that would travel in a loop from Downtown Brooklyn to the park is recommended. Last summer, a pilot shuttle bus concept was tried to serve the demand for getting to the floating pool at Pier 4. This was highly successful and attracted more than 19,000 riders during an approximate 10-week period.

Taking note of four planned water taxi stations at park points, the study also called attention to the possibility of major ferry routes from the park to Manhattan and New Jersey.

It also demonstrated how a vertical pedestrian connection from the Promenade down into the park could be created without interfering with the view plane. This could tie into the rebuilding of the BQE itself, which could be in the works in the long term.

Regina Myer, president of the Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation saluted the completion of the study. She said, “With development now underway, the recommendations outlined in the access study will help us prioritize the construction schedule. By doing this, we will be able to make the park available to the public well before full completion.�

The traffic consultant presented some of these ideas at the regularly scheduled monthly meeting of Community Board 2. At the meeting, it was also announced that Hank Gutman has resigned as president of the LDC because he has been appointed to the board of the park’s development corporation. Greg Atkins, longtime member of the LDC and chief of staff for Borough President Marty Markowitz, has been appointed president.

© Brooklyn Daily Eagle 2008
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