Brooklyn Bridge Park Transportation Study, 3/2008

Sam Schwartz PLLc hDr-DanieL FrankFurt
Sam Schwartz PLLc hDr-DanieL FrankFurt
BBP
Brooklyn Bridge park
TransporTaTion + access sTudy
prepared for
The Downtown Brooklyn Waterfront Local Development Corporation

Brooklyn Bridge Park Transportation + Access Study
SAm SChwARTz PLLC hDR-DANIEL FRANkFURT
Board of Directors
Officers
Henry B. Gutman, President
Mark Baker, Treasurer
Kenneth Adams, Secretary
Appointed by
Brooklyn Heights Association
New York City Council Member
David Yassky
Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce
Directors
Jerry Armer
Gregory Atkins
Jon Benguiat
Pauline Blake
John Dew
Nicholas Evans-Cato
Rachel Gold
Jane McGroarty
Madelaine Murphy
Alric Nembhard
Franklin Stone
Gary Vanderputten
William Vinicombe
Betty Williams
BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS STUDY
Appointed by
Prepared for Downtown Brooklyn Waterfront Local Development Corporation Sam Schwartz PLLC + HDR-Daniel Frankfurt
Cobble Hill Association
Brooklyn Borough President
Marty Markowitz
Brooklyn Borough President
Marty Markowitz
Former Board Member
Brooklyn Community Board Two
Vinegar Hill Neighborhood
Association
New York State Senator Martin
Connor
Brooklyn Heights Association
Neighbors United for Columbia
Street
Brooklyn Community Board Six
New York State Assemblywoman
Joan Millman
Fulton Ferry Landing Association
Former Board Member
Congresswoman Nydia
Velázquez

Table of Contents Executive Summary 4
SAm SChwARTz PLLC hDR-DANIEL FRANkFURT
I. Introduction 6
II. New York City Transit Bus Routes 8
III. Pedestrian Access 13
IV. Bicycle Routes 19
V. Shuttle Bus Service 25
VI. Waterborne Transport 31
VII. Vertical Pedestrian Connection 36
VIII. Clark Street Subway Station 42
BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS STUDY

SAm SChwARTz PLLC hDR-DANIEL FRANkFURT
Executive Summary
The Downtown Brooklyn Waterfront Local Development Corporation, through a grant
from the United States Department of Transportation, secured by the Honorable Nydia
Velázquez, retained Sam Schwartz PLLC and HDR-Daniel Frankfurt to study a series
of potential short- and long-term measures to improve access to the future Brooklyn
Bridge Park (Park) without the use of private automobiles. The 85-acre Park would
extend almost 1.5 miles along the East River waterfront, from Jay Street in the north
to Atlantic Avenue in the south. Furman Street and the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway
(BQE) triple cantilever structure would border most of the Park to the east.
The goal of the study was to identify and investigate the feasibility of certain
transportation and access measures that could enhance public access to the Park and
its environs without adding private vehicular traffic. The study did not examine access
and circulation within the Park. The study was based on the Park’s Master Plan and
program, as well as the information provided in the December 2005 Brooklyn Bridge
Park Project Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS).
The study explored seven potential transportation initiatives to facilitate access to the
Park. These initiatives ranged from relatively low-cost improvements, such as New York
City Transit (NYCT) bus route modifications, to major capital investments, including a
potential pedestrian bridge from the Brooklyn Heights Promenade (Promenade) to the
Park.
The results of the study showed that some of the low-cost measures could, in fact, have
a greater impact on expanding public access to the Park than some of the higher cost,
long-term proposals. The study tasks are described below, ranked in order of feasibility
and potential effectiveness:
• NYCT Bus Routes. Examined potential NYCT bus routes that could be re-routed
or extended to provide direct access to the future Park.
• Pedestrian Access. Developed design measures to improve pedestrian and
bicycle safety and access along Atlantic Avenue and Old Fulton Street to the Park.
• Bicycle Routes. Developed bicycle route connections to link upland
neighborhoods to the Park’s planned bicycleway.
• Shuttle Bus Service. Reviewed the possibility of operating a shuttle bus service
to connect neighborhoods and transit hubs to the future Park.
• Waterborne Transport. Assessed future opportunities for expanding
waterborne transport access to the Park.
• Vertical Pedestrian Connection. Studied the engineering and design feasibility
of constructing a pedestrian bridge or elevator-type structure connecting the
Promenade with the Park.
BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS STUDY
• Clark Street Subway Station. Explored the feasibility of creating a new subway
station entrance at Furman Street as part of the existing Clark Street station.
To develop recommendations for each task, existing and future conditions were
assessed based on a review of the FEIS. Additionally, meetings and discussions were
held with relevant agencies, the Park designer (Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates),
community organizations, residents, and other stakeholders to identify issues, concerns,
and possible solutions.
The community outreach process was critical to the development of this study. Three
town hall meetings were held from October 2006 to March 2007, including a public
charrette in which participants were asked to develop and expand ideas in each of the
study tasks.
The community involvement generated extremely valuable ideas that were critical to
the successful completion of some of the tasks. For example, community members
suggested that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) vent building located
in the middle of the Park be used as a bus turnaround. This simple yet elegant solution
strengthened proposals for shuttle bus service and NYCT bus route modifications.
Based on community feedback and results of the technical analysis, the following
conclusions were reached:
NYCT Bus Routes
Possibilities exist to extend current NYCT bus routes to serve the Park.
Bus routes currently terminating near the Park could be extended to provide significant
transit opportunities linking riders and transit hubs to the Park. The potential bus
turnaround located within the Park at the MTA vent building (at Furman Street, below
the Promenade near Montague Street) could provide convenient transit access midway
between Old Fulton Street and Atlantic Avenue.
Pedestrian Access
There is great potential to improve the pedestrian corridors at Old Fulton Street and
Atlantic Avenue.
Through creative design solutions which would reduce wide pedestrian crossing
distances and reduce pedestrian/vehicular conflicts, tremendous opportunities exist
to enhance the pedestrian experience and create more open space at these major
gateways to the Park.
Bicycle Routes
More bicycle routes can be created to connect upland communities to the Park.
New bicycle routes can link neighborhoods and major bicycling corridors to the east

SAm SChwARTz PLLC hDR-DANIEL FRANkFURT
and south of the Park by utilizing appropriate local streets that are safe and convenient
for bicyclists.
Shuttle Bus Service
Shuttle buses could enhance transit service by connecting Park users to transit hubs.
By taking advantage of the future two-way conversion of Furman Street, a
shuttle service could provide convenient access to a large number of Park users
by creating stops at major transit hubs. The shuttle service could also use the
potential transit turnaround at the MTA vent building in the Park. Turning the
summer of 2007, an important pilot project providing shuttle service from
Downtown Brooklyn transit hubs to the Floating Pool at Brooklyn Bridge Park
Beach demonstrated the value of such services.
Waterborne Transport
Waterborne transport opportunities exist for new and expanded commuter service
and recreational and tourist-based routes.
Based on future Park visitor projections, as well as potential residential growth in the
area, new and expanded commuter service and recreational waterborne transport
service could be provided.
Vertical Pedestrian Connection
A structure can be designed and built to connect the Promenade with the Park.
By designing a series of ramps and stairs that connect the Promenade at Remsen Street
(or Montague Street) to a 35-foot berm in the Park, it may be possible to create a mid-
Park connection from Brooklyn Heights that does not affect the scenic view plane
and is Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant. However, based upon the
imminent plan of the New York State Department of Transportation (NYS DOT) to study
the potential reconstruction of the BQE triple cantilever, no such proposal could be
seriously entertained at this time.
Clark Street Subway Station
A new station entrance for the Clark Street station at Furman Street would face
significant engineering hurdles.
The proposal to dig a tunnel that would run parallel to the existing 2,3 train tunnels
and open onto Furman Street would face extraordinary engineering challenges and
enormous capital costs.
Conclusion
Our study has confirmed that significant opportunities exist to improve public access
to the Park without adding more private vehicular traffic to local streets. Feasible
short- to medium-term solutions that do not require costly capital investment were
identified in this study. While certain proposed elements, such as the Clark Street
station tunnel, were revealed to present larger engineering challenges and costs than
initially anticipated, other initiatives studied were much more promising.
BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS STUDY
In particular, opportunities identified in the study, such as designing new pedestrian
and bicycle connections to link upland neighborhoods with the Park, could have a
major impact at a reasonable cost. Improvements on these roadways and intersections
would also create a safer and more pleasant experience for pedestrians and cyclists.
Enhanced transit service and direct connections from transit hubs would allow visitors
from all over New York City to conveniently access the Park. Finally, there exists great
potential to incorporate many of these roadway improvements as part of the pending
reconstruction of the BQE cantilever structure to be spearheaded by the NYS DOT.

SAm SChwARTz PLLC hDR-DANIEL FRANkFURT
I. Introduction
The Downtown Brooklyn Waterfront Local Development Corporation (LDC)
retained Sam Schwartz PLLC and HDR-Daniel Frankfurt to develop alternatives and
recommendations to improve non-automobile access to the future Brooklyn Bridge
Park (Park). The transportation and access study assessed potential improvements in
the following areas:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
New York City Transit (NYCT) bus routes
Pedestrian access
Bicycle routes
Shuttle bus service
Waterborne transport
Vertical pedestrian connection
Clark Street subway station
The study was prepared to review ways of enhancing transportation access beyond
what was proposed in the Brooklyn Bridge Park Master Plan and Final Environmental
Impact Statement (FEIS). Specifically, the study did not develop recommendations or
provide comments on issues concerning circulation and access within the Park. It was
assumed that the Park would provide major at-grade connections at Old Fulton Street
and Atlantic Avenue. As indicated in the Brooklyn Bridge Park Master Plan and FEIS,
a pedestrian bridge would connect the existing Squibb Park in Brooklyn Heights to
the Park (see Figure I-1). If deemed feasible and desirable, the implementation of the
recommendations would occur independent of the Park and would require additional
reviews, approvals, and funding.
As shown in Figure I-2, the study area consists of the Park, bordered by Jay Street to
the north, Atlantic Avenue to the south, Furman Street to the west, and the Brooklyn
Heights Promenade (Promenade) to the east and immediately adjacent areas. Tasks
such as the bus route extensions and the shuttle bus service considered a broader
study area, including the Atlantic Avenue transit hub and Downtown Brooklyn.
Recommendations were developed based on an assessment of existing and future
conditions, as outlined in the FEIS. All Park visitor projections and modal split
assumptions were also based on the FEIS. Meetings were held with community
representatives; the Park designer, Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates; as well as with
relevant New York City (City) and New York State (State) agencies to discuss alternatives
and their feasibility.
BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS STUDY
Figure I-1 Pier 1 and Squibb Park Bridge (Source: Michael Van Valkenburgh
Associates)

SAm SChwARTz PLLC hDR-DANIEL FRANkFURT
Figure I-2 Primary Study Area
PIER 6 PIER 5
Water
Taxi/
Ferry
Landing
PIER 3 PIER 2
PIER 4
Water
Taxi/
Ferry
360
Furman
Street
Landing
COLUMBIA PL
PIER 1
WILLOW PL
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS ESPLANDE
Water
Taxi/
Ferry
Landing
SQUIBB
PARK
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS
REMSEN ST
JORALEMON ST
GARDEN PL
BROOKLYN BRIDGE
FURMAN ST
COLUMBIA HEIGHTS
PINEAPPLE ST
GRACE CT
STATE ST
ATLANTIC AV
PACIFIC ST
HICKS ST
WILLOW ST
MONTAGUE ST
VINE ST
LOVE LANE
CLARK ST
PIERREPONT ST
SIDNEY PL
DOUGHTY ST
COLLEGE PL
HENRY ST
HUNTS LANE
ORANGE ST
MIDDAGH ST
CRANBERRY ST
WATER ST
POPLAR ST
MONROE PL
YORK ST
CLINTON ST
CADMAN PZ W
COURT ST
MAIN ST
BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS STUDY
DUMBO
CADMAN
PLAZA
PARK
TILLARY ST
MANHATTAN BRIDGE
CADMAN PZ E
WASHINGTON ST
TECH PL
BOERUM PL
Water
Taxi/
Ferry
Landing
ADAMS ST
ADAMS ST
PEARL ST
SANDS ST
JAY ST
JAY ST
LIVINGSTON ST
NASSAU ST
CHAPEL ST
CATHEDRAL PL
JOHN ST
PLYMOUTH ST
WATER ST
FRONT ST
YORK ST
MC LAUGHLIN
PARK
JOHNSON ST
MYRTLE PROMENADE
LAWRENCE ST
FULTON MALL
BRIDGE ST
BRIDGE ST
PROSPECT ST
BRIDGE ST
ORATORY PL
NASSAU ST
DUFFIELD ST
DUFFIELD ST
DOWNTOWN
BROOKLYN
GOLD ST
SANDS ST
GOLD ST
GOLD ST

II. New York City Transit Bus Routes
SAm SChwARTz PLLC hDR-DANIEL FRANkFURT
Background
A wealth of NYCT bus routes serve Downtown Brooklyn and upland neighborhoods
adjacent to the Park. For example, Downtown Brooklyn/Borough Hall is served by over
10 bus routes from neighborhoods as far east as East New York and Mill Basin. The
headways of these bus routes are indicated in Table II-1 and routes are shown in Figure
II-1 and II-2. Currently, there is no direct bus service to the main portion of the Park
between Atlantic Avenue and Furman Street.
Furman Street is currently one-way, but the FEIS indicates that it will be converted to
two-way; the recommendations here assume implementation of the conversion to
two-way.
Table II-1 Downtown Brooklyn Vicinity Bus Route Headways
route
Service Frequency
Sat 12-1 Sun 12-1 wkdy 12-1 wkdy 5-6
B25 7-9 10-12 8-9 6-9 DUMBO/East New York
terminates
B26 7-9 10 8-9 7-10 Downtown Brooklyn/Bushwick
B37 20-21 30-33 20-22 18-20 Downtown Brooklyn/Bay Ridge
B38 5-6 7-9 5 4-5 Downtown Brooklyn/Bushwick
B41 LCL 6-7 7-8 7-8 6-8 Downtown Brooklyn/Marine Park
B41 LMT 7-9 12 7-8 6-8 Downtown Brooklyn/Marine Park
B45 10 12 8-10 8-10 Downtown Brooklyn/Crown Heights
B51 none none 30 15-20 Downtown Brooklyn/City Hall (Manhattan)
B52 7-9 10-12 7-9 6-8 Downtown Brooklyn/Bushwick
B54 8-10 12-15 10 10 Downtown Brooklyn/Bushwick
B57 13-15 20-25 15-30 10-14 Downtown Brooklyn/Maspeth
B61 13-16 6-10 8-11 6-10 Red Hook/Long Island City
B63 8-11 8-10 10-11 10 Cobble Hill/Bay Ridge
B65 15 20 14-15 10-12 Downtown Brooklyn/Crown Heights
B67 15 20-22 12 10-12 Downtown Brooklyn/Kensington
B69 30-33 30 29-30 18-20 DUMBO/Park Slope
B71 30 30 30 36 Cobble Hill/Crown Heights
B75 15 20 12-15 12-15 Downtown Brooklyn/Park Slope
R
BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS STUDY
Figure II-1 Downtown Brooklyn Bus Routes (Source: Metropolitan Transportation
Authority)
W
hitehall St
South F erry
YN BATTER Y
GOVERNORS
x
27
BROOKLYN
CRUISE
TERMINAL
x
28
x
29
Figure II-2 Downtown Brooklyn Bus Routes—Detail (Source: Metropolitan
Transportation Authority)
VER ST
DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN
PROMENADE
MONTAGUE
4
5
HICKS ST
COBBLE
HILL
x
37
x
37
M
R
GRACE ST
61 63
LONG ISLAND
COLLEGE
HOSPITAL
4
5
x
38
IMLAY ST
BROOKLYN
HEIGHTS
GARDEN PL
38
Pier 11
CONGRESS ST
HENRY ST
PIERRE POINT ST
HENRI ST
MONTAGUE ST
SIDNEY ST
PACIFIC ST
AMITY ST
STREET
SEAPORT
M
R
BOW NE ST
71
61
STATE ST
2 3
VAN BRUNT ST
CARROLL ST
REMSEN ST
BROOKLYN
HISTORICAL
SOCIETY
M R
C ourt St
ST FRANCIS
COLLEGE
CA
ROTUNDA
GALLERY
ARTS AT
ST. ANN’S
JORALEMON ST
SCHERMERHORN ST
CLINTON ST
75
A
C
BQ E
COLUMBIA ST
COURT ST
CADMAN ST
CADMAN PLAZAWEST
51
2 3
Borough
Hall
COURT ST
25
ATLANTIC AV
PACIFIC ST
LYN B RIDGE
BARGEMUSIC
LI COLLEGE
HOSPITAL
COBBLE
HILL
25
41
52
38
26
4 5
F
G
BOROUGH
BOROUGH
HALL HALL
Boroug h
Hall
BROOKLYN
LAW SCHOOL
37
75 45
LIVINGSTON ST
TRANSIT
MUSEUM
BOERUM PL
61 65
WATER ST
61
FURMAN FUR M ST
BROOKLYN Clark St
HEIGHTS
FEDERAL
BUILDING
TILLARY ST
NY STATE
SUPREME
COURT
NY
STATE
CRIMINAL
COURT
65
2
3
DOWNTOWN
BROOKLYN INSET
JORALEMON ST
61
t
C ourt St
M
25
52
SMITH ST
38
52
51
75
57
65
61
65
A
C
F G
SACKETT ST SMITH ST
75
63
Bergen
S t
COURT
ST
TT AN
BRIDGE
CADMAN
R
ADAM ST
26
41 103
25
103
OYT S T
25
25
Z
FAMILY
COURT
Jay St
Borough Hall A C
F
PEARL ST
38
75
W
PLAZA
MAIN ST
A
JAY ST
STATE ST
Q
FRONT ST
High
St
C
51
26
57
61
67
75
T
ATLANTIC AV
BERGEN ST
B OND S T
NEVINS
ST
54
JAY ST
Yor k St
F
75
67
POLY TECHNIC
UNIVERSITY
LAWRENCE ST
M R
Lawrence St
LA
38
61 52
25
26
103
37
41 45
SCHERMERHORN ST
67
A C
G
FULTON
FERRY
GOLD ST
N SS
NASSAU ST
F L A S H
DeK DeKalbb
Av
2 3
4 5
Nevins
St
65
FLATBUSH AV
JOHNSON ST
BRIDGE ST
2 3
Hoyt St
CONCORD ST
DUFFIELD ST
B
D
FLATBUSH AV
N
Q
WILLOUGHBY ST
HOYT ST
54
51
FULTON ST
LIVINGSTON ST
61
ELM ST
NAVY ST
B
Q R
FU
YORK ST
FORT
GREENE
M
SANDS ST
C. BARRY PARK
MYRTLE AV
TILLARY ST
GOLD ST
69
FULTON ST
54
BOND ST
FLUSHING AV
FORT GREENE
PARK
DE KALB
61
54
GOLD ST
57
FLEET ST
PRINCE ST
MYRTLEAV
DE KALB
AV
AV
G
B Q
Fulton St
C
Lafa yette
Av
2 3 4 5
Atlantic A v
PARK AV
25
LIRR FLATB
FLATBUS
ATL ANTIC A
B M
Q
38
R
DeKalb
Av
A
B
THE
BROOKLYN
HOSPITAL
CENTER

Figure II-3 Potential Extensions of Downtown Brooklyn and Vicinity Bus Routes
SAm SChwARTz PLLC hDR-DANIEL FRANkFURT
360 360 33
Furm urm rman rmreet ma ma man
an
Sttr Stre Stree
ree
ee et et et
PIER PIER 66 PIER PIER 55
PIER PIER 33 PIER PIER 22
PIER 4
Water
Taxi/
Ferry
Landing
COLUMBIA ST
UNION ST
Water
Taxi/
Ferry
Landing
SACKETT ST
FURMAN ST
ATLANTIC AV
PIER PIER 11
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS ESPLANDE
· B71 to Crown Hieghts
BROOKLYN BRIDGE
FURMAN ST
Water
Taxi/
Ferry
Landing
SQUIBB
PARK
COBBLE HILL
CARROLL GARDENS
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS
JORALEMON ST
· B63 to Bay Ridge
CARROLL PARK
CLARK ST
CARROLL ST
OLD FULTON ST
CADMAN PZ W
DUMBO
COURT ST
MANHATTAN BRIDGE
CADMAN
PLAZA
PARK
FRONT ST
YORK ST
HIGH ST
Water
Taxi/
Ferry
Landing
BOROUGH HALL
BOROUGH HALL
BERGEN ST
PEARL ST
JAY ST
MC LAUGHLIN
PARK
JAY ST
YORK ST
· B26, B38, and B52 to Bushwick
· B41 to Marine Park
DOWNTOWN
BROOKLYN
LAWRENCE ST
HOYT ST
BOERUM HILL
THOMAS GREENE PLAYGROUND
VINEGAR HILL
HIGH ST · B67 to Downtown Brooklyn and Kensington
· B69 to Park Slope
· B75 to Downtown Brooklyn and Park Slope
HOYT ST
DEKALB AVE
PACIFIC ST
COMMODORE J
BARRY PARK
FORT GREENE PARK
FORT GREENE
FULTON ST
ATLANTIC AVE
BERGEN ST
PROSPECT HEIGHTS
WILLAMSBURG
BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS STUDY
Routes Considered
NYCT bus routes considered for modification and/or extension were based on the
proximity of the routes to the northern or southern boundaries of the Park. Specifically,
routes that passed by or terminated at nearby locations such as Atlantic Avenue,
Downtown Brooklyn/Cadman Plaza West, Fulton Ferry Landing/Old Fulton Street, and
the High Street Station/York Street Station area were considered.
Three bus route extension categories were considered; they are described below and
shown in Figure II-3.
Atlantic Avenue/Union Street Routes
Three NYCT bus routes serve the southern area of the Park site: the B63, B61, and B71.
The B63 currently terminates at Atlantic Avenue and Furman Street, providing access
from Bay Ridge via Park Slope and Downtown Brooklyn. This route connects Bay Ridge
to the waterfront via two primary corridors: Atlantic Avenue and Fifth Avenue.
The B61 provides service to the Park’s southern entrance at Atlantic Avenue for riders
from Red Hook, Long Island City, and points between. This extensive route travels
through Williamsburg, Downtown Brooklyn, and along the waterfront via Columbia
Street between Red Hook and Atlantic Avenue.
The B71 travels primarily along Union Street for the bulk of its short route. The route
connects Crown Heights and Cobble Hill at Van Brunt and Sackett Streets, about ½ mile
from the Park.
Downtown Brooklyn/Cadman Plaza West Routes
The B26, B38, B52, and B41 bus routes provide access to Downtown Brooklyn from
neighborhoods in eastern and south central Brooklyn. The B51 also terminates here
and connects with the City Hall area in Manhattan, but offers no weekend service.
The B26, B38, and B52 routes run parallel to each other along Halsey Street, Lafayette
Avenue/Dekalb Avenue, and Gates Avenue, respectively, connecting Bushwick to
Downtown Brooklyn. The B41 connects Downtown Brooklyn to Marine Park primarily
via Flatbush Avenue.
CLINTON AVE
High Street Station/York Street Station Routes
The B67 and B69 routes connect Downtown Brooklyn to Park Slope and Kensington.
The B67 runs along Seventh Avenue in Park Slope and terminates near the High Street
Station via Jay Street. The B69 follows a parallel route to the B67 in Park Slope, but
follows Vanderbilt Avenue to terminate near the High Street Station via Flushing
Avenue. The B75 also terminates near the High Street Station, running primarily along
CLINTON AVE
Smith and Court Streets in Cobble Hill, and then to Park Slope. Finally, the B25 provides
access from its terminal at Fulton Ferry Landing to East New York via Fulton Street.

SAm SChwARTz PLLC hDR-DANIEL FRANkFURT
Community Comments
At the December 5, 2006, community charrette, many comments were provided
regarding bus route modifications. There was consensus that existing bus service
did not adequately meet the needs of the Park and its waterfront location. Nearly all
participants agreed that selected bus routes should be extended to directly serve the
Park. The following consistent themes were noted:
•
•
•
•
Minimum of two routes serving different areas of Brooklyn should be extended to
Furman Street
Extend B61 and/or B63 north along Furman Street from Atlantic Avenue
Modify bus schedules based on peak Park visitor hours
Use the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) vent building for bus
circulation and movements
Criteria
Bus route extensions may be feasible to NYCT if incremental operating costs associated
with the additional mileage are offset by increased ridership revenue as a result of the
route modification. Therefore, any route modification would not likely occur until rider
demand increases due to Park development. For meaningful Park access, candidate
routes would need to have high existing rider volumes and frequent service. For
reliability, candidate routes should currently offer service with minimal delays. Running
times and terminal layover times in the existing schedules may allow some routes to
be extended more economically than others. Route extensions serving the Park will
need safe and adequately sized termination areas, while providing feasible turnaround
locations and amenities (for example, bathrooms) for the bus operators.
Recommendations
As discussed with the Park designers and in keeping with comments from the
community, the roadway circling the MTA vent building (at Furman Street, below the
Promenade near Montague Street) provides a central, off-street, pedestrian-friendly
location for a NYCT bus pick-up/drop-off location within the Park, as shown in Figure II-
4. This would allow buses to use Furman Street without stopping on Furman Street and
negatively impacting the traffic flow. Since the vent building will remain in the plans
for the Park, it offers the opportunity to deposit park-goers in the center of the Park
without actually intruding into it. As shown in Figure II-5, the roadway surrounding the
vent building could be established as a bus pick-up/drop-off location for extended bus
routes, as well as for potential shuttle service. Buses should operate counter-clockwise
to preclude pedestrian movement in front of buses, and to allow passengers to board
and alight from the sidewalk. The future two-way operation of Furman Street is a
critical component of any bus extension, but on-street stops along Furman Street are
not recommended due to pedestrian safety concerns and roadway constraints.
Figure II-4 MTA Vent Building
BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS STUDY 10
Figure II-5 MTA Vent Building with Southbound Bus Turning Maneuvers Shown
MTA FAN
PLANT

SAm SChwARTz PLLC hDR-DANIEL FRANkFURT
Feasible route extensions were based on the criteria described previously. Certain
types of routes were eliminated immediately as infeasible. Based on these criteria, the
following two routes were identified as having the greatest short-term potential to be
extended.
B63 Route Extension
The B63’s existing terminus at Atlantic Avenue and Furman Street could be extended
approximately ½-mile to the MTA vent building turnaround. This route would provide
direct access to the Park from southwest Brooklyn. The current terminus—a U-turn at
the western end of Atlantic Avenue—will not be possible once the Park is developed.
The vent building turnaround would solve an operations problem for NYCT while
improving Park access.
Downtown Brooklyn/Cadman Plaza West Routes
With the exception of its part-time service into DUMBO, the B25 currently terminates
at Fulton Ferry Landing, adjacent to the Park. It would be logical to extend this to the
MTA vent building turnaround. The B25 runs through Bedford-Stuyvesant and central
Brooklyn, as far as East New York. As demand grows for the Park, the B26, B38, or
B52—all of which terminate nearby at Cadman Plaza West—could be other candidates
for extension. While all three travel east and offer frequent service, the B38 bus may be
favored as its route varies considerably from the B25, and it covers the largest area of
the three routes, reaching to Ridgewood, Queens.
The fourth candidate route at this location, the B41, is not recommended for
consideration. It is plagued by delays, and NYCT previously scaled back the route from
Fulton Ferry to Tillary Street, substituting the B25. It is unlikely that NYCT would be
willing to revisit an extension of the route.
The following section provides a summary of other routes that were not recommended
for extension.
Atlantic Avenue/Union Street Routes
The B61 currently serves the southern end of the Park. Extending this route would
inconvenience existing riders by bypassing Downtown Brooklyn, a major destination
for current riders. The B61 has frequent headways and already stops a short distance
from the southern end of the Park, at Furman Street and Atlantic Avenue.
Another route near this area is the B71, which does not offer much potential for
extension. This route currently operates infrequently, has low ridership, and Park users
could access the Park more quickly by using other nearby routes and transferring to
or from the B63. Additionally, it is being considered for extension to the south, which
would preclude extension to the Park.
BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS STUDY 11
High Street Station/York Street Station Routes
Three routes currently terminate in the Pearl-Jay-High Street area: B67, B69, and B75.
Although temptingly close to the Park and offering a potential link from the subway and
DUMBO to the Park, it is not likely that any would be extended. DUMBO is characterized
by narrow, often impassable streets arranged in a one-way pattern that limits throughmovement.
Sharp turns, circuitous routing, and blocked streets are not conducive to
bus operations or attractive to passengers. As all three candidate routes arrive from
the south, Park-bound passengers would be required to ride north through Downtown
Brooklyn and then double-back to access the Park. Extensions of these routes are
unlikely to attract riders to the Park or be attractive to Park users.
Although bus route extensions in this area are not attractive, improvements should be
made to the High Street and York Street subway stations serving the DUMBO area to
encourage the use of these stations for Park visitors and to provide better service to
existing station users. Appropriate signage should be located within the stations to
direct visitors to the Park and waterfront. Additional wayfinding signage at street level
would provide a further improvement. The wayfinding plan created by the DUMBO
Business Improvement District (BID) for the Brooklyn Bridge area to improve wayfinding
for pedestrians traveling between the bridge, Downtown Brooklyn, DUMBO, and the
Park could logically be expanded to include the High Street and York Street station
area.
It should be noted that the DUMBO BID has currently recommended the extension of
the B25 within DUMBO to run along Front and York Streets.
Conclusion
In order to properly serve the Park via new, extended bus routes, it is critical that Furman
Street be converted to two-way traffic, as indicated in the FEIS. The MTA vent building
should be used as a new bus turnaround and pick-up/drop-off location within the Park.
The B63 route should be extended north from Atlantic Avenue and Furman Street
to the new turnaround to provide direct transit access into the Park. In addition, the
B25, which, except for its part-time service into DUMBO, terminates at the Fulton Ferry
Landing, could also be extended south to the vent building turnaround. The B26, B38,
and B52 all terminate at Cadman Plaza West and are additional candidates for future
extension into the Park, particularly the B38. The recommended route extensions are
shown in Figure II-6. Extending these routes would provide a variety of neighborhoods
with direct access to the Park and would be logistically feasible.

Figure II-6 Recommended NYCT Bus Route Extensions
SAm SChwARTz PLLC hDR-DANIEL FRANkFURT
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BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS STUDY 1
CLINTON AVE

SAm SChwARTz PLLC hDR-DANIEL FRANkFURT
III. Pedestrian Access
Visitors to the Park will arrive using every mode of transportation, but all will eventually
experience the Park from the pedestrian point of view. Major pedestrian access points,
or gateways to the Park, are examined in this section for their potential to provide safe
and convenient pedestrian access to the Park. Two major gateways to the Park include
the Old Fulton Street and Atlantic Avenue entrances because of their proximity to
transit and nearby attractions and because Park access points between these locations
are limited. In addition, the Park’s design includes designated gateways at these two
locations.
The pedestrian corridor along Old Fulton Street provides access to the north-central
gateway to the Park and is within a 10- to 15-minute walk from the Brooklyn Bridge;
the Promenade; the York Street (F), High Street (A,C), and Clark Street (2,3) subway
stations, as well as the neighborhoods of DUMBO and Brooklyn Heights (shown in
Figure III-1). The pedestrian corridor along Atlantic Avenue provides access to the
southern-most gateway to the Park and is within a 10- to 15-minute walk from the
Promenade, the Borough Hall (2,3,4,5) and Court Street (M,R) subway stations, as well
as the neighborhoods of Brooklyn Heights, Downtown Brooklyn, and Cobble Hill (also
shown in Figure III-1).
Both Old Fulton Street and Atlantic Avenue are expected to be well-traveled pedestrian
routes to the Park and should be as clear, safe, and as well-defined as possible for a
wide range of Park visitors. In the existing condition, both the Old Fulton Street and
the Atlantic Avenue pedestrian corridors have numerous pedestrian-vehicle conflict
points, many of which can be eliminated or made safer, as described in the following
sections.
The planned reconstruction of the cantilevered segment of the Brooklyn-Queens
Expressway (BQE) presents a unique opportunity to reconfigure the approaches to the
highway to significantly improve the pedestrian experience. In general, to improve
the pedestrian environment, conflicts between pedestrians and vehicles should be
eliminated wherever possible. Where pedestrian-vehicle conflicts cannot be avoided
(for example, turning vehicles conflicting with pedestrians crossing at intersections),
crossings should be made as safe and clear as possible by shortening crossing lengths
to minimize pedestrian time in the roadway. Reclaiming excessive vehicle space for
pedestrians (for instance, narrowing roadways and/or widening sidewalks) can promote
slower vehicle travel speeds and provide more pedestrian comfort. In addition, any
irregularly shaped intersections or crossings that may confuse pedestrians regarding
the directions vehicles will be approaching (for example, more than four approaches
to an intersection) or that may promote higher vehicle speeds at pedestrian crossings
(for example, channelized right turn lanes) should be normalized wherever possible.
In other words, street geometries should be reconfigured to normal, right-angled,
four-approach intersections to promote pedestrian safety and driver awareness. The
principles described above were applied when suggesting improvements to Old Fulton
Street and Atlantic Avenue near the Park.
BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS STUDY 1
Community Comments
Pedestrian access improvements were addressed at the community meetings held on
October 4, 2006, and March 20, 2007, and the community charrette held on December
5, 2006. Comments and suggestions raised by the community at these events were
generally consistent with the general pedestrian improvements described above. For
example, it was suggested that the pedestrian experience be improved along Old
Fulton Street and Atlantic Avenue by minimizing the number, length, and complexity
of crossings. It was suggested that a particular focus be given to pedestrian crossings at
the BQE on/off ramps because of the high vehicle volumes and speeds near Old Fulton
Street and Atlantic Avenue and the danger presented to pedestrians. In addition, the
community suggested improvements such as widening sidewalks and adding street
trees, parking, center medians, curb extensions, and other traffic calming measures to
slow vehicles and claim additional pedestrian space.
Other specific recommendations made by the community were as follows:
•
•
•
•
Improve pedestrian access along the north side of Old Fulton Street to
Cadman Plaza, including additional crossings between Hicks Street and
Prospect Street
Improve pedestrian access from the Brooklyn Bridge pedestrian entrance/
exit to Old Fulton Street
Extend Park-related improvements east of the BQE at Atlantic Avenue to
create a true Park gateway
Consider a roundabout or other improvements at the terminus of Atlantic Avenue
so that it feels like a Park entrance, not the end of a street
Old Fulton Street Pedestrian Corridor
Existing Conflicts and Safety Issues
Existing vehicle-pedestrian conflict points along Old Fulton Street are highlighted in red
in Figure III-2. Pedestrians on the northern side of Old Fulton Street heading westward
(toward the Park) encounter several dangerous conflicts with vehicles, particularly
those coming off the BQE. There are four consecutive conflict points within a short
distance at the BQE exit ramp and Front Street. These four pedestrian crossings, also
shown in Figure III-3, are meandering as a result of the channelized turn lanes, and have
poor visibility for both pedestrians and vehicles.

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Figure III-1 Old Fulton Street and Atlantic Avenue Gateways to Brooklyn Bridge Park
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BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS STUDY 1
Figure III-2 Old Fulton Street Access Corridor to Brooklyn Bridge Park (pedestrianvehicle
conflict points highlighted in red)
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FURMAN ST
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS
Figure III-3 Old Fulton Street and Vicinity
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Figure III-4 Old Fulton Street at Water Street, facing southeast
SAm SChwARTz PLLC hDR-DANIEL FRANkFURT
Further west on the northern side of Old Fulton Street, at its intersection with Water
Street, both roadways (Old Fulton and Water Streets) widen, creating a vehicle-centric
environment that is less comfortable for pedestrians and promotes vehicle speeding
Westbound, Old Fulton Street becomes a two-lane, rather than one-lane, approach at
this intersection, with a right-turn lane and through-left lane separated by a landscaped
median. This allows westbound vehicles to turn at higher speeds and creates a
hazardous crossing for westbound pedestrians.
In addition, the western end of Old Fulton Street, where it intersects with Water Street
on the north side and Furman Street and Everit Street on the south side (shown in
Figure III-3 and Figure III-4) is an example of atypical street geometry that is confusing
to motorists and pedestrians alike. Rather than a typical right-angled intersection
with four approaches, Old Fulton Street widens just prior to Water Street and then
terminates with a left-turn movement onto Furman Street and a through movement to
Fulton Ferry Landing. Water Street also widens considerably for a short block to include
two directions of moving traffic and perpendicular parking, prior to terminating at Old
Fulton Street. Everit Street also approaches Old Fulton Street opposite Water Street and
east of Furman Street, adding another leg to this unusual intersection. The pedestrian
crossing of Old Fulton Street at Everit Street is 110 feet wide; pedestrians must cross a
dedicated westbound right-turn lane onto Water Street, an island separating the two
westbound lanes, a westbound left-through lane, a striped median, and an eastbound
receiving lane. As a result, pedestrians must contend with wide expanses of asphalt,
crossings that are not perpendicular, and the uncertainty about where vehicles are
headed.
BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS STUDY 1
On the southern side of the Old Fulton Street pedestrian corridor, there are two
significant conflict points at its intersection with Hicks Street. At this location, Hicks
Street receives two westbound left-turn lanes and one eastbound right-turn lane
creating two separate crossings on Old Fulton Street. Vehicles use this entrance from
Old Fulton Street to Hicks Street to travel south toward the BQE entrance ramp. This
entrance to Hicks Street has a great potential for vehicle delays and pedestrian conflicts
as pedestrian volumes to and from the Park increase.

Figure BROOKLYN III-5 Proposed BRIDGE PARK Pedestrian Access Improvements for the Old Fulton Street
Corridor
FURMAN ST
COLUMBIA HEIGHTS
SAm SChwARTz PLLC hDR-DANIEL FRANkFURT
EVERIT ST
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VINE ST
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Recommended Improvements
The proposed improvements for the Old Fulton Street Corridor are shown in
schematically form in Figure III-5. In general, the goal of the improvements is to
eliminate as many pedestrian-vehicle conflicts as possible, shorten pedestrian crossing
lengths, create a more pedestrian-friendly environment, and reclaim excessively wide
asphalt or roadway sections for pedestrian and open space.
The BQE off-ramp that currently intersects with Old Fulton Street could be reconfigured
to intersect with Front Street instead. The new intersection of the BQE off-ramp with
Front Street could be located opposite the existing intersection of Dock and Front
HICKS ST
DOCK ST
FRONT ST
WATER ST
YORK ST
BQE EXIT RAMP
BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS STUDY 1
Streets, and the new four-leg intersection could be signal-controlled. To reach Old
Fulton Street from the BQE, vehicles would turn left (westbound) onto Front Street and
follow that to its intersection with Old Fulton Street. The intersection of Front Street and
Old Fulton Street would also be normalized to approach at a right angle, eliminating
the channelized turns. As a result, the four meandering pedestrian crossings on the
north side of Old Fulton Street at Front Street would be consolidated to one, normalized
crossing. These improvements could create up to 0.6 acres of open space on the north
side of Old Fulton Street, east of its intersection with Front Street.
Similarly, the two channelized Hicks Street entrances at Old Fulton Street could
be reconfigured to create one normalized intersection, resulting in a shortened,
consolidated pedestrian crossing. In addition, Old Fulton Street at Water and Everit
Streets could be narrowed to shorten the crossing from 110 feet to 53 feet, create a
more pedestrian-friendly environment, and calm vehicles. Water Street could also
be narrowed and converted to a one-way street, reducing the length of its pedestrian
crossing at Old Fulton Street.
In addition to promoting pedestrian safety, the improvements could add approximately
1.1 acres of new open space. These improvements should be studied further to estimate
their effects on the area traffic network and to assess the structural feasibility of the
potential ramp configuration.
Atlantic Avenue Pedestrian Corridor
Existing Conflicts and Safety Issues
The Atlantic Avenue pedestrian corridor, the southern gateway to the Park, is shown
in Figure III-6, with existing vehicle conflict points highlighted in red. Pedestrians
heading westward toward the Park on Atlantic Avenue must contend with several
vehicle conflict points, including the on- and off-ramps to the BQE on the north and
south side of Atlantic Avenue, respectively (also shown in Figure III-7 with the Park
highlighted in yellow).
On the north side of Atlantic Avenue, the BQE on-ramp and Furman Street do not
intersect with Atlantic Avenue at right angles, making it easier for vehicles to make
turning movements at higher speeds and resulting in long, difficult pedestrian crossings.
The channelized right-turn from Atlantic Avenue to the BQE on-ramp, allowing cars to
make the turning movement at higher speeds, ultimately serves little purpose given
the stop sign at the end of the ramp immediately prior to the ramp’s merge with the
BQE. Similarly, on the south side of Atlantic Avenue, the BQE off-ramp channelized
right turn lane onto Atlantic Avenue allows vehicles to make the turning movement
at higher speeds than a normalized, right-angle intersection, resulting in decreased
safety at the pedestrian crossing. In addition, the unusual S-curve geometry at the
intersection of Columbia Street/Furman Street and Atlantic Avenue is confusing for
vehicles and pedestrians alike, and results in additional, lengthy pedestrian crossings.

SAm SChwARTz PLLC hDR-DANIEL FRANkFURT
EAST R
BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK TRANSPORTATION walkway/bikeway AND ACCESS STUDY 1
Recommended Improvements
Similarly, Furman Street could be realigned to approach Atlantic Avenue at something
As in the case of the recommended improvements to the Old Fulton Street corridor, closer to a right angle. Additionally, the channelized turn for vehicles entering Columbia
the recommended improvements for the Atlantic Avenue corridor reduce pedestrian- BROOKLYN Street HEIGHTS from Furman Street and Atlantic Avenue would be eliminated to remove
vehicle conflicts, shorten pedestrian crossing lengths, and create a more pedestrian another higher-speed vehicle-pedestrian conflict point. As a result, crossings at the
friendly environment. The recommended improvements to the Atlantic Avenue intersection of Furman Street/Columbia CADMAN Street PLAZA and PARK Atlantic Avenue would be shorter
corridor are shown in Figure III-8.
The major changes recommended for the Atlantic Avenue corridor involve normalizing
and fewer in number. A new pedestrian crossing could be added to the west side of the
intersection.
intersections to reduce the number of pedestrian crossings and shortening the As discussed above, two pedestrian crossings would be added on Atlantic Avenue to
remaining pedestrian crossings. The BQE off-ramp could be realigned to intersect improve pedestrian safety for north-south movements. Overall, 0.9 acres of new open
Atlantic Avenue opposite the BQE on-ramp. The channelized right-turn of the off-ramp space would be added. As in the case of Old Fulton Street, these improvements should
could be eliminated, and vehicles turning right at this location would approach the be studied further to estimate their effects on the area traffic network and their overall
normalized intersection with left-turning vehicles. As a result, vehicles making turning
movements that conflict with pedestrians would be required to do so at slower speeds.
A new pedestrian crosswalk could be added on the west side of the intersection.
feasibility in terms of structural design.
Figure III-6 Atlantic Avenue Access Corridor to Brooklyn Bridge Park (pedestrian
vehicle conflict points highlighted in red)
VEHICLE
PEDESTRIAN
BA
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Figure III-7 Atlantic Avenue and Vicinity
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Figure III-8 Proposed Pedestrian Access Improvements for the Atlantic Avenue Corridor
SAm SChwARTz PLLC hDR-DANIEL FRANkFURT
BROOKLYN
BRIDGE PARK
FURMAN ST
COLUMBIA ST
BQE RAMP
BQE SB
BQE NB
BQE RAMP
ATLANTIC AV
BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS STUDY 1
Conclusion
As Old Fulton Street and Atlantic Avenue are the two primary entrances to the Park
where the majority of visitors will experience the Park as pedestrians, the pedestrian
routes along these two corridors should be improved. The planned reconstruction of
the BQE cantilever presents a unique opportunity to reconfigure the approaches to
the highway to significantly improve the pedestrian experience. Intersections should
be normalized along Old Fulton Street at the BQE exit ramp, Front Street, Water Street,
and Hicks Street. Along Atlantic Avenue, intersections should be normalized at the
on- and off-ramps of the BQE, Columbia Street, and Furman Street. Pedestrian crossing
lengths should be shortened where possible, unnecessary vehicle space reclaimed for
pedestrians, and irregularly shaped intersections re-aligned to normal, right-angled,
four-leg intersections.
To realize the improvements suggested above, a detailed traffic analysis will be required
to assess the potential impacts to vehicular level of service on the streets in question
as well as the surrounding roadway network. This study would have to be coordinated
with the New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) and the New York
State Department of Transportation (NYS DOT). Further discussion with NYS DOT and
structural engineers would also be required to determine the feasibility of altering BQE
ramp locations, as well as other improvements to the BQE cantilever structure. The
proposed BQE cantilever reconstruction project presents a potential opportunity of
further exploring these options with NYS DOT. Coordination with other local studies
and projects (for example, the Brooklyn Greenway Initiative’s (BGI) greenway along
Brooklyn’s waterfront and Community Consulting Service’s ramp from the Brooklyn
Bridge) could also help make a case for the implementation of design solutions
described above as well as other long-term, far-reaching solutions, some of which were
suggested by the community and described previously. However, opportunities also
exist for making short-term, low-cost improvements at these locations. For example,
proposed geometric changes can be installed through paint and temporary structures
to test the designs. Due to their temporary nature, these could be implemented with
far less agency coordination and background study.

SAm SChwARTz PLLC hDR-DANIEL FRANkFURT
IV. Bicycle Routes
Bicycling offers an environmentally friendly and space-efficient way to travel around
the city. Other cities have embraced cycling as an emission-free, low-cost travel mode
that promotes a healthy lifestyle, and New Yorkers are increasingly embracing it as
well. According to Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s PlaNYC initiative (the City’s long-term
sustainability plan unveiled in April 2007), cycling is estimated to have increased 75%
from 2000 to 2006.
Existing and Proposed City Bicycle Routes and Bicycle Corridors
There are a variety of existing bicycle routes near the Park, and NYC DOT has proposed
additional routes for future implementation. A bicycle and pedestrian greenway will
run the length of the Park (the route of the greenway north of Old Fulton Street has
not been finalized and may run parallel to the Park). However, there are no existing or
proposed upland bicycle routes providing Park access. The City’s existing and proposed
bicycles routes are shown in Figure IV-1.
A review of existing bicycle routes and bicycle travel patterns, as well as discussions with
community members and area bicyclists, indicates several major bicycling corridors in
the area. The major bicycling corridors, shown in Figure IV-1, are as follows:
•
•
•
•
•
•
The Manhattan Bridge bicycle/pedestrian path connecting Downtown Brooklyn to
Lower Manhattan.
The Sands Street bicycle route connecting the Manhattan Bridge to neighborhoods
to the east, such as Fort Greene.
The Brooklyn Bridge bicycle/pedestrian path connecting Downtown Brooklyn to
Lower Manhattan.
The Downtown Brooklyn bicycling corridor running from the foot of the Brooklyn
and Manhattan Bridges south through Downtown Brooklyn and served by the
Adams Street and Jay Street bicycle routes.
The Dean Street/Bergen Street bicycle routes connecting Boerum Hill to Prospect
Heights and Crown Heights.
The Clinton Street/Henry Street bicycle routes connecting Downtown Brooklyn to
Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill, and Carroll Gardens, as shown in Figures IV-2 and
IV-3.
RED HOOK
RED HOOK PARK
Figure IV-1 Bicycling Corridors and Routes
RED HOOK RECREATION AREA
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Major Ma Maj Biking Corridor
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Bike routes route proposed by
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PIER PIER 11
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COBBLE OBB HILL H
CARROLL GARDENS
GOWANUS
BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS STUDY 1
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS
CARROLL PARK
DUMBO
CADMAN
PLAZA
PARK
Water
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Ferry
Landing
MC LAUGHLIN GHL
PARKK
DOWNTOWN
BROOKLYN
BOERUM HILL
THOMAS GREENE PLAYGROUND
BYRNE PARK
VINEGAR R HILL
COMMODORE J
BARRY PARK
FORT GREENE PARK
FORT GREENE

SAm SChwARTz PLLC hDR-DANIEL FRANkFURT
BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS STUDY
Figure IV-2 Clinton Street Bicycle Route at Montague Street Figure IV-3 Henry Street Bicycle Route at Joralemon Street
Community Comments
The following consistent themes were noted among the community comments and
preferences expressed at the community meetings on October 4, 2006, and March 20,
2007, and the community charrette on December 5, 2006:
•
•
•
The bicycle routes should be as safe and as protected from vehicular traffic as
possible, with heavily trafficked streets such as Atlantic Avenue and Cadman
Plaza West avoided where possible.
Cadman Plaza East should be considered for a bicycle route given its
conversion to a bicycle/pedestrian-only space, the relatively convenient
connection it provides to the Park’s northern portion via Washington Street,
and the alternative route it provides to the more heavily trafficked Cadman
Plaza West/Old Fulton Street.
Cobblestone streets should be avoided where possible. Where cobblestone streets
provide the only logical option for bicycle routes, implementation of bicycle routes
should be done in a historically appropriate manner.
0

SAm SChwARTz PLLC hDR-DANIEL FRANkFURT
Recommended Bicycle Routes
In selecting streets for new bicycle routes, the City’s existing and proposed bicycle
routes and major bicycling corridors were examined to determine logical, safe, and
convenient connections to the Park. Based on the location of entrances to the Park in
relation to the major bicycling corridors, bicyclists can be expected to access the Park
at three primary points: (1) the Park’s northern end near Jay Street, (2) the central area
near Old Fulton Street, and (3) the southern entrances to the Park at Atlantic Avenue and
Joralemon Street. These Park access points are shown in Figure IV-1 as green circles.
The recommended bicycle routes were selected based on their relative convenience in
connecting the Park to the major bicycling corridors, the appropriateness of the streets
for bicycle routes based on street width and vehicular traffic, and streets that would
provide the safest and most pleasant biking experience. In addition to the routes, a
carefully considered and designed wayfinding signage plan directing bicyclists to the
Park is important.
The recommendations were developed with the input of organizations such as BGI
and NYC DOT. BGI is in agreement with the recommendations that follow. NYC DOT
requires further review of the proposed routes prior to determining feasibility, but
implemented a Class 2 and Class 3 bicycle route along Pearl and Jay Street based on
these discussions in the fall of 2007.
Bicycle Routes to Northern Park Entrances
To provide bicycle connections to the Park from the Manhattan Bridge, Downtown
Brooklyn, and the Sands Street bicycle route, new bicycle routes on Jay Street
(northbound) and Pearl Street/Prospect Street (south- and eastbound) are
recommended. These routes are shown in Figure IV-4. The Jay/Pearl/Prospect routes
would also intersect the City’s proposed east-west bicycle routes on Front and York
Streets and the east-west greenway.
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BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS STUDY
Figure IV-4 Recommended Bicycle Routes to Northern Park Entrances
Water
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Landing
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BROOKLYN HEIGHTS ESPLANDE
Water
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SQUIBB
PARK
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS IGGHT
G GH
PLAZA
PARK
The Old Fulton Street entrance is one of the Park’s major BOERUM gateways, HILL and this entrance
CARROLL PARK
Water
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Landing
MC LAUGHLIN
PARK
Existing sting g City
bike route
Bike routes proposed by
The City
Brooklyn Greenway
Initiative
Sam Schwartz, PLLC
Park k Access s from rom Manhattan
Ma Manhatta attan tt n
Bridge to northern entrance nnt r n e
and points in east
VINEGAR R HILL
While the Jay/Pearl/Prospect routes provide the most convenient access to the north
end of the Park, they also present a number of opportunities for improvements to
street conditions and other bicycle safety concerns. The streets are cobblestone with
some areas of asphalt, numerous potholes, abandoned trolley tracks, etc., which create
a number of adverse conditions. Alternative routes were considered, but options are
limited and circuitous and would not likely be used; therefore, the Jay/Pearl/Prospect
DOWNTOWN
routes are the best and most viable option. Historically BROOKLYN appropriate treatments for
cobblestone streets can both maintain the area’s historic neighborhood conditions and
improve safety for bicyclists.
The Pearl Street route is also appealing because it would pass through the recently
installed plaza in COBBLE DUMBO HILL H at the intersection of Pearl Street and Water Street (known as
the Pearl Street Triangle). This plaza will serve as a neighborhood focal point and as a
gateway for those visiting DUMBO and the Park.
Old Fulton Street Park Entrance
provides the northernmost access point for the greenway within the Park. With the
possible exceptions of the proposed pedestrian bridge at Squibb Park and another
1
COMMODORE J
BARRY PARK
FOR

SAm SChwARTz PLLC hDR-DANIEL FRANkFURT
potential pedestrian connection from the Promenade to the Park at Remsen or Montague
Streets (refer to Section IV, Vertical Pedestrian Connection), there are no other access
points to the Park for bicyclists between Old Fulton and Joralemon Streets.
To provide bicycle connections to the Old Fulton Street entrance from the Brooklyn
Bridge bicycle/pedestrian path, Downtown Brooklyn, and the existing Clinton/Henry
Street bicycle routes, the following bicycle routes are recommended, as shown in
Figure IV-5.
•
•
New bicycle routes on Old Fulton Street, Henry Street, Clark Street, and
Cadman Plaza West would serve southbound cyclists traveling from the Park
to the Clinton/Henry Street bicycle routes. Continuing east on the existing
bicycle route on Tillary Street to Adams Street would connect bicyclists
to Downtown Brooklyn and the Brooklyn Bridge bicycle/pedestrian path.
The City’s proposed bicycle routes on Old Fulton Street, Front/York Streets,
Washington Street, and Cadman Plaza East would serve both north- and southbound
cyclists traveling from the Park to Downtown Brooklyn and the Brooklyn Bridge
bicycle/pedestrian path. Given the conversion of Cadman Plaza East to a bicycle/
pedestrian-only space, there is significant potential that this roadway along with
Washington Street could serve as a major bicycle and pedestrian corridor from
Brooklyn Bridge and Downtown Brooklyn. The extension of the City’s proposed
Cadman Plaza East/Washington Street bicycle route to the Park boundary at
Plymouth Street to facilitate the viability of this bicycle and pedestrian corridor is
recommended.
Both the southbound bicycle routes proposed in this study and the City’s proposed
northbound/southbound routes are necessary to provide proper connectivity and link
the Park’s Old Fulton Street entrance to the existing Henry/Clinton Street bicycle routes.
Without the proposed Old Fulton/Henry/Clark Street routes, the bicycle route network
provides inadequate connectivity to the area’s major bicycling corridors.
A more direct connection from Tillary Street to Old Fulton Street via Cadman Plaza West
was considered, but the disadvantages of this option include high vehicular volumes
on Cadman Plaza West and potential conflicts between bicyclists and vehicles entering
and leaving the BQE at several locations—notably, the intersection of Cadman Plaza
West, Old Fulton Street, and Prospect Street. To avoid this intersection, a route from
Cadman Plaza West to Old Fulton Street via Middagh Street, Columbia Heights, and
Everit Street was considered. Unfortunately, the slope of Columbia Heights and the
unsignalized intersection of Everit Street at Old Fulton Street present formidable safety
challenges.
RED HOOK PARK
BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS STUDY
Figure IV-5 Bicycle Routes to Old Fulton Street Park Entrance
Park Access from Brooklyn
Bridge/Downtown Brooklyn
and Brooklyn Heights to Old
Fulton entrance
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Existing Ex Exi City
bike bik route
Bike routes ou pr proposed propos ropo opo
by
The City
Brooklyn Greenway
Initiative
Sam Schwartz, PLLC
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BROOKLYN HEIGHTS ESPLANDE
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SQUIBB
PARK
Park’s southern entrances at Joralemon COBBLE Street HILL H and Atlantic Avenue. A single, two-way
CARROLL GARDENS
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS IG GHT G GH
CARROLL PARK
PLAZA
PARK
Water
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Landing
MC LAUGHLIN
PARK
Bicycle Routes to the Southern Park Entrances
DOWNTOWN
BROOKLYN
To provide connections to the southern entrances of the Park from Downtown Brooklyn
and the existing Clinton/Henry Street and Dean/Bergen Street bicycle corridors, the
bicycles routes described subsequently and shown on Figure IV-6 are recommended.
The recommended routes provide two east-west bicycle route options for accessing the
bicycle route on Atlantic Avenue was considered, but this option presented significant
safety concerns given its designation as a truck route and its heavy vehicular volumes.
Without a single, central bicycle route option for accessing the Atlantic Avenue gateway
to the Park, dual east-west routes present the next most direct option and are safer and
BOERUM HILL
more pleasant. Additionally, only certain streets cross the BQE and allow for bike route
connections to the park. The recommended routes are as follows:
THOMAS GREENE PLAYGROUND
VINEGAR R HILL

SAm SChwARTz PLLC hDR-DANIEL FRANkFURT
RED HOOK
Figure IV-6 Bicycle Routes to Southern Park Entrances
•
RED HOOK PARK
•
Existing City y
bike route
Bike routes proposed Pb by b by
The City
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State Street route would provide similar CARROLL access. GARDENS The Joralemon Street route would
RED HOOK RECREATION AREA
PIER PI PI PIEER
666 PPP
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Fe Fe erry erry rry rry
Landing ding ding ng ng ng
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Initi tia ative a ive
Sam Schwartz Schwa hwartz, z, PLLC C
Park Access from Brooklyn
Bridge/Downtown Brooklyn
and Brooklyn Heights to Old
Fulton entrance
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS ESPLANDE
CARROLL PARK
be extended west into the Park, providing Park access for westbound bicyclists.
SQUIBB
PARK
Park Access ess ss from fro from m Downtow
Dow Downtow
Downtown wn
Brooklyn, Brook Brooklyn rooklyn yn Heigh Height Heig ght hts,
Boerum Hill and Cobb Cobble bble Hill H
to
southern thern eentrance H
North of Atlantic Avenue, the City’s proposed Joralemon Street bicycle route should
This route would intersect the Henry/Clinton Street bicycle routes and connect to
Downtown Brooklyn. For eastbound cyclists, the recommended Columbia Place/
be two-way for a short section on Joralemon Street between Columbia Place and
the Park. Given that Joralemon Street is one-way westbound, the two-way portion
of the route west of Columbia Place could not be implemented until Joralemon
Street is closed to vehicular access at this location (as described in the FEIS) or
another treatment is implemented to accommodate the short two-way section.
South of Atlantic Avenue, for eastbound cyclists, bicycle routes for Congress, Court,
Wyckoff, and Smith Streets would connect the existing Dean/Bergen Street bicycle
routes to the Park’s Atlantic Avenue entrance via Columbia Street. For westbound
cyclists, the recommended route via Pacific, Court, and Kane Streets would provide
similar access.
GOWANUS
As shown in Figure IV-7, the surface of Joralemon Street is cobblestone for 1/8 mile
between Hicks and Furman Streets. While cobblestones are not ideal for cyclists, the
route is nonetheless safer and more desirable than a route on Atlantic Avenue.
PLAZA
PARK
MC LAUGHLIN
PARK
DOWNTOWN
BROOKLYN
BOERUM HILL
THOMAS GREENE PLAYGROUND
BYRNE PARK
PARK SLOPE
COMMODORE J
BARRY PARK
Figure IV-7 Joralemon Street at Hicks Street
BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS STUDY
FORT GREENE PARK
FORT GREENE
While the east-west routes linking the existing Dean/Bergen Street routes to the Park
entrance via the City’s proposed Columbia Street route are somewhat circuitous, these
options are safer and more desirable than Atlantic Avenue. Without them, there is no
viable option for bicycle route connections to the Park for visitors coming from areas
south of Atlantic Avenue. Therefore, bicyclists would either be forced to go out of their
PROSPECT HEIGHTS
way and travel north to the Joralemon/State Street routes, an option they are unlikely
to choose, or use Atlantic Avenue, a hazardous and unpleasant alternative.
Bicycle Route Classifications and Implementation
Bicycle routes are organized by three classifications based on how space for bicyclists
and automobiles is differentiated:
•
•
•
Class 1: Off-street or routes physically separated from vehicular traffic by
bollards, Jersey barriers, landscaping, etc., as shown in Figures IV-8 and IV-9
Class 2: On-street, striped routes, as shown previously in Figures IV-2 and
IV-3
Class 3: On-street route designated by a Bicycle Route street sign and a
pavement marking of a bicyclist on the street at regularly intervals (typically three
per 200-foot block), as shown in Figure IV-10

SAm SChwARTz PLLC hDR-DANIEL FRANkFURT
Figure IV-8 Tillary Street Class 1 Bicycle Route at Cadman Plaza
Figure IV-9 Ocean Parkway Class 1 Bicycle Route
The classification of a given route is typically based on the available width for the
bicycle route. In some instances, depending on the impact, it may be appropriate to
remove curbside parking to increase the width available for a bicycle route, or perhaps
even adjust curblines and sidewalk widths.
Completion of the City’s 1,800-mile bicycling master plan is one of the initiatives of
PlaNYC. NYC DOT is responsible for the planning and implementation of bicycle routes,
in consultation with the New York City Department of City Planning. Interested citizens
and bicycle advocacy groups also have significant ability to influence the designation
of bicycle routes by NYC DOT.
BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS STUDY
Figure IV-10 Centre Street Class 3 Bicycle Route, Manhattan
Conclusion
South of Old Fulton Street, the Park includes a greenway running its length; north
of Old Fulton Street, the greenway will run adjacent to the Park. The greenway will
serve as a major waterfront bicycling corridor. Bicyclists will access the Park and
greenway at three primary points: the Park’s northern end near Jay Street, the central
area near Old Fulton Street, and the southern Park entrances at Atlantic Avenue and
Joralemon Street. The major upland biking corridors are the Brooklyn and Manhattan
Bridges, Downtown Brooklyn, Clinton/Henry Streets, and Dean/Bergen Streets. The
recommended bicycles routes are the safest, most direct, and most feasible options
for linking the Park’s access points to the major bicycling corridors. To implement these
recommended routes, further evaluation is required by the NYC DOT to determine the
feasibility of these options. Implementation would require minimal cost, which would
be borne by the City.

SAm SChwARTz PLLC hDR-DANIEL FRANkFURT
V. Shuttle Bus Service
To attract users to the Park from beyond the immediate area without encouraging
private vehicle use, convenient transit access will be necessary. The two nearest subway
stations – High Street, served by the A,C, and York Street, served by the F – may be at
the further limit of acceptable walking distance, and both provide access to only the
northern end of the Park. Reaching most areas of the Park from subway stations will
involve significant walking distances.
There is currently NYCT bus access to the southern end of the Park via the B63, and to
the northern end via the B25. There are thirteen other bus routes serving Downtown
Brooklyn that do not come within convenient walking distance of the Park; most offer
access to the B63 and B25 via transfer.
There is substantial, existing transit inventory nearby that can serve to broaden
the catchment area of the Park – to eastern, northern, and southwest Brooklyn by
connecting bus, and to much of Brooklyn and to three other boroughs by way of 14
nearby subway lines. Riders today can transfer to either the B25 and/or B63 to get close
to the Park, but those two routes have certain limitations:
•
•
•
Service headways are generally 8-12 minutes (considerably longer on
Sundays).
Reliability is subject to vagaries and delays elsewhere along their lengthy
routes.
Routes are unlikely to be tailored to demand surges, such as the end of a concert
or major event.
Shuttle service can be tailored to the needs of the Park. It can supplement bus service
during peak periods and provide attractive headways at times that scheduled bus
routes do not. By operating over short, direct routes, shuttles would be less prone to
delay and provide frequent service economically.
A successful shuttle provides frequent service that is more convenient than taking
existing transit. A shuttle route that follows an existing bus route would be redundant
and underutilized. To operate efficiently, a shuttle should have limited stops and run
at short headways. The shuttle should have to capture a large range of riders and be
handicapped-accessible. Finally, as suggested by many public meeting participants, the
shuttle should be a clean fuel vehicle that runs primarily on non-residential roadways.
Characteristics of the Proposed Brooklyn Bridge Park Shuttle
It is recommended that any proposed shuttle service fit the following equipment,
routing, cost, frequency criteria, and parameters to provide appropriate access and
convenient service.
BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS STUDY
Equipment
A vehicle should be low-floor to provide easy on- and off-access, particularly for children,
the elderly, cyclists, and strollers. The vehicle should be handicapped-accessible,
preferably by a non-mechanical ramp. Per community recommendations, the shuttle
should be environmentally friendly (either selecting an ultra-low sulfur clean diesel
vehicle or a diesel/electric hybrid). An electric battery or fuel cell vehicle should not
be pursued, unless operationally proven, reliable models are in commercial use by the
time of start-up. Electric trolleys, while a popular concept, are ill-suited due to high
installation and maintenance costs versus projected ridership numbers. These trolleys
would also be incompatible with NYC DOT’s planned reversible lanes on Furman Street.
(NYC DOT has indicated that the planned conversion of Furman Street from one-way
to two-way would also allow each lane to be reversible.) Unless the LDC intends to be
the operator, a multi-year contract will be necessary before shuttle contractors invest in
non-traditional equipment. Distinctive vehicle designs may be considered to highlight
the Park.
Shuttle bus service is currently in use in New York City, such as that provided in Lower
Manhattan, Prospect Park, and New York University. Figures V-1 and V-2 show examples
of the vehicles used at New York University and in Lower Manhattan.

SAm SChwARTz PLLC hDR-DANIEL FRANkFURT
Figure V-1 New York University Shuttle
Figure V-2 Lower Manhattan Shuttle
BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS STUDY
Routing
The shortest, fastest route is the most attractive option to Park-goers and the most
economical to operate. This type of route was also favored at the community charrette.
These routes need to avoid as many turns, traffic signals, and congestion points as
possible. Routes should also connect to locations with the greatest concentration of
subway and bus lines. To ensure fast service, no intermediate stops are recommended.
Loops should not be operated unless they save time compared to linear routes. Finally,
the shuttle should not circulate within the Park, but should provide access to a central
location in the Park.
Frequency and Cost
Although frequent service is more convenient and attracts a greater number of riders,
it would be more expensive. On the other hand, headways exceeding 15 minutes
would only carry infirmed passengers and those who coincidentally pass by the shuttle
stop at departure time. Thus, long headways would not generate enough ridership to
justify the shuttle costs.
It is reasonable to assume that shuttle service would be provided on weekends to
serve recreational visitors to the Park. In addition, it is expected that the shuttle would
operate seasonally, perhaps only during the late spring, summer, and early fall. Limited
weekday service could be provided to employees and students based in MetroTech.
It is recommended that the shuttle service be contracted out as a turnkey operation.
A private operator would provide service, as NYCT will not operate such a service.
Depending on the bus size and type, costs may range from $80 to $200 per bus hour.
Using the following scheduling assumptions as an illustrative example, annual shuttle
operating costs would range from approximately $880,000 (at $100 per shuttle hour)
to approximately $1,320,000 (at $150 per shuttle hour):
Memorial Day to Labor Day, weekends
•
•
•
8 AM to 8 PM: 7.5 minute headways
8 PM to midnight: 12 minute headways
2,030 total shuttle hours
June 21 to September 10, weekdays
•
•
•
10 AM to 8 PM: 10 minute headways
8 AM to 10 AM, 8 PM to midnight: 15 minute headways
2,436 total shuttle hours
Remainder of year
•
•
10 AM to 6 PM: 15 minute headways
4,352 total shuttle hours

SAm SChwARTz PLLC hDR-DANIEL FRANkFURT
Community Comments
Broad St
!
At the December 5, 2006, charrette, participants suggested providing connections
Wall St
!
from the subways and transit hubs, as well as a shuttle loop route. Many participants
stressed the importance of a non-polluting vehicle and also looked for cheap and
Bowling Green
!
simple routes. There were a number of requests to look into an electric trolley routed
along the Brooklyn waterfront, in which connections to neighborhoods like Red Hook
would be provided.
Route Descriptions
South Ferry
Before considering routes, it was critical to identify a pick-up/drop-off ! location within
the Park. It was assumed that Furman Street would be converted to a two-way street
in the future, as described in the Park FEIS and as confirmed by NYC DOT.
With the concurrence of the Park designers, the MTA vent building, located at Furman
Street near Montague Street, was chosen to provide bus pick-up/drop-off access. This
location was identified as ideal because it is centrally located to the Park and could
even accommodate a potential NYCT bus stop. Further, a mini-transit hub could be
created at this site to link shuttle buses, NYCT buses, and waterborne transport in one
central location.
Based on the comments received at the public meetings, the following four routes
were developed:
Downtown Brooklyn to Fulton Ferry Landing
This loop could provide a stop at Cadman Plaza West, then travel up Old Fulton Street
to Fulton Ferry Landing. Possible extensions of this route could reach south to either
Downtown Brooklyn/Borough Hall or Downtown Brooklyn and MetroTech. The terminus
of the route could be either at Fulton Ferry Landing or further south on Furman Street
at the MTA vent building (see Figure V-3). This route would capture a large, diverse
population of transit riders from the Borough Hall transit hub and MetroTech. The
shorter loop would provide access to visitors using the High Street A train station.
FERRIS ST
WOLCOTT ST
CONOVER ST
BEARD ST
KING ST
SULLIVAN ST
VAN DYKE ST
!
COFFEY ST
! !
!
DIKEMAN ST
Cortlandt St
!
WOLCOTT ST
!
Rector St
Rector St Wall St
Whitehall St
World Trade Center
Cortlandt St
VAN BRUNT ST
RED HOOK
!
RICHARDS ST
Fulton St
!
Broadway-Nassau St
DELEVAN ST
Park Pl
!
!
!
COMMERCE ST
!
Fulton St
RED HOOK PARK
City Hall
SEABRING ST
BOWNE ST
LORRAINE ST
CREAMER ST
Fulton St
!
BUSH ST
W 9 ST
MILL ST
!
VAN BRUNT ST
CENTRE MALL
NELSON ST
HUNTINGTON ST
!
Brooklyn Bridge
Chambers St
BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS STUDY
Figure V-3 Downtown Brooklyn to Fulton Ferry Landing Route
PIER 6 PIER 5
Water
Taxi/
Ferry
Landing
COLUMBIA ST
PIER 3 PIER 2
PIER 4
Water
Taxi/
Ferry
Landing
360
Furman
Street
UNION ST
4 PL
3 PL
LUQUER ST
2 PL
1 PL
PIER 1
Potential Extension
to NYCT Vent
Building
TIFFANY PL
HICKS ST
WOODHULL ST
PRESIDENT ST
CARROLL ST
NELSON ST
CHEEVER PL
HUNTINGTON ST
COLUMBIA PL
WILLOW PL
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS ESPLANDE
STRONG PL
KANE ST
CLINTON ST
Water
Taxi/
Ferry
Landing
SQUIBB
PARK
COBBLE HILL
CONGRESS ST
WARREN ST
BALTIC ST
CARROLL GARDENS
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS
REMSEN ST
GRACE CT
JORALEMON ST
GARDEN PL
Smith St
!
FURMAN ST
COLUMBIA HEIGHTS
AMITY ST
STATE ST
ATLANTIC AV
PACIFIC ST
TOMPKINS PL
HICKS ST
COURT ST
WILLOW ST
MONTAGUE ST
CARROLL PARK
DOUGHTY ST
VINE ST
CLARK ST
PIERREPONT ST
5 ST
6 ST
ORANGE ST
HENRY ST
3 ST
MIDDAGH ST
CRANBERRY ST
CARROLL ST
POPLAR ST
Two Turn-
Around Options
LOVE LANE
HUNTS LANE
SIDNEY PL
Carroll St
!
PINEAPPLE ST
COLLEGE PL
Clark St
!
2 ST
MONROE PL
1 ST
WATER ST
YORK ST
CLINTON ST
DUMBO
CADMAN PZ W
COURT ST
SACKETT ST
DOUGLASS ST
DE GRAW ST
CADMAN
PLAZA
PARK
!
2 AV
MAIN ST
!
TILLARY ST
BUTLER ST
CADMAN PZ E
! !
Borough Hall
Borough Hall
BOERUM PL
Bergen St
!
BALTIC ST
WASHINGTON ST
High St
!
TECH PL
Court St
WYCKOFF ST
WARREN ST
Water
Taxi/
Ferry
Landing
ADAMS ST
SMITH ST
ADAMS ST
BERGEN ST
3 AV
PEARL ST
JAY ST
LIVINGSTON ST
SCHERMERHORN ST
PACIFIC ST
DEAN ST
SANDS ST
CHAPEL ST
CATHEDRAL PL
JAY ST
NASSAU ST
MC LAUGHLIN
PARK
JOHNSON ST
MYRTLE PROMENADE
!
York St
!
FULTON MALL
DOWNTOWN
BROOKLYN
HOYT ST
LAWRENCE ST
Jay St
!
JOHN ST
PLYMOUTH ST
Hoyt St
!
WATER ST
FRONT ST
YORK ST
BOERUM HILL
THOMAS GREENE PLAYGROUND
4 AV
BRIDGE ST
BRIDGE ST
PROSPECT ST
BRIDGE ST
!
Hoyt St
NASSAU ST
BOND ST
VINEGAR HILL
DUFFIELD ST
ORATORY PL
DUFFIELD ST
GOLD ST
GOLD ST
DE GRAW ST
SACKETT ST
MARSHALL ST
GOLD ST
SANDS ST
PRINCE ST
DOUGLASS ST
Union St
!
CONCORD ST
DeKalb Ave
NEVINS ST
BUTLER ST
!
HUDSON AVE
3 AV
ST MARKS PL
WARREN ST
BALTIC ST
!
EVANS ST
Potential Downtown Extensions
- Downtown Only
- Downtown and MetroTech
NAVY ST
COMMODORE J
BARRY PARK
ROCKWELL PL
!
Paci�c St
FLUSHING AV
ASHLAND PL
ST EDWARDS ST
FOR
Atlanti
A
!
CA

SAm SChwARTz PLLC hDR-DANIEL FRANkFURT
!
!
!
! !
!
!
!
Rector St
Rector St Wall St
Bowling Green
South Ferry
Cortlandt St
Whitehall St
World Trade Center
Cortlandt St
Broad St
!
!
!
!
Wall St
!
Chambers St
Fulton St
!
!
!
Broadway-Nassau St
!
Chambers St
Park Pl
!
!
Fulton St
Franklin St
City Hall
SEABRING S
Fulton St
!
BOWNE ST
High/York Street Stations to Fulton Ferry Landing
!
East Broadway
!
Another short loop alternative could connect the DUMBO neighborhood, the High Street
A Chambers train St station, and the York Street F train station to Fulton Ferry Landing (see Figure !
!
World Trade Center
V-4). Although this loop would involve the lowest costs due to its short distance, Park the Pl
!
!
High Street and York Street stations do not have high subway rider volumes (compared
to other Brooklyn subway hubs, such as Borough Hall and the Atlantic Avenue transit
Cortlandt St
Fulton St
hub). In addition, the shuttle would wind through narrow, cobblestone ! streets, !
Cortlandt St such as
!
! Fulton St
Pearl Street, to the waterfront.
!
Brooklyn Bridge
!
VAN BRUNT ST
Figure V-4 High/York Street Stations to Fulton Ferry Landing Route
PIER 6 PIER 5
Water
Taxi/
Ferry
Landing
Canal St
!
Canal St
COLUMBIA ST
WOO
TIFFANY PL
PIER 4
CARROLL ST
!
!
PIER 3 PIER 2
HICKS ST
Water
Taxi/
Ferry
Landing
360
Furman
Street
UNION ST
PRESIDENT ST
Canal St
CHEEVER PL
COLUMBIA PL
PIER 1
WILLOW PL
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS ESPLANDE
STRONG PL
KANE ST
CLINTON ST
Water
Taxi/
Ferry
Landing
COBBLE HILL
CONGRESS ST
WARREN ST
BALTIC ST
SQUIBB
PARK
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS
REMSEN ST
JORALEMON ST
GARDEN PL
FURMAN ST
COLUMBIA HEIGHTS
GRACE CT
ATLANTIC AV
PACIFIC ST
AMITY ST
TOMPKINS PL
HICKS ST
STATE ST
CARROLL PARK
DOUGHTY ST
VINE ST
COURT ST
WILLOW ST
LOVE LANE
CLARK ST
PIERREPONT ST
MONTAGUE ST
SIDNEY PL
Bowery
!
HUNTS LANE
Grand St
PINEAPPLE ST
COLLEGE PL
!
ORANGE ST
HENRY ST
POPLAR ST
MIDDAGH ST
CRANBERRY ST
Clark St
!
MONROE PL
WATER ST
YORK ST
CLINTON ST
DUMBO
CADMAN PZ W
COURT ST
SACKETT ST
DOUGLASS ST
DE GRAW ST
CADMAN
PLAZA
PARK
!
MAIN ST
TILLARY ST
CADMAN PZ E
! !
Borough Hall
Borough Hall
BOERUM PL
Bergen St
!
BUTLER ST
BALTIC ST
WASHINGTON ST
High St
!
TECH PL
Court St
WYCKOFF ST
WARREN ST
Water
Taxi/
Ferry
Landing
SMITH ST
ADAMS ST
ADAMS ST
BERGEN ST
Essex St
!
Rector St
Rector St Wall St
!
!
Bowling Green
JAY ST
!
!
LIVINGSTON ST
SCHERMERHORN ST
PACIFIC ST
DEAN ST
PEARL ST
SANDS ST
! !
!
South Ferry
CHAPEL ST
CATHEDRAL PL
JAY ST
NASSAU ST
MC LAUGHLIN
PARK
JOHNSON ST
MYRTLE PROMENADE
!
York St
FULTON MALL
Whitehall St
DOWNTOWN
BROOKLYN
HOYT ST
LAWRENCE ST
Jay St
!
JOHN ST
PLYMOUTH ST
Hoyt St
!
WATER ST
FRONT ST
YORK ST
BRIDGE ST
BRIDGE ST
PROSPECT ST
BRIDGE ST
!
Hoyt St
BOERUM HILL
NASSAU ST
BOND ST
Broad St
!
!
!
Wall St
Chambers St
Broadway-Nassau St
VINEGAR HILL
DUFFIELD ST
ORATORY PL
DUFFIELD ST
GOLD ST
GOLD ST
MARSHALL ST
GOLD ST
SANDS ST
PRINCE ST
CONCORD ST
DeKalb Ave
NEVINS ST
BAL
!
HUDSON AVE
Franklin St
!
Chambers St
!
ST MARKS PL
WARREN ST
EVANS ST
NAVY ST
3 AV
City Hall
SEABRING S
Fulton St
!
BOWNE ST
!
COMMODORE J
BARRY PARK
ROCKWELL PL
!
Paci�c St
VAN BRUNT ST
BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS STUDY
Atlantic Avenue Transit Hub to MTA Vent Building
East Broadway
!
This route would travel along Atlantic Avenue from just west of Flatbush Avenue to
the Chambers Park, St with a potential mid-route stop at Smith Street, to the Park. The Park stops
!
could include Atlantic Avenue at Furman Street and extend to the MTA vent building
turnaround (see Figure V-5). This route would provide access for a significant number
of transit riders from the Atlantic Avenue transit hub, as well as Borough Hall and the
WILLAMSBURG
Smith Street commercial district. It would also provide two drop-off locations in the
Park. This route is relatively short (approximately 1.9 miles long) and would connect a
large number of transit riders to two locations in the Park.
Brooklyn Bridge
FLUSHING AVE
ASHLAND PL
ST EDWARDS ST
Figure V-5 Atlantic Avenue Transit Hub to MTA Vent Building
PIER 6 PIER 5
Water
Taxi/
Ferry
Landing
FORT GREENE
!
FT GREENE PL
Canal St
!
FORT GREENE PARK
!
S ELLIOTT PL
Fulton St
!
!
Lafayette Ave
Atlantic Ave
Atlantic Ave
S PORTLAND AV
Canal St
COLUMBIA ST
Bergen St
!
WOO
8 ST
S OXFORD ST
TIFFANY PL
PIER 3 PIER 2
PIER 4
HICKS ST
CARROLL ST
!
!
7 AV
Water
Taxi/
Ferry
Landing
360
Furman
Street
UNION ST
PRESIDENT ST
Canal St
CUMBERLAND ST
5 ST
CARLTON AV
GREENE AV
CHEEVER PL
COLUMBIA PL
ADELPHI ST
PIER 1
WILLOW PL
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS ESPLANDE
STRONG PL
KANE ST
D
CLERMONT AV
CLINTON ST
Water
Taxi/
Ferry
Landing
SQUIBB
PARK
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS
REMSEN ST
GRACE CT
JORALEMON ST
STATE ST
ATLANTIC AV
COBBLE HILL
AMITY ST
CONGRESS ST
WARREN ST
BALTIC ST
MARKET ST
PAULDING ST
GARDEN PL
ASSEMBLY RD
FURMAN ST
COLUMBIA HEIGHTS
PACIFIC ST
CLINTON AV
TOMPKINS PL
JAY AVE
HICKS ST
VINE ST
COURT ST
WILLOW ST
MONTAGUE ST
GATES AV
CARROLL PARK
DOUGHTY ST
LOVE LANE
CLARK ST
PIERREPONT ST
HUNTS LANE
SIDNEY PL
Bowery
!
S 11 ST
Grand St
PINEAPPLE ST
COLLEGE PL
!
S 8 ST
S 10 ST
ORANGE ST
HENRY ST
HALL ST
S 5 ST
S 6 ST
BROADWAY
DIVISION AV
MORTON ST
CLYMER ST
POPLAR ST
MIDDAGH ST
CRANBERRY ST
Clark St
WASHINGTON AV
Clinton Ave
!
S 2 ST
BERRY ST
WYTHE AV
S 4 ST
!
Clinton Ave
!
MONROE PL
WATER ST
YORK ST
CLINTON ST
DUMBO
CADMAN PZ W
COURT ST
SACKETT ST
DOUGLASS ST
DE GRAW ST
MAIN ST
CADMAN
PLAZA
PARK
!
TILLARY ST
!
BUTLER ST
CADMAN PZ E
! !
Borough Hall
Borough Hall
BOERUM PL
Bergen St
!
BALTIC ST
WASHINGTON ST
High St
TECH PL
Court St
WYCKOFF ST
WARREN ST
Water
Taxi/
Ferry
Landing
ADAMS ST
SMITH ST
ADAMS ST
BERGEN ST
Essex St
!
PEARL ST
JAY ST
LIVINGSTON ST
SCHERMERHORN ST
PACIFIC ST
DEAN ST
SANDS ST
CHAPEL ST
CATHEDRAL PL
JAY ST
NASSAU ST
MC LAUGHLIN
PARK
JOHNSON ST
MYRTLE PROMENADE
!
York St
!
FULTON MALL
DOWNTOWN
BROOKLYN
HOYT ST
LAWRENCE ST
Jay St
!
JOHN ST
PLYMOUTH ST
Hoyt St
!
WATER ST
FRONT ST
YORK ST
BRIDGE ST
BRIDGE ST
PROSPECT ST
BRIDGE ST
!
Hoyt St
BOND ST
BOERUM HILL
NASSAU ST
VINEGAR HILL
DUFFIELD ST
ORATORY PL
DUFFIELD ST
GOLD ST
GOLD ST
MARSHALL ST
GOLD ST
SANDS ST
PRINCE ST
CONCORD ST
DeKalb Ave
Two Turn-
Around Options
NEVINS ST
BAL
!
HUDSON AVE
!
3 AV
ST MARKS PL
WARREN ST
EVANS ST
NAVY ST
COMMODORE J
BARRY PARK
ROCKWELL PL
!
Paci�c St
FLUSHING AV
ASHLAND PL
ST EDWARDS ST
FOR
Atlanti
A
!

SAm SChwARTz PLLC hDR-DANIEL FRANkFURT
!
!
!
! !
!
!
!
Rector St
Rector St Wall St
Bowling Green
South Ferry
Cortlandt St
Whitehall St
World Trade Center
Cortlandt St
Broad St
!
!
!
!
Wall St
!
Chambers St
Fulton St
!
!
!
Broadway-Nassau St
!
Chambers St
Park Pl
!
!
Fulton St
Franklin St
City Hall
SEABRING S
Fulton St
!
BOWNE ST
Borough Hall Loop via Fulton Ferry Landing to MTA Vent Building
East Broadway
!
This route would consist of a one-way, counter-clockwise loop stopping at Fulton
Ferry Chambers Landing, St the MTA vent building, Atlantic Avenue at Furman Street, Downtown
!
Brooklyn, and the High Street subway station (see Figure V-8). The route would primarily
follow Cadman Plaza West, Old Fulton Street, Furman Street and Atlantic Avenue. It
is recommended that a one-way loop be considered, as bi-directional loops may be
cost-prohibitive. Unless they are short and efficient, one-way loops can be problematic
because they only serve those traveling in one direction.
Brooklyn Bridge
!
VAN BRUNT ST
Figure V-6 Borough Hall Loop via Fulton Ferry Landing to MTA Vent Building
PIER 6 PIER 5
Water
Taxi/
Ferry
Landing
Canal St
!
Canal St
COLUMBIA ST
WOO
TIFFANY PL
PIER 3 PIER 2
PIER 4
CARROLL ST
!
!
HICKS ST
Water
Taxi/
Ferry
Landing
360
Furman
Street
UNION ST
PRESIDENT ST
Canal St
CHEEVER PL
COLUMBIA PL
PIER 1
WILLOW PL
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS ESPLANDE
STRONG PL
KANE ST
CLINTON ST
Water
Taxi/
Ferry
Landing
SQUIBB
PARK
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS
STATE ST
ATLANTIC AV
COBBLE HILL
CONGRESS ST
WARREN ST
BALTIC ST
REMSEN ST
JORALEMON ST
GARDEN PL
FURMAN ST
COLUMBIA HEIGHTS
GRACE CT
PACIFIC ST
AMITY ST
TOMPKINS PL
HICKS ST
COURT ST
WILLOW ST
CARROLL PARK
DOUGHTY ST
VINE ST
LOVE LANE
CLARK ST
PIERREPONT ST
MONTAGUE ST
SIDNEY PL
Bowery
!
HUNTS LANE
Grand St
PINEAPPLE ST
COLLEGE PL
!
ORANGE ST
HENRY ST
POPLAR ST
MIDDAGH ST
CRANBERRY ST
Clark St
!
MONROE PL
WATER ST
YORK ST
CLINTON ST
DUMBO
CADMAN PZ W
COURT ST
SACKETT ST
DOUGLASS ST
DE GRAW ST
CADMAN
PLAZA
PARK
!
MAIN ST
TILLARY ST
CADMAN PZ E
! !
Borough Hall
Borough Hall
BOERUM PL
Bergen St
!
BUTLER ST
BALTIC ST
WASHINGTON ST
High St
!
TECH PL
Court St
WYCKOFF ST
WARREN ST
Water
Taxi/
Ferry
Landing
ADAMS ST
SMITH ST
ADAMS ST
BERGEN ST
Essex St
!
PEARL ST
JAY ST
LIVINGSTON ST
SCHERMERHORN ST
PACIFIC ST
DEAN ST
SANDS ST
CHAPEL ST
CATHEDRAL PL
JAY ST
NASSAU ST
MC LAUGHLIN
PARK
JOHNSON ST
MYRTLE PROMENADE
!
York St
!
FULTON MALL
DOWNTOWN
BROOKLYN
HOYT ST
LAWRENCE ST
Jay St
!
JOHN ST
PLYMOUTH ST
Hoyt St
!
WATER ST
FRONT ST
YORK ST
BRIDGE ST
BRIDGE ST
PROSPECT ST
BRIDGE ST
!
Hoyt St
BOND ST
BOERUM HILL
NASSAU ST
VINEGAR HILL
DUFFIELD ST
ORATORY PL
DUFFIELD ST
GOLD ST
GOLD ST
MARSHALL ST
GOLD ST
SANDS ST
PRINCE ST
CONCORD ST
DeKalb Ave
NEVINS ST
BAL
!
HUDSON AVE
!
3 AV
ST MARKS PL
WARREN ST
EVANS ST
NAVY ST
COMMODORE J
BARRY PARK
ROCKWELL PL
!
Paci�c St
FLUSHING AVE
ASHLAND PL
ST EDWARDS ST
BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS STUDY
Floating Pool at Brooklyn Bridge Park Beach Shuttle Demonstration
The LDC contracted with a private operator to provide shuttle bus service to the Floating
Pool at Brooklyn Bridge Park Beach from July 4 through September 3, 2007. The pool
was located on the waterfront at Furman Street between Piers 4 and 5. Lessons learned
from the shuttle operations provide useful information for potential future shuttle or
transit operations serving the Park.
The shuttle bus operator ran two shuttle buses following a counter-clockwise route
serving the pool by way of Brooklyn Borough Hall and the High Street A,C subway
station at Cadman Plaza West (see Figure V-7). The service initially operated from
11 AM to 8 PM daily and was later extended from 9 AM to 8 PM, corresponding to
the extended pool hours. Average shuttle headways were 14 minutes. Each shuttle
stop was indicated by a standard New York City sidewalk bus stop sign (“Pool Shuttle
– Brooklyn Bridge Park Beach”), and a large, colorful sign was placed on the side of each
vehicle.
Figure V-7 Floating Pool at Brooklyn Bridge Park Beach Shuttle Route (Source:
Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy)
FORT GREENE PARK
FORT GREENE
!
FT GREENE PL
!
S ELLIOTT PL
Fulton St
!
!
Lafayette Ave
Atlantic Ave
Atlantic Ave
S PORTLAND AV
Columbia St
Bergen St
!
8 ST
Furman St
S OXFORD ST
7 AV
CUMBERLAND ST
5 ST
BQE
Montague St
Joralemon St
Hicks St
CARLTON AV
GREENE AV
ADELPHI ST
D
CLERMONT AV
Henry St
WILLAMSBURG
ASSEMBLY RD
MARKET ST
PAULDING ST
JAY AVE
Old Fulton St
Middagh St
CLINTON AV
GATES AV
Clinton St
S 11 ST
S 8 ST
S 10 ST
A C
HALL ST
S 5 ST
S 6 ST
BROADWAY
DIVISION AV
MORTON ST
CLYMER ST
!
WASHINGTON AV
Court St
Clinton Ave
S 2 ST
BERRY ST
WYTHE AV
S 4 ST
Clinton Ave
!
Cadman Plaza W
S
4 5
2 3
High St
Borough
Hall
S
Adams St
Jay St
Free Shuttle Service
Tillary St
Atlantic Ave
Joralemon St
Fulton
Mall
Livingston St
Flatbush Ave
S

SAm SChwARTz PLLC hDR-DANIEL FRANkFURT
Important aspects of the shuttle service were as follows:
•
•
•
•
•
Average shuttle passenger volumes remained consistent or increased slightly over
the season. The shuttle carried an average of 303 passengers each weekday and
315 each Saturday and Sunday, totaling 19,000 passengers over the season.
12% of pool visitors took the shuttle to the pool; 15% used the shuttle to leave.
Reducing headways from an average of 15 minutes to 13 minutes affected an
increase in ridership.
Over one-third of respondents to a survey of shuttle passengers indicated that
they heard about the shuttle via TV, print, or Internet media.
23% of shuttle survey respondents resided in the 11201 ZIP code (Brooklyn Heights,
DUMBO, Vinegar Hill, Cobble Hill, and Downtown Brooklyn), 40% were dispersed
among other Brooklyn ZIP codes, and 37% resided outside of Brooklyn.
The pool shuttle experience reflects a substantial market and demand for shuttle
service or extension of NYCT bus routes once the Park is operational. The EIS estimates
that 8,000 persons will visit the Park on an average weekday and 15,000 on an average
Saturday or Sunday. On an average day, the estimated Park visitor volumes will be
approximately nine times greater than the average number of visitors to the beach and
pool (914 on a weekday and 1,753 on a Saturday or Sunday).
Conclusion
Based on the criteria outlined previously, the preferred shuttle route options are the
Atlantic Avenue Transit Hub route and the Borough Hall loop. These routes are relatively
direct and short, with minimal turns. A large number of potential passengers would be
captured with these routes as they would pass by large transit hubs and population
centers.
BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS STUDY
0

VI. Waterborne Transport
SAm SChwARTz PLLC hDR-DANIEL FRANkFURT
The Park will provide excellent opportunities for waterborne
transportation for Park visitors, residents, businesses, and
visitors using these facilities to connect with other New
York Harbor destinations. Although only about 1% of New
York daily commuters use ferries for their trip to work, ferry
service has developed into an important alternative mode
of transportation. Ferry service provides shorter commuting
times for many people, reduces congested roadway and
transit systems, and has proven to be an essential redundancy
for security purposes. As a whole, waterborne transportation
in the New York region, which includes the Staten Island
Ferry, private harbor ferry service, the Statue of Liberty/Ellis
Island ferry, and Long Island Sound ferries, represents the
largest ferry market in North America (43 million annual
riders) followed by Puget Sound, Washington, and is the
third largest in the world. The Park will be able to capitalize
on and contribute to this market. In addition to the Park
itself, improved landside access to the Park will open up new
segments of the population to waterborne transportation for
commuting, tourism, and recreation.
As shown in Figure VI-1, there are currently more than 30 ferry
routes with 35 ferry/excursion boat landing sites in the Upper
and Lower New York Harbor served by at least six operators.
Just twenty years ago, there were only three routes and six
landing sites. It is expected that many more landings will be
added in the near future in Brooklyn, Queens, and New Jersey
as their waterfronts continue to be developed. Furthermore,
expansion of ferry service in New York City is one of the
initiatives of PlaNYC.
Figure VI-1 Existing New York Harbor Ferry Service
NEW JERSEY
SNUG HARBOR
Staten
Island
NEW JERSEY
INSET
ST. GEORGE
BELFORD
ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS
EDGEWATER
RED HOOK
BROOKLYN ARMY TERMINAL
SANDY HOOK
SANDY HOOK BAY MARINA
HIGHLANDS
Manhattan
EAST 90TH ST
Brooklyn
NEW YORK
INSET
YANKEE STADIUM
BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS STUDY
Bronx
Queens
COLGATE/PAULUS HOOK
PORTSIDE JERSEY CITY
LIBERTY HARBOR
LIBERTY LANDING MARINA
LIBERTY STATE PARK
PORT LIBERTÉ
RIIS PARK
ELLIS ISLAND
LIBERTY ISLAND
SHEA STADIUM STTADIUM
PORT IMPERIAL/WEEHAWKEN
LINCOLN HARBOR/WEEHAWKEN
HOBOKEN NORTH
HOBOKEN
NEWPORT
NY WATERWAY
NY WATERWAY SEASONAL
SEASTREAK
SEASTREAK SEASONAL
NY WATER TAXI
NY WATER TAXI SEASONAL
CIRCLE LINE SEASONAL
CIRCLE LINE (NATIONAL PARK SERVICE)
NYC DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
LIBERTY WATER TAXI
GOVERNORS ISLAND PRESERVATION
AND EDUCATION CORPORATION
INACTIVE FERRY LANDINGS
W 44TH ST
W 42ND ST
W 39TH ST
W 23RD ST
GREENWICH VILLAGE
WFC
BATTERY PARK
WHITEHALL
WALL ST
SOUTH STREET
SEAPORT
GOVERNORS ISLAND
EAST 34TH ST
FULTON FERRY LANDING
Nassau
HUNTERS
POINT
SCHAEFER
LANDING
0 1 Mile
1

SAm SChwARTz PLLC hDR-DANIEL FRANkFURT
Figure VI-2 New York Harbor Public and Private Ferry Landings
NEW JERSEY
Staten
Island
NEW JERSEY
INSET
SNUG HARBOR ST. GEORGE
BELFORD
ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS
EDGEWATER
RED HOOK
BROOKLYN ARMY TERMINAL
SANDY HOOK
SANDY HOOK BAY MARINA
HIGHLANDS
Manhattan
EAST 90TH ST
Brooklyn
NEW YORK
INSET
YANKEE STADIUM
Bronx
Queens
RIIS PARK
COLGATE/PAULUS HOOK
PORTSIDE JERSEY CITY
LIBERTY HARBOR
LIBERTY LANDING MARINA
LIBERTY STATE PARK
PORT LIBERTÉ
ELLIS ISLAND
LIBERTY ISLAND
SHEA A STADIUM
RESTRICTED FERRY LANDINGS
PORT IMPERIAL/WEEHAWKEN
LINCOLN HARBOR/WEEHAWKEN
HOBOKEN NORTH
HOBOKEN
NEWPORT
PUBLIC FERRY LANDINGS (ACCEPTS ALL
VESSEL TYPES)
NEW FULL SERVICE TERMINALS
FINANCED WITH PUBLIC MONEY
NEW FULL SERVICE TERMINALS UNDER
CONSTRUCTION FINANCED WITH PUBLIC
MONEY
RESTRICTED & INACTIVE PRIVATE FERRY
LANDINGS
W 44TH ST
W 42ND ST
W 39TH ST
W 23RD ST
GREENWICH VILLAGE
WFC
BATTERY PARK
WHITEHALL
WALL ST
SOUTH STREET
SEAPORT
GOVERNORS ISLAND
EAST 34TH ST
Nassau
HUNTERS
POINT
FULTON FERRY LANDING
SCHAEFER
LANDING
0 1 Mile
BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS STUDY
Over the past 10 years, there has been major public investment in waterborne
transportation infrastructure, allowing more landing sites to be available to multiple
operators and a variety of vessels. As shown in Figure VI-2, there are now seven
permanent public ferry terminals in the harbor, five of which have been recently
completed. Two are under construction, World Financial Center and Hoboken Terminal,
for a total investment of approximately $200 million.
As shown in Figure VI-3, the Park plan includes four ferry landing sites, including
the existing water taxi facility at Fulton Ferry Landing. The three new sites are also
proposed as water taxi landings, allowing for the docking of vessels with a capacity
of less than 100 passengers. Waterborne transportation opportunities that would
use these landing sites were examined within the context of the overall Park plan and
landside transportation linkages. Additionally, other types of services were explored
for a variety of waterborne transportation options and experiences.
Opportunities were explored for the following types of service and presented at the
public outreach workshop sessions:
•
•
•
•
•
Commuter ferry
Recreational ferry for Park users
Sightseeing tours and excursions
Dinner cruises
Other recreational service

SAm SChwARTz PLLC hDR-DANIEL FRANkFURT
Rector St
Rector St Wall St
!
! !
Broad St
!
Bowling Green
!
South Ferry
!
Figure VI-3 Park Water Taxi Landings
Wall St
!
Park Pl
!
Canal St
!
Cortlandt St
Fulton St
!
Cortlandt St
!
!
! Fulton St
!
Broadway-Nassau St
Fulton St
!
Whitehall St
!
World Trade Center
!
Franklin St
!
Chambers St
!
Chambers St
!
City Hall
!
Canal St
!
Water Taxi
Landing
Brooklyn Bridge
!
Chambers St
!
Water Taxi
Landing
PIER 6 PIER 5
Canal St
!
Canal St
! Canal St
!
Water
Taxi/
Ferry
Landing
PIER 3 PIER 2
PIER 4
360
Furman
Street
430
units
Water
Taxi/
Ferry
Landing
(500 units)
Prince St
!
Water Taxi
Landing
PIER 1
930 RESIDENTIAL UNITS
Spring St
!
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS ESPLANDE
Water
Taxi/
Ferry
Landing
150 RESIDENTIAL UNITS
150 units
SQUIBB
PARK
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS
PARK VISITORS
SUNDAY: 15,000
COBBLE HILL
CARROLL PARK
Bowery
!
Clark St
!
WEEKDAYS: 8,000
Carroll St
!
Grand St
!
2nd Ave
!
DUMBO
CADMAN
PLAZA
PARK
High St
!
Court St
! !
Borough Hall
!
Borough Hall
East Broadway
!
Bergen St
!
Essex St
!
Water Taxi
Landing
Water
Taxi/
Ferry
Landing
130
units
York St
!
!
MC LAUGHLIN
PARK
DOWNTOWN
BROOKLYN
Jay St
!
Hoyt St
!
!
Hoyt St
BOERUM HILL
THOMAS GREENE PLAYGROUND
VINEGAR HILL
DeKalb Ave
!
!
COMMODORE J
BARRY PARK
!
Paci�c St
FORT GREENE
BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS STUDY
Commuter Ferry
The proposed water taxi landing facility at the southern edge of Pier 6 is well situated
for commuter ferry service. This landing is at the foot of Atlantic Avenue, the southern
entrance to the Park, and provides a link to the transportation infrastructure in this busy
corridor. It is also adjacent to the largest component of the Park’s proposed revenue
generating uses—930 units of market-rate housing. This is an excellent market for
walk-on ferry users commuting to Manhattan. Furthermore, this landing sits between
the Park and the proposed WILLAMSBURG Piers 7-12 redevelopment, where restaurant/retail is being
considered on the Pier 7 apron, just south of the landing. This could reinforce the south
entrance to the Park as a major activity center.
The existing Fulton Ferry Landing near the northern edge of Pier 1 is adjacent to the
pier’s upland area, which is proposed to contain a two-building hotel/residential
complex. Furthermore, the planned pedestrian bridge from the Park to Squibb Park
linking the Pier 1 area to Brooklyn Heights would potentially attract more walk-on
ridership to this location.
As mentioned previously, all of the proposed ferry landing sites are designed to
accommodate water taxi service only. These vessels have proven to be suitable for
the protected Upper Harbor marine conditions and their bow-on berthing provides
a quick turnaround. They are ideal for fast and small services with many terminals and
locations and are adequate for the potential Park commuter market. Figure VI-4 and
Figure VI-5 show a water taxi vessel and bow-loading ferry operation. However, many
larger vessels with passenger capacities in the 150-500 passenger range are operating
in the harbor and consideration should be given to accommodating these boats in the
future. This is especially true if a Governors Island program is adopted that requires
moving large numbers of people to and from programs and events, as the Park has the
potential to become a major gateway to the island. The Pier 6/Atlantic Avenue ferry
landing has the potential to develop into a full service terminal that would support
more than water taxi service.
FORT GREENE PARK
Fulton St
!
!
Lafayette Ave
Atlantic Ave
! Atlantic Ave
!
Bergen St
!
PROSPECT HEIGHTS
Clinton Ave
!
Clinton Ave
!

SAm SChwARTz PLLC hDR-DANIEL FRANkFURT
Figure VI-4 Water Taxi
Figure VI-5 Bow Loading Operation
BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS STUDY
Recreational Ferry for Park Users
According to the Park FEIS, the Park would generate approximately 27,000 trips
during a typical summer Sunday and 15,000 trips during a typical summer weekday.
The estimated daily trips by water taxi are 450 trips on a weekday and 810 trips on a
Sunday.
The proposed water taxi landing locations at Pier 6 and between Pier 2 and Pier 3, at the
center of the Park, offer good access to the Park’s recreational attractions. In addition,
these two landings are closest to the potential vertical connections at Remsen Street
or Montague Street as well as the proposed bus pick-up/drop-off area at the MTA vent
building. These landside access links to the neighborhood and the potential bus service
to the Park make these landings even more attractive as embarkation/debarkation
points for Park visitors.
Internal Park circulation could be achieved with the use of the water taxi or other small
vessel (such as the amphibious duck boat) providing frequent hop-on/hop-off service
to all of the Park’s landings. A continuous loop service could run during peak Park
hours in the summer season. This type of service could be offered as a Park amenity
and might require subsidy. Operating costs for a typical water taxi vessel providing
this service would range from approximately $600 to $1,000 per hour. Additionally,
all landings could be served as add-ons to an existing ferry route with a more limited
schedule.
Sightseeing Tours and Other Excursions
Operators of sightseeing tours and excursions will see the potential for offering
these types of services to Park visitors. Based on the FEIS trip generation estimates
mentioned previously, annual Park visitation would be in the range of 3 to 3.5 million
visitors per year. It would be expected that the majority of these visits would be on
summer weekends. These numbers could reasonably be expected to support service
to the Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island. Liberty State Park in Jersey City, New Jersey,
attracts about 4.5 million visitors per year and supports a Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island
ferry, which attracts approximately 4,000 passengers on a typical summer Saturday.
Other sightseeing and excursion services could be theme-based, such as historical,
architectural, and ecological tours that are currently offered at other landing sites in
the harbor.
Other opportunities include summer recreational weekend service to Gateway National
Recreation Area (Gateway) beaches, including Sandy Hook and Jacob Riis Park. Summer
service to Sandy Hook has been operating for five years from ferry landings in Midtown
and Lower Manhattan. The Brooklyn Heights community could provide a walk-on
market for this service as an add-on to the existing route or as a stand alone service.
The vessels used for travel across open ocean water and for the Statue of Liberty/Ellis
Island tours are larger than water taxis and usually side load, rather than bow load,

SAm SChwARTz PLLC hDR-DANIEL FRANkFURT
their passengers, as shown previously in Figure VI-5. The proposed water taxi landings
would not accommodate these boats. A suitable location for these landing areas and
slips could be at the southern end of the Park near Pier 5. This area would provide for
good access to the adjacent neighborhood with the vertical connections at Remsen or
Montague Streets and the Park entrances at Atlantic Avenue and Joralemon Street. In
addition, the bus pick-up/drop-off area at the MTA vent building in the Park and the
Atlantic Avenue corridor provide linkages to the city’s transit infrastructure. Parking,
although minimal, would also be available in this area as well as a taxi/auto pick-up/
drop-off.
Dinner Cruises
Dinner cruises have been successfully operating in New York Harbor for many years.
These vessels are also larger and load from the side. Typically their slips are located
near parking and convenient taxi and private vehicle pick-up/drop-off areas. The slips
for these vessels would be best situated in the same general area as sightseeing and
excursion boats and could be shared by both.
Other Recreational Waterborne Service
Other recreational opportunities exist for activities that are consistent with Park users
and the experience of touring the waterfront. Commercial recreational fishing boats
could compliment fishing activities programmed at the Park. These boat slips, like the
sightseeing and dinner cruise vessels, would be best located near transit access and
parking at the southern end of the Park. The duck boat, an amphibious vehicle that
has been a mainstay of the Boston Harbor tourist industry and has been proposed for
the west side of Manhattan, could provide a unique experience for visitors and tourists.
This vessel requires a launching ramp.
Community Comments
The opportunities discussed above were presented at the community charrette on
December 5, 2006, where two waterborne transportation sessions were held. In
both sessions there was unanimous support for all types of ferry and excursion boat
operations at the Park. There was a keen awareness that bus connections to the ferry
landing sites were critical. Atlantic Avenue was mentioned as a location where ferries
historically operated at the Atlantic Avenue ferry terminal. This location was supported
as a main ferry terminal for Brooklyn in general and to and from the Park. Concern was
voiced that the ferry service not be exclusive to higher income households and that
fares be reasonable for all to enjoy this mode of commuting or traveling.
Conclusion
The Park will present many opportunities for a variety of waterborne transportation
services. By the time the Park is operational, New York Harbor ferry service will have
expanded beyond the 30 routes and 35 landing sites currently in place. The Atlantic
Avenue ferry landing is well suited for offering commuter service to current and
future residents residing near to this location. It could also provide connections to the
BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS STUDY
Atlantic Avenue transit options for additional commuters, Park visitors, and tour boat
passengers. As the southern entrance to the Park, it has the potential to serve the
area as a ferry terminal hub, especially if Governors Island developments are realized.
The water taxi landings are adequate for the Park’s commuter ferry market; however,
consideration should be made for larger vessels to accommodate additional commuters
and Governors Island access.
Sightseeing/excursion and dinner cruise vessels, which are usually side-loading, would
be best located near Pier 5, convenient to the recommended MTA vent building bus/
shuttle pick-up/drop-off location. Using Liberty State Park in Jersey City, New Jersey
as a comparison, the projected number of visitors to the Park could support a Statue of
Liberty/Ellis Island ferry service. Summer excursions to Gateway beaches such as Sandy
Hook and Jacob Riis Park could be attractive to residents near the Park.
The proposed water taxi landings at Pier 2, near the center of the Park and Pier 6, offer
good access to the Park’s recreational attractions and could be part of an internal Park
loop system or add-on stops to other routes.

VII. Vertical Pedestrian Connection
SAm SChwARTz PLLC hDR-DANIEL FRANkFURT
Feasible options to connect the Park to the Promenade were studied. Consideration
was given to possible locations for an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant
vertical connection, including options for an elevator. Each proposal considered capital
costs, maintenance, security, and ground support and clearance issues over the BQE.
Consideration was also given to right-of-ways, zoning, and historic landmark issues.
Background
The Promenade is a public park located above the BQE cantilever structure between
Remsen Street and Orange Street. The Promenade is bordered on the east by residential
properties and a small playground; the western edge forms the top tier of the cantilever.
The elevation of the Promenade is approximately 66 feet above Furman Street and the
site of the Park, making any proposed connection vertical in nature. The BQE is under
the jurisdiction of the NYS DOT. NYS DOT regulations require a 14.5-foot clearance
above a roadway; nothing may be constructed over the BQE roadway that is less than
14.5 feet above the surface. Additionally, there are NYS DOT regulations governing
pedestrian bridges over a roadway: an 8-foot fence is required for pedestrian safety
and to prevent debris from falling on the roadway.
Any proposed scheme for a connection between the Promenade and the Park would
also be subject to New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (NYC Parks)
regulations and the Zoning Resolution of the City of New York. Additionally, any Park
access would be required to meet federal ADA guidelines; any changes in elevation
would require a ramp and/or an elevator, and all floor surfaces, travel routes, and
railings would be required to be ADA-compliant.
Although the BQE cantilever is not landmarked, it is a historically sensitive structure,
falls within the Brooklyn Heights Historic District, and is within a Special Scenic View
District. The Special Scenic View District is perhaps the biggest hurdle in developing
a design for a structure to connect the Promenade to the Park. At every meeting,
community members expressed their concern about a potential structure that could
intrude on the scenic view plane. A Special Scenic View District is defined in the
City’s Zoning Handbook as an “outstanding scenic view as seen from a public park,
esplanade, or mapped public place” which is protected by the regulations of the
applicable zoning space chapter. The district that encompasses the Promenade is the
Brooklyn Heights Scenic View District (SV-1) and is defined by the Zoning Resolution,
Chapter 10, Sections 102-00 through 102-50 and 102-61. Chapter 10, section 102-611, of
the Zoning Resolution defines the boundaries of the SV-1 district as follows:
(a) the view reference line located along the westerly face of the Promenade;
(b) the northwesterly edge of the view plane which forms an angle of 160 degrees
measured in a horizontal plane with respect to the view reference line at point A;
(c) the southwesterly edge of the view plane which forms an angle of 145 degrees,
measured in a horizontal plane, with respect to the view reference line at point A1
and;
BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS STUDY
(d) the pierhead line which is located between the intersection of the northwesterly
and southwesterly view framing lines and the pierhead line.
Figure VII-1 Brooklyn Heights Scenic View District
Figure VII-1 shows a section through the BQE cantilever and the scenic view plane.
In summary, the SV-1 zoning district prohibits construction of anything above a
diagonally sloping plane that starts four feet above the edge of the Promenade and
ends approximately 2,300 feet from the shoreline. Any proposed connection scheme
that includes items built above the scenic view plane would require a zoning variance
and would meet considerable and understandable community opposition.
Several possible connection options were reviewed with the Park designers (Michael
Van Valkenburgh Associates). The Park designers felt that should such a connection
be designed in the future, accommodations in the Park could be made to provide
accessible pathways to the connection. A possible location for one such ramp is
discussed subsequently. It was also confirmed that the parking area near Furman Street
and/or the edge of the Park near Furman Street could be occupied by a stair, ramp, or
elevator tower without significant adverse impact to the Park design.
Community Comments
At the December 5, 2006, community charrette, two schemes were presented to the
public for commentary:
•
•
El.+ 2.5
B1-B4 (View Framing Line)
East River
2,300 feet
Horizontal Distance
Pierhead
Line
Port Authority Pier
Face of Promenade
Furman St.
El.+ 66.0
S.B.- B.Q.E.
N.B - B.Q.E.
A,A1 (View Reference Line)
View PlaneBrooklyn Heights Promenade
SECTION A-A DIAGRAM 2 (Not to Scale)
An elevator and stairs at the inland side of the Promenade, either at the end of
Montague Street or Pierrepont Street, with a tunnel leading out to the east side of
Furman Street at the Park level.
A pedestrian bridge from the Promenade over the cantilever and Furman Street,
with an elevator and stair that descended down to the Park level.
+ -
4

SAm SChwARTz PLLC hDR-DANIEL FRANkFURT
The following consistent themes were noted among the community comments and
preferences expressed at the meeting:
•
•
•
•
•
•
A vertical connection from the Promenade at Montague Street is a logical
point as Montague Street leads to the Promenade from the neighborhood’s
primary commercial corridor.
Central access to the Park from the Promenade is desirable, but obstructions
to the view plane must be avoided. A ramp down to the Park should be
considered.
The vertical connection should provide a grand, dramatic, and desirable
entrance to the Park.
Remsen Street should be considered as a connection point as the view plane
would likely not be obstructed at this location.
Pedestrian travel via Brooklyn Heights to the Promenade and a vertical
connection is not a substantial concern, but vehicular traffic impact is a
potential issue.
Options for an elevator located on Columbia Heights (just east of the
Promenade) are not ideal.
BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS STUDY
Alternative 1: Pedestrian Elevator and Tunnel behind Promenade
In order to avoid impact on the Promenade and the special view district, an elevator
and stair tower behind the cantilever and away from the Promenade was proposed.
The vertical connection would consist of an enclosed elevator shaft and stair tower
that descend 66 feet (from the Promenade level to the Furman Street level) and meet
a tunnel that would lead west to Furman Street. Two locations were proposed for this
scheme: (1) the northwest corner of the intersection of Montague Street and Montague
Terrace, just east of the Promenade (shown in Figure VII-2) or (2) at the end of Pierrepont
Street adjacent to the playground in the wide area of sidewalk.
Figure VII-2 Montague Street at Montague Terrace
These locations were discussed at the December 5 public meeting, and the Pierrepont
Street location was dismissed due to public use of that area in conjunction with the
playground. In addition, further study of the cantilever structure indicated that the only
location for an elevator and tunnel under the current configuration of the cantilever
would be at Montague Street. The cantilever piles that extend down from the lowest
wall are absent at this area because of the subway tunnels below. This small portion of
the cantilever is supported by bearing walls, spaced approximately 7 feet apart. One
of these walls could be removed and the cantilever above could be supported by an
alternate means to construct the tunnel. This alternative is shown in Figure VII-3.

SAm SChwARTz PLLC hDR-DANIEL FRANkFURT
VIEW PLANE
BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK
Figure VII-3 Pedestrian Elevator and Tunnel behind Promenade
FURMAN STREET
PROMENADE
EXISTING
CANTILEVER
STRUCTURE
TUNNEL (+/- 140FT)
NEW ELEVATOR AND STAIRS
ON MAPPED PARKLAND (+/- 66FT)
EXISTING BUILDING
VIEW PLANE
This approach presents many obstacles. Modification of the cantilever support structure
would require NYS DOT approval. Approval from NYCT would also be required to build
a structure directly over the subway tunnels. As the tunnel is enclosed and has virtually
no visibility from the street, Park visitors would enter the Park via an underground
passageway with associated security and safety costs and concerns. As there is no
sidewalk on the east side of Furman Street, an expanded sidewalk and traffic signal
would be required to exit the tunnel and cross the street to the Park. NYC DOT would
have to be consulted to add a sidewalk or portion of a sidewalk to Furman Street. A
maintenance and operation entity for this tunnel and elevator would have to be
determined. NYC Parks owns the land that would be used for the elevator and tunnel,
but the agency does not have experience maintaining them. If a separate entity is
established to maintain Park amenities, elevator maintenance responsibilities could be
contracted.
The preliminary cost estimate for this scheme is $80 million in 2010 dollars; further cost
details are shown in Table VII-1 following Alternative 4.
MONTAGUE TERRACE
BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK
BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS STUDY
Alternative 2: Pedestrian Bridge and Elevator in Front of Promenade
The second scheme is a bridge from the Promenade across the BQE and Furman Street
that meets an elevator and stair tower at the edge of the Park, shown in Figure VII-4.
Figure VII-4 Pedestrian Bridge and Elevator in Front of Promenade
NEW PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE (+/- 60FT)
NEW ELEVATOR AND STAIRS
ON BBP LAND (+/- 66FT)
FURMAN STREET
EXISTING
CANTILEVER
STRUCTURE
PROMENADE
EXISTING BUILDING
Figure VII-4 depicts a simple arch bridge but a different structural system such as a cable
stayed bridge, a truss, or other type of distinctive structure would be possible. It is likely
that whatever the structure is, it would penetrate the view plane and a zoning variance
would be required. This fact alone may make this approach unfeasible. The bridge
could be composed of thin structural members that give an illusion of transparency,
and the elevator shaft and stair tower could be glass enclosed to maximize the view
through them to the vista beyond. This would also provide a new observation point
from Brooklyn Heights; at a height of 64 feet above the Park, a visitor could look out
of a glass elevator at the city skyline, creating the “world class vista” described by the
public at the community charrette. To accommodate expected pedestrian traffic, the
width of this bridge is preliminarily set at 15 feet. The design load for a pedestrian
bridge is 100 pounds per square foot due to the possibility of pedestrian overloading
during peak use times. To maintain the vertical clearance required for the BQE below,
the main members of the bridge structure would likely be located above the walking
surface of the bridge.
The vertical shaft would contain one or two elevators and a staircase. (The cost estimate
shown in Table VII-1 following Alternative 4 includes one elevator.) The elevators should
be large enough (for example, 10 feet by 10 feet) to accommodate a large volume of
Park visitors. Elevator construction requires an elevator cab approximately 8 feet high
with additional space in the shaft above the cab for the hoist mechanism and overrun
requirements, which would extend well above the Promenade.

SAm SChwARTz PLLC hDR-DANIEL FRANkFURT
VIEW PLANE
BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK
Following receipt of public commentary on this scheme, alternate bridge types
minimizing the impact to the view plane were explored. The basic dimensions of
the bridge would be the same but the alternate structural system would reduce the
intrusion into the view plane, as shown in Figure VII-5.
Figure VII-5 Less Intrusive Design for Pedestrian Bridge and Elevator in Front of
Promenade
NEW ELEVATOR AND STAIRS ON BBP LAND (+/- 66FT)
NEW PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE (+/- 60FT)
FURMAN STREET
GLASS FENCE 8’-0” HIGH
EXISTING
CANTILEVER
STRUCTURE
PROMENADE
BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK
EXISTING BUILDING
The glass elevator and bridge would provide sufficient visibility to reduce security risks
associated with an enclosed elevator shaft; this option was generally viewed by the
public as safe and within their comfort level. However, the objection to any invasion of
the view plane may be an obstacle.
The preliminary cost estimate for this scheme is $25 million in 2010 dollars; further cost
details are shown in Table VII-1, following Alternative 4.
Alternative 3: Pedestrian Bridge, Ramp, and Elevator in Front of
Promenade
In response to public feedback at the December 5 community charrette, a variation of
Alternative 2 was developed to avoid compromising the view from the Promenade.
This option proposes an additional platform extending out from the Promenade and
then ramping down until sufficient distance below the view plane is reached so that an
elevator and stair tower can be located under the scenic view plane, as shown in Figure
VII-6.
Figure VII-6 Pedestrian Bridge, Ramp, and Elevator in Front of Promenade
VIEW PLANE
MONTAGUE TERRACE
40’
FURMAN STREET
BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS STUDY
EXISTING
CANTILEVER
STRUCTURE
EXISTING
CANTILEVER
STRUCTURE
PROMENADE
EXISTING BUILDING
The Promenade would have to be extended horizontally to the west in order to clear
the restricted area over the BQE before the ramp starts. A project to reconstruct the
BQE and rehabilitate the cantilever is currently being planned by NYS DOT. The scheme
proposed here is based on one possible design for the cantilever reconstruction; final
design for the vertical connection would be dependent on the final design for the
planned reconstruction of the cantilever. This option provides an ADA-compliant
vertical connection without impacting the view plane. Like the previous scheme, the
elevator would be transparent, providing views into the elevator for safety and towards
Manhattan, the East River bridges, and the Statue of Liberty. If designed in conjunction
with the BQE project, this could create the “world class vista” and entrance to the Park
as described in the public meeting.
The preliminary cost estimate for this scheme is $40 million in 2010 dollars; further cost
details are shown in Table VII-1, following Alternative 4.
Alternative 4: Ramp from Promenade
The final option was developed in order to address maintenance and aesthetic issues
associated with elevator access to the Park. As discussed by the public at the December
5 community charrette, a connection from the Promenade to the Park at Remsen
Street would be lower than other points on the Promenade, reducing the vertical travel
distance and need for an elevator. Sound attenuation berms in the Park parallel and
immediately west of Furman Street will rise to approximately 35 feet above Furman
Street. This results in a vertical distance between the Promenade and the Park of
only about 31 feet. At Remsen Street the sidewalk elevation is about 3 or 4 feet lower
than the Promenade, but any ramp or bridge that extends from Remsen Street must
ascend before it descends to the Park to avoid interferance with traffic flow on the BQE
northbound lanes below. A series of ramps and stairs would start from the Promenade
or at the end of Remsen Street, travel across the BQE and Furman Street, and land atop
a berm in the Park, as shown in Figure VII-7.

SAm SChwARTz PLLC hDR-DANIEL FRANkFURT
The scheme shown in Figure VII-7 turns to the south after it enters the Park to meet the
berm closest to Remsen Street. Another alternative would be a similar ramp structure
linked to the sound attenuation berm planned immediately north of the MTA vent
building opposite the Promenade at Montague Street. The Montague Street location
would be consistent with preferences expressed by some members of the public for a
connection at this location. However, a ramp ending opposite Montague Street may
present more significant view plane issues.
In speaking with the Park designers, it was indicated that if such a scheme were adopted,
additional pathways in the Park could be provided to connect this bridge to the rest of
the Park, as shown in the following renderings of the proposed bridge, Figure VII-8 and
Figure VII-9.
Figure VII-7 Ramp from Promenade at Remsen Street, Plan View
FURMAN STREET
MAINTENANCE
AND OPERATIONS
BUILDING
BUILDING 56
BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS STUDY
Figure VII-8 Ramp from Promenade at Remsen Street (1)
Figure VII-9 Ramp from Promenade at Remsen Street (2)
0

SAm SChwARTz PLLC hDR-DANIEL FRANkFURT
The circular design of the ramp allows visitors to the Park to take a ramp or stairs down
each circle while providing areas for rest or observation from the center of each circle.
The design also mirrors the circular design feature found at each end of the Promenade.
The circles are also designed for ease of maintenance and visibility, which provides a
sense of security to Park visitors as they make the connection. As shown in Figure VII-
8 and Figure VII-9, the design features concrete bases and columns with metal mesh
safety fences and railings. There are no mechanical elements on this bridge, such as
elevators, that require maintenance, making this a more attractive scheme. Currently,
numerous pedestrian bridges are maintained and operated by NYC Parks. However, a
bridge located at the foot of Remsen Street would block the view of the water from that
location, which could be objectionable to the residents of the area. This scheme would
also require NYC DOT approval in order to place any required columns in Furman Street
as well as NYS DOT approval to create a pedestrian bridge over the BQE.
The preliminary cost estimate for this scheme is $40 million in 2010 dollars; further cost
details are shown in Table VII-1.
Funicular Connection
Although a number of members of the public advocated for a funicular, it could present
significant BQE clearance issues if positioned along the edge of the cantilever structure
as suggested. To avoid conflicts with the BQE, the base of the funicular would have to
be pushed into the Park, resulting in the need for a platform and ramp down from the
Promenade to reach the funicular. This would assumably conflict with the scenic view
plane. A funicular would also take a much larger footprint of the Park than an elevator
Table VII-1 Vertical Connection Alternatives: Cost Estimates
Figure
Number
Area
(s.f.)
Bridge Finishes Volume
Unit
Cost ($)
Area
(s.f.)
Unit
Cost ($)
BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS STUDY
and thus present significant Park design challenges. For these reasons, the funicular
was not pursued as an option.
Conclusion
In light of the planned reconstruction of the BQE cantilever, the short-term design
and construction of a vertical connection is not appropriate at this time. The vertical
connection should be re-examined during the development of the reconstruction
design for the cantilever. The ramp and elevator in front of the Promenade would be
the most direct route to the Park for pedestrians. However, a bridge spanning the BQE
and connecting to a high point in the Park from the Promenade at Remsen Street or
Montague Street would avoid costly elevator maintenance.
Area (c.f.)
Unit
Cost ($)
Elevator
Cost (each)
($)
Structural
Support of BQE
($)
Total
($)
Design &
Construction
Supervision
($)
Total, incl. D&CS
(2010 Dollars)
($)
Alternative 1: Pedestrian Elevator & Tunnel behind Promenade VII-3 8,400 400 71,960 100 800,000 50,000,000 61,356,000 9,203,400 80,376,360
Alternative 2: Pedestrian Bridge & Elevator in Front of Promenade
Alternative 3: Pedestrian Bridge, Ramp, & Elevator in Front of
Promenade
Alternative 4: Ramp from Promenade
VII-4
VII-5
1,605 4,380 1,605 300 1,800,000 10,000,000 19,311,400 2,896,710 25,297,934
VII-6 6,150 4,380 6,150 300 1,800,000 30,582,000 4,587,300 40,062,420
VII-7
VII-8
VII-9
Note: 2010 escalation is assumed at 5% per year; design and construction supervision fee
is assumed at 15%. Estimate does not include possible realignment of Furman Street to
accommodate Alternative 1.
4,454 4,380 4,454 300 10,000,000 30,844,720 4,626,708 40,406,583
1

VIII. Clark Street Subway Station
SAm SChwARTz PLLC hDR-DANIEL FRANkFURT
Figure VIII-1 Potential Clark Street Station/
Furman Street Tunnel (Section View)
HENRY ST.
HICKS ST.
The feasibility of connecting the Clark Street subway station to the Park at Furman
Street was analyzed. Such a connection would require construction of a new tunnel
between the mezzanine level of the station and Furman Street, adjacent to the existing
ventilation shaft and emergency exit at Furman Street below the cantilever.
Background
The Clark Street station is located at the corner of Clark Street and Henry Street. It is
about four blocks east of the Promenade and Furman Street. The entrance is located in
the first floor of the Saint George Hotel. The mezzanine is approximately 66 feet below
the street entrance, and the base of rail is approximately 14 feet below the mezzanine.
The 2,3 train tunnels run under Clark Street, and when they reach the edge of the
cantilever, under Furman Street, the base of rail is approximately 44 feet lower than in
the station. The elevation at Furman Street is approximately one foot lower than the
mezzanine elevation of the Clark Street station.
Other area train stations, including the Borough Hall 2,3,4,5 station and the M,R at Court
Street, are all at least two blocks farther away from the edge of the Park, making a
possible tunnel connection between them longer. One consequence of this additional
distance is that the subway tubes are deeper underground when they reach Furman
Street. Previous studies have determined that this additional depth would render a
connection to the Park infeasible at these locations. These options were not included
in the scope of this study.
The addition of a tunnel to the north and above the existing subway tunnel is technically
feasible. The tunnel would have to be north of the existing tunnel in order to allow for
construction without disturbing subway traffic and to preserve the structural integrity
of the existing tubes. The proposed tunnel would run approximately 20 feet to the
north of the existing station underneath private properties that are on the north side
of Clark Street. This placement of the tunnel would require that easements be obtained
from all the property owners for the construction of the tunnel under their buildings
WILLOW ST.
POTENTIAL PARK ACCESS TUNNEL
CLARK ST SATATION APPROX. 1135’
1/5 OF A MILE
5 MINUTE WALK
COLUMBIA HTS.
FURMAN ST.
PIER 2
BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK
BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS STUDY
and properties. The tunnel could either be drill-and-blast mined or bored. With either
option, precautions would need to be taken to avoid impacting the properties above.
The depth of the proposed tunnel is such that the foundations of the existing buildings
would not be significantly impacted by the work.
The tunnel would be MTA property; therefore the project would be under the
jurisdiction of the State building code and NYCT regulations. As with any public project,
the tunnel would be subject to ADA guidelines and would be designed to be ADAcompliant,
although the current configuration of the Clark Street station does not meet
federal ADA regulations. At this time there are no known plans by NYCT to provide ADA
improvements to this station.
Figure VIII-2 Potential Clark Street Station/Furman Street Tunnel
Furman Street/BQE
POTENTIAL PARK ACCESS TUNNEL
PINEAPPLE ST
Hotel St. George/Clark Street

SAm SChwARTz PLLC hDR-DANIEL FRANkFURT
Community Comments
At the December 5 community charrette, Figure VIII-1, Figure VIII-2, and Figure VIII-3
were presented for public comment.
The following consistent themes were noted among the community comments and
preferences expressed at the meeting:
•
•
•
•
Maintenance and safety of the tunnel are of concern.
Given that the connection would only serve those using the 2,3 subway, the
usefulness would be limited.
The tunnel would be improved if it includes a moving sidewalk and a bicycle
lane.
The tunnel experience is unlikely to be a pleasant experience and may not be
safe.
Proposed Tunnel
The proposed tunnel would start at the center of the mezzanine passageway of the
Clark Street station, as shown in Figure VIII-3, and run northwest until it reached the
underside of the existing cantilever.
Figure VIII-3 Clark Street Station, Plan View, Facing West
Clark Street Station Platform Level Existing Clark Street Station Mezzanine
ELEVATOR
For purposes of this study, the tunnel was sized at 20 feet wide by 10 feet high, and
with a length of approximately 1,135 feet. Like many other NYCT subway passageways,
the tunnel would have vandal-resistant, durable, easily maintainable finishes such as
tile, stone, and metal. The tunnel could be designed to include amenities such as a
bicycle lane and moving walkways but would have to be wider than the portrayed 20
BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS STUDY
feet to accommodate these. The tunnel would end just to the north of the existing
ventilation shaft and emergency exit for the 2,3 subway. As shown in Figure VIII-4, the
proposed tunnel plan shows an unstaffed fare control area at the Furman Street end
of the tunnel. However, NYCT might require a staffed control area and booth at this
location (for instance, under current NYCT procedures, bicyclists may not pass through
a fare control area without assistance from booth operators). In that case, the end of
the tunnel would have to be widened to accommodate the control area. Currently
there is no sidewalk on the east side of Furman Street.
Figure VIII-4 Tunnel Exit at Furman Street (Plan View)
EXISTING BQE
SUPPORT PILES
PILES TO
BE CUT
20’-0”
26’-0”
FARE CONTROL AREA
PROPOSED TUNNEL
EXISTING VENT SHAFT
EXISTING LOUVERS
PROPOSED CROSSWALK PROPOSED SIDEWALK FURMAN STREET
Advantages and Disadvantages
The tunnel would provide convenient access to the Park from the NYCT subway system.
It would allow for a Brooklyn Bridge Park subway station, which could be used by both
visitors and Furman Street residents adjacent to the Park. However, the Clark Street
station only serves two subway lines, which would limit the number of passengers
likely to use the tunnel because many people would be required to transfer either in
Manhattan or further into Brooklyn to access this station.
Recently, the MTA and NYCT have closed underground tunnels of lengths shorter than
the proposed tunnel. These tunnels have been considered unsafe, difficult to maintain,
and not widely used. For example, the tunnel at West 33rd Street between 6th Avenue
and 7th Avenue, the tunnel between Herald Square and Bryant Park, and the tunnel
at West 50 th Street between Seventh Avenue and Eighth Avenue were closed. The
MTA has also closed many shorter tunnels under subway tracks that allow passengers
to transfer between uptown and downtown service due to security concerns. The

SAm SChwARTz PLLC hDR-DANIEL FRANkFURT
BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK
proposed tunnel would be difficult to maintain, expensive to keep secure, and would
not likely find support with the MTA.
For those exiting the tunnel at the Park, Furman Street would have to be modified to
allow for a sidewalk and crossing at the exit of this tunnel, as shown in Figure VIII-4.
A crosswalk and traffic signal, as well as a sidewalk on the east side of Furman Street
would have to be added to accommodate pedestrians. This plan would require NYC
DOT approval.
The largest impediment to building a tunnel connecting the Clark Street station to the
Park is the cantilever itself. Figure VIII-5 shows the piles that support the cantilever
extending through the proposed tunnel. In order to build a tunnel at this location,
approximately 20 piles would need to be cut and the BQE would have to be alternatively
supported over the 20-foot width of the tunnel. This is also made more difficult by the
close proximity of the proposed tunnel to the existing ventilation shaft.
Figure VIII-5 Tunnel Exit at Furman Street (Section View)
PILES TO BE CUT
STRUCTURAL SUPPORT TBD
FURMAN STREET
EXISTING
CANTILEVER
STRUCTURE
PROMENADE
EXISTING BUILDING
PROPOSED TUNNEL
CONNECTING TO CLARD ST.
Preliminary structural analysis indicates that there is insufficient room between the shaft
and the tunnel to provide adequate support for the cantilever, and that an alternative
means of supporting the cantilever would have to extend over the entire shaft (+/-
40 feet). This would be expensive, not easily accomplished, and NYS DOT approval
would be questionable. The option is not considered feasible until the cantilever is
reconstructed. During the proposed widening and rehabilitation of the cantilever,
provisions could be made to allow a tunnel to penetrate the bottom of the structure.
Cost
The preliminary cost estimate for this scheme is $226 million in 2010 dollars, based on
the following:
•
•
•
•
•
•
MONTAGUE TERRACE
BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS STUDY
Finishes (General Area): 51,000 s.f. X $400 per unit cost = $23,664,000
Finishes (Control Area): 12,000 s.f. X $700 per unit cost = $9,744,000
Volume: 436,800 c.f. X $100 per unit cost = $50,668,800
Structural support of BQE: $116,000,000
Design and construction supervision: $25,872,000
Total: $225,948,800
The estimate does not include the cost of obtaining the right-of-way for the tunnel nor
the potential realignment of Furman Street to accommodate the sidewalk adjacent to
the subway fare control area.
Conclusion
While technically feasible, a pedestrian tunnel extending from the Clark Street 2,3
Station to Furman Street would be costly, difficult to maintain and potentially unsafe.
Because it would only be accessible to passengers on the 2,3 subway line, its usefulness
may also be limited. Additionally, it is unlikely that NYCT would agree to maintain and
provide surveillance for a tunnel extending over 1,000 feet in length, as they are currently
closing even shorter tunnels at other stations throughout the city. Technical issues that
would need to be considered include alternative supports for the BQE cantilever and
the lack of a sidewalk or crosswalk on Furman Street for pedestrians exiting the tunnel.
Solutions to these problems could be incorporated into the planned reconstruction of
the BQE cantilever structure.

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Alfred G. Meyer
Harris Schechtman
Samuel I. Schwartz, PE
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hDr-Daniel Frankfurt
www.dfpc.com
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Neil Porto, PE