Brooklyn Bridge Park Transportation Study, 3/2008

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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
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Brooklyn Bridge Park Transportation Study, 3/2008

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