January 9, 2018
by Jenny Nicolas
The GreenHomeNYC November Forum held at the Hafele America showroom showcased a panel of four thought-leaders, who provided insight on the current status of New York City’s mobility and addressed innovative solutions to create a truly Smart City. The panelists discussed exciting projects and cutting edge technology that will help cities cut their dependence on fuel inefficient cars.
A Streetcar Named BQX
Jonathan Gouveia, Senior Vice President of New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), spoke about the
Brooklyn Queens Connector (BQX). The BQX is a project which would create a 16-mile waterfront streetcar from Sunset Park in Brooklyn, to Astoria in Queens, and would be able to accommodate 150 people.
Evidenced by the NYC subway map, there is a lack of N-S connections from Brooklyn to Queens. The BQX can be instrumental in the effort to move people more efficiently, while improving streetscapes, currently dominated by one-person occupied cars. This would be the first large rail transit capital project in over 60 years overseen by the city. With that magnitude, many factors must be considered including route planning, street design approach, and system accessibility features, among others.
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