Brooklyn could finally be getting some new public transit! And it’s going to be a … trolley? The New York Times reported yesterday the mayor is set to unveil a super ambitious plan to link Sunset Park, Dumbo, Brooklyn Heights, the Navy Yard, Williamsburg, Greenpoint all the way up to Astoria with a sleek new trolley car line. The idea is to serve the developing communities along the East River that are far from a subway line. It’d cost $2.5 billion, which is still less than a subway line, and move at 12mph which is just slow enough to annoy everyone.
Hey that’s cool, though, Brooklyn used to filled with trolley cars, so maybe we’ll finally get the Dodgers back too. And it certainly beats putting priority on new roads for cars, which are dumb. But then you remember the dire state of some of our subways, and that DC’s efforts to install streetcars were a historic boondoggle. Is this the best use of our transit money? Here’s what people make of what the mayor calls a stella-r plan.
@A_W_Gordon waiting for the east river trolley like pic.twitter.com/RozCFJAJqj
— Jorge Arangure (@jorgearangure) February 4, 2016
Propose to eliminate 25 parking spots for bike lane, community boards flip out.
Propose to eliminate 2500 parking spots for streetcar…
— Brooklyn Spoke (@BrooklynSpoke) February 4, 2016
This guy is special counsel to Donald Trump, just fyi:
Another ridiculous plan pushed by @BilldeBlasio connecting Brooklyn to Queens with a trolley car. Don't we have enough traffic to deal with?
— Michael Cohen (@MichaelCohen212) February 4, 2016
How is this better than the existing bus line? 16 mile trolley run that moves at 12 MPH? A bike run would be faster… https://t.co/vk46YdznWr
— Ratzo Calzone (@RatzoCalzone) February 4, 2016
Already worried about the weekend trolley service changes:
If you don't think streetcars are bullshit, talk to someone who grew up in San Francisco. Aboveground, they are just expensive bus lines.
— willy 💧 (@willystaley) February 3, 2016
DC to NYC: "lol" https://t.co/Zh0Wq47Gzq
— David A. Graham (@GrahamDavidA) February 4, 2016
This seems like an idea that would take .5 seconds to implement:
or do free transfers btwn Atlantic/Fulton/Lafayette and extend the Franklin Av shuttle like i've been saying https://t.co/loga4Ckuiz
— Jazmine Hughes (@jazzedloon) February 4, 2016
Yes!!!! And let's call it "Desire" for short "Mayor de Blasio to Propose Streetcar Line Linking Brooklyn and Queens" https://t.co/s8Cl65RUhQ
— Laura Bedrossian (@LauraBedrossian) February 4, 2016
https://twitter.com/A_W_Gordon/status/695022424497246209
Of course, the same problems that plague the subway will probably plague the streetcar too:
I can't wait to complain about manspreading on streetcars! https://t.co/KXGBqdvyNL
— Carrie Melago (@carriemelago) February 3, 2016
We’ve got a special preview of the State of the City speech later today where the Mayor will officially unveil the plan (must credit Brokelyn):
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This is legitimately the most Toronto thing we could do.
The plan isn’t a horrible idea. I think it has some issues to be worked out (the slow speed), but the general idea is great. If you live and/or work in some of these areas, like I do, you know that it is not a very easily accessible area. My closest subway station is just about a mile away and buses are not always the most reliable forms of transportation. There needs to be a better way to get from queens down through Brooklyn along the water. So I am glad they are looking for a solution.