F and G Not Suspended This Weekend

Good news ... sort of. Because of expected snowfall, F and G train service will not be interrupted this weekend, according to WNYC.

The MTA planned to suspend service between Jay Street and Church Avenue. But one to three inches of snow are anticipated on Friday and Saturday. So transit officials are postponing the suspension until next weekend.

Recycling Pick-Up Still Suspended

While walking my dog last night, I noticed a lot of my Union Street neighbors had put out their recycling. Please be aware that although garbage collection has resumed, recycling collection is still suspended, according to the 311 website. The Department of Sanitation has not yet announced a restart date.

Red Hook Street Car Study: Interim Reports Available

The consultants for the Red Hook Street Car Feasibility Study have released two interim reports:

Case studies of  street car systems in Portland, Seattle and Philadelphia is a detailed look at how these cities have implemented new systems into existing cities.  The section on Portland includes terrific detail including photos of how the rails were constructed, bicycle coordination issues, handicapped accessibility and graphs of ridership.

The existing conditions report is a must-read document for the level of detail it goes into regarding Red Hook.  The report covers land use, demographics, public policy affecting the neighborhood and includes a wealth of illustrations and tables.  It is a fascinating overview of the neighborhood.

The consultants have identified potential routes (which includes Columbia Street within the Waterfront) and are now working on evaluating their feasibility.  Next steps will include cost estimating and evaluating constructibility issues.  Their findings will be presented in a public meeting to be held sometime early 2011.

If you are new to this subject, please visit the DOT Street Car website here for a general overview of the Study.

Rally for Shore Power

State Senator Daniel Squadron and Councilmember Brad Lander are organizing an event which will hopefully help end the stalemate on the shore power issue.  Below is the invitation they sent out today:

Dear Neighbors,

Please join us Monday at noon for a press conference and rally in support of bringing "shore power" to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal.

Along with the community we have been pushing for shore power for a long time — now we are holding this "Stop Choking Brooklyn" rally because we can't wait any longer!

Switching to shore power — so that ships can hook up to the electric grid instead of idling their engines in port — would stop tons of unnecessary and life-threatening pollution, which is equal to thousands of cars idling.

The Port Authority and the Environmental Protection Agency have obtained $15 million in funding to build the necessary infrastructure. However, for shore power to become a reality, the Economic Development Corporation, which operates the cruise terminal, Carnival Cruise Lines which uses the terminal, and New York Power Authority, which delivers electricity to the terminal, need to come to a final agreement about the price of electricity.

Join us on Monday to rally for an agreement now, so the work needed to bring shore power to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal can begin and idling cruise ships stop choking Brooklyn!

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We’re going to be holding the event on Monday. Here are the specifics:

• What: Rally to Stop Choking Brooklyn
• When: Monday, January 3rd, noon
• Where: corner of Van Brunt Street and Pioneer Street

There will be free surgical masks for everyone to wear in order to highlight just how much pollution is caused by the ships currently.

I hope you’ll join us on Monday as we rally in support of a cause that will make our community an even better place to live.

Thank you,

Councilmember Lander and Senator Squadron

Let's get out and let the powers that be know that our community really wants to see an end to pollution from idling ships.

Hearing re Alternatives to Housing in Brooklyn Bridge Park

Our neighborhood is growing, there are more young families every year and there is enormous demand for recreational space for all ages and in all seasons.

The Columbia Waterfront Neighborhood looks forward to the completion of the park, which will become a cherished amenity.

We appreciate the challenges in getting the park built and maintaining it going forward. However, we fear that fundamental principles are being compromised by the proposal to locate private housing in the park in order to generate income for maintenance.

We oppose the development of housing and hotels in the park. We feel that the park should contain only such uses as can be utilized by all visitors. Our communities need recreation and relaxation space - the Brooklyn Bridge Park is a unique opportunity and we look forward to working with all stakeholders to identify sources of revenue that will sustain the park's ongoing operations as an alternative to the proposed housing.

Please come to the hearing tomorrow night and express opposition to housing and support for recreation in Brooklyn Bridge Park. 

Tuesday, November 30, 2010, 6pm – 8pm
Long Island College Hospital, 339 Hicks Street Avram Conference Center, 1st floor

Public Hearing Re Developer Housing in Brooklyn Bridge Park

One of the hottest debates around concerns the dedication of land within Brooklyn Bridge Park to private development for housing and other uses in order to generate money to maintain the park.  In response to sustained opposition to such development, the Brooklyn Bridge Park Corp. has created a Committee on Alternatives to Housing to address the matter.

There are two meetings coming up at which the public can express their opinions and offer alternatives:

Tuesday, November 30, 2010, 6pm – 8pm
Long Island College Hospital, 339 Hicks Street Avram Conference Center, 1st floor

Thursday, December 9, 2010, 6pm – 8pm
St. Francis College, 180 Remsen Street,
Founders Hall Auditorium, 1st floor

We encourage everyone in the Columbia Waterfront to weigh in on this crucial issue. The eventual outcome of this effort will influence the future of our waterfront for decades.  Let's make sure the BBPC does what is best for the city and the community of park users, and not what is expedient for financial reasons and to satisfy narrow interests.

For background, see some of the information here.

BQE Enhancement Study Final Presentation

Please have a look at the final presentation for the BQE Enhancement Study at the EDC's website here.

Workshop 3 (the final presentation) is available as a downloadable PDF file - it includes a brief background of the project, conclusions, proposals which build one upon the other, and cost estimates.  The presentation is thorough and clear, and the cost estimates are presented in a very graphic manner which makes them very easy to absorb.

After reviewing the material, take the survey.  The more feedback, the better.  Next steps will be to find a way of making one of these plans a reality.