On Mach 7, more than 200 people attended a panel about streetcars in cities convened by the Regional Plan Association. Two dozen NYCHA residents attended to show their support for the Brooklyn Queens Connector (BQX), and they were joined by ten students from Williamsburg High School of Architecture and Design who are participating in a competition to design the new streetcars.
The panel looked to other global cities’ experience in how to successfully implement a streetcar program. Congressman Earl Blumenauer, the leading national progressive transportation advocate who helped steer Portland Oregon’s highly successful streetcar system, delivered the keynote. He was introduced by New York City Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg.
“We’re facing an era that is going to radically change the face of public transportation in America,” said Representative Blumenauer. “I think that a community ought to look at adding a modern streetcar to the toolkit.”
"Residents in Queensbridge Houses need more reliable and efficient transit to take them to jobs and job opportunities,” said April Simpson, resident association president of Queensbridge Houses. “While there are many details still to be worked out, BQX will offer a more accessible transit option that our residents need."
“The biggest concern for me and members of my community is access to transportation so that we can get to work,” echoed Frances Brown, president of Red Hook East Houses Residents Association. “I support BQX because it will bring safe, reliable transportation to my neighborhood.”
