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Q&A
Debate over Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE) reconstruction plans
3:49:07
ยท
5 min
Council Member Restler expresses concerns about the feasibility of the current BQE reconstruction plans and requests a meeting to discuss alternative stabilization plans. Commissioner Rodriguez defends the current approach, leading to a debate about the project's future and the need for alternative planning.
- Discussion of challenges facing the BQE project, including federal support and political environment
- Request for a separate working meeting to develop stabilization plans
- Debate over the need for alternative approaches and the project's approval process
- Agreement to follow up on the request for a meeting
Lincoln Restler
3:49:07
Great.
3:49:08
I'm seeing nods.
3:49:09
Perfect.
3:49:10
Second question is the BQE.
3:49:15
You know, this was clearly the I think the number one priority for deputy mayor Joshi.
3:49:20
She was a great public servant, but no longer a part of the administration.
3:49:23
Considering the tremendous chaos in Washington and the fact that she's no longer here to spearhead things at City Hall, it just seems totally unrealistic that the Adams administration plans have a path forward.
3:49:35
It's the most complex engineering project, multi billion dollar project, requires federal support.
3:49:40
Without it, we need to think plan b.
3:49:45
What we have requested from DOT, myself and the other local elected officials who represent the triple cantilever, is that we craft a stabilization plan together to make sure that the structure is safe for the next fifteen to twenty years.
3:49:57
We know your team monitors the safety day to day carefully, and they do a diligent job, but we wanna make sure that we're looking a little further ahead and have that plan in place.
3:50:05
Could we get a commitment for a working meeting in the next month with the local elected officials, DOT, and some of the outside experts you've been working with so that we can talk through what are the stabilization and safety plans planning that's needed to preserve the triple cantilever structure for the next fifteen to twenty years?
Ydanis Rodriguez
3:50:21
The vision for the future, the BQE is a vision for mayor Eric Adams.
3:50:27
And previous deputy mayor George and myself, Jeff as a new deputy mayor, we will continue following that path.
3:50:36
Whatever place we were two weeks ago, we'll just continue doing our planning around the VQE.
3:50:42
Okay.
3:50:42
I appreciate and thanks your leadership and your support as a congress members, assembly members, everyone down the standard of the BQE is one of those projects that sometime we would do groundbreaking planning planning a community engagement, hopefully groundbreaking in the future.
3:51:01
And other people in government that will see ribbon cutting.
3:51:05
But I definitely believe that again, as this being one of the priorities of infrastructure for mayor Eric Adams, we will continue.
3:51:13
Again, having meeting with you.
3:51:14
Nothing has changed.
3:51:15
We will continue.
3:51:16
There's a down payment of $1,700,000,000 that the city has secured for the BQE.
3:51:22
So definitely getting additional funding, you know, for for this big project that is important.
3:51:28
Not only for the residents of, you know, of Brooklyn or the city but for those from Long Island to starting out, it's very critical.
3:51:36
And this is the type of project that is one of the most ambitious infrastructure project.
3:51:40
And we still are aiming for NEPA to begin this spring.
3:51:44
So you are part of all the community Yeah.
3:51:47
Electoral official engagement.
3:51:49
But we have not changed the direction because this is the direction
Demetrius Crichlow
3:51:51
But could
Ydanis Rodriguez
3:51:52
the pre mayor myself, and most important, the leadership of mayor Eric Garner.
Lincoln Restler
3:51:56
But could I just add could I get an answer to the question of we'd like to have a separate working meeting to do stabilization planning.
3:52:02
So if this plan doesn't if the NEPA process and your and Mayor Adams aspirational plans don't end up working out, we have an alternative safety stabilization plan in place to keep our community safe and riders safe.
3:52:15
That's what we've been looking for.
3:52:17
We think that it's a very difficult political environment to get his plan across the finish line.
3:52:22
Accordingly, we'd like to make sure that there are alternative secure stabilization plans in place.
Ydanis Rodriguez
3:52:27
Yeah.
3:52:28
There's no another city that have a bridge director as Paul Schwartz as we have here.
Lincoln Restler
3:52:34
I like Paul.
Ydanis Rodriguez
3:52:34
Okay.
3:52:35
So only and again, I do appreciate it because we say in meeting that we have with the elective of notes, you know, this is the first time that we've been thinking so far the vision and the planning on the VQE.
3:52:48
So again, there's no reason of why we should move away from how we've been engaging, planning together.
3:52:58
We are responsible again for the BQE and another 799 bridges and tunnels that we have in the city.
3:53:06
We have $17,000,000,000 capital for the next ten year for bridges.
3:53:10
This BQE is in the state of good repair.
3:53:13
Require a lot of money to keep pay as it is, but the BQE is a safe corridor that we have as we speak.
Lincoln Restler
3:53:19
I appreciate it.
3:53:20
Hundreds of millions of dollars have been pushed out from this five year capital plan from the beginning of this administration to out years that should have been invested in stabilizing the BQE, your administration chose to take a different approach.
3:53:30
This project requires my approval.
3:53:32
It will be a ULURP, and there will be home rule park home rule messages through Parkland alienation that require my sign off.
3:53:37
We are not on a path to approval.
3:53:39
I wanna be very plain.
3:53:42
We need to start planning for plan b.
3:53:44
We need a stabilization plan.
3:53:46
I am asking for a meeting to begin that work so that we have an alternative approach if this vision does not end up working out.
Selvena N. Brooks-Powers
3:53:53
Commissioner, can you agree to the meeting?
Ydanis Rodriguez
3:53:55
He's part of the
Selvena N. Brooks-Powers
3:53:57
But he's calling for a meeting now.
3:53:59
Can you
Ydanis Rodriguez
3:53:59
We will follow.
3:54:00
We can talk about I can tell you that there's the the the hundreds millions of dollars that we invest on the VQE keep that bridge in the state of good reason.
Selvena N. Brooks-Powers
3:54:09
But can we do the meeting?
3:54:10
I just want a yes or no.
3:54:11
Yes?
3:54:11
It sounds like a yes.
3:54:13
Thank
Lincoln Restler
3:54:18
you chair.
3:54:18
I appreciate you considering.
3:54:19
I will follow-up with you commissioner.
3:54:20
Thank you all for your time today.
Selvena N. Brooks-Powers
3:54:22
Thanks councilmember and thank you all.
3:54:25
There were some other questions I had but like I said before I'll put them in writing and look forward to hearing back.
3:54:30
Did you get an answer for councilmember Juan?
3:54:37
Okay.
3:54:38
We'll be looking for that.
3:54:39
We'll be seeing you in a couple weeks again anyway, two times for April.
3:54:44
Okay.
3:54:45
Thank you DOT.
3:54:46
Next we'll have TLC.