BQE UpdateSummer 2021

1

Agenda

1. Introduction from Commissioner Gutman

2. Extending Structural Life & Promoting Safety

3. Advancing Practical Near-Term Repairs

4. Laying Groundwork for a Long-Term Community Vision

2

Introduction

• Built in 1954, the BQE needs a new vision for its future.

• Every day, the BQE carries thousands of trucks – 15-25% which

are overweight based on recent data – which damage the structure

and harm nearby communities.

• We have a once in a lifetime opportunity to get the BQE right.

3

Introduction (cont’d)

Our immediate and long-term objectives are:

• Extending structural life & promoting safety

• A BQE with fewer, smaller, and cleaner trucks

• Reimagining the future of the BQE through community-driven planning

4

5

2

Extending Structural Life &

Promoting Safety

Structural Preservation6

Structure of BQE can be preserved for minimum of 20 years by:

• Enhancing preventative maintenance

• Initiating preventative maintenance and operation regime

• Installing verification and expanding monitoring protocols

Structural Preservation

• Preservation methods will stop water infiltration in order to address corrosion. These include:

o Methods to address the intrusion of water into the structure by

addressing the joints, improving drainage, and reintroducing waterproofing.

o Alternatives to salt for deicing

• Rigorous, ongoing maintenance

• Timeline: Phase 1 installation: Summer 2022

Full cantilever installation: 2023–2026

77

Monitoring to Improve Knowledge of Health of Structure8

• Install sensors on portion of BQE

• Sensors will be placed at specific locations to provide insight to the

behavior of the structure and allow real-time monitoring

• Timeline: Already installed; preliminary results by August;

install additional sensors by May 2022

Two Lane Conversion

• Reduce BQE from 3 to 2 lanes each direction (Atlantic Ave to BK Bridge)

• Key recommendation outlined in BQE Expert Panel (Jan 2020) and City

Council Report (Feb 2020)

• This will reduce weight and wear and tear; the full BQE plan will extend use

of the structure for trucks beyond 2026

• Timeline: August 30, 2021

9

In 2019, ~300 crashes and ~200

disabled vehicles occurred on

the BQE between the Prospect

Expressway and Brooklyn Bridge:

• Incidents occur over 9 times/week

• 94% of incidents fully close one or

more lanes

• Average incident duration is

65 minutes

o 48 minutes to clear

o Additional 17 minutes of

recovery

Two Lane Conversion: The Problem | Safety (2019)

*Combined total of incidents in both the Queens Boundand Staten Island Bound directions

Brooklyn Bridge

2 crashes per week

113 per year

Atlantic Avenue

4 crashes per week

187 per year

Total Annual

Crashes

(2019)

300

Source: TRANSCOM Event Report 2019: BQE only

10

10

Two Lane Conversion: The Problem | Safety

• Existing entry ramps at Atlantic Avenue

are a safety concern and are frequent locations for incidents & crashes.

Queens Bound

Atlantic Ave

Entry RampStaten Island Bound

Atlantic Ave

Entry Ramp

Queens Bound Entry Ramp at Atlantic Ave

Staten Island Bound Entry Ramp at Atlantic Ave

11

11

12

Two-Lane Conversion | Cantilever Cross-Section

Existing Condition Two-Lane Condition

Shoulder

Shoulder

12

New

Acceleratio

n Lane

Two-Lane Conversion | Queens Bound

Existing Two-Lane Plan

13

No Acceleration

Lane –

Requires Merge

13

Two-Lane Conversion | Queens Bound | Exit to Brooklyn Bridge

14

Existing

Two Lane Plan

Exit 28B

Brooklyn Bridge

Exit 28B

Brooklyn Bridge

Exit 28A

Cadman Plaza W

Exit 28A

Cadman Plaza W

14

Two-Lane Conversion | Staten Island Bound | Vine St On-Ramp from Brooklyn Bridge

15

Existing Two Lane Plan

15

Existing Two-Lane Plan

16

Dedicated Entry Lane:

No Merge

No Dedicated Entry Lane:

Requires Merge

16

Two-Lane Conversion | Staten Island Bound

17

Two-Lane Conversion: Minimizing Effects

Photo: Paul Martinka | New York Post, Jan 2020

17

1. Maximize Use of Hugh Carey Tunnel

• Fewer vehicles on the BQE Triple

Cantilever

2. Freight Management

• Reduce the effects of trucks

3. Neighborhood Protection Plan

• Improve traffic flow on arterials

• Communication to drivers

• Monitor conditions (ongoing review and

adjustments)

Minimizing Effects | Maximize Use of Hugh Carey Tunnel

Hugh Carey Tunnel faster than the

Brooklyn Bridge via BQE to East

or West Side of Manhattan

• Drivers can save

o Average of 7 min to West Side

o Average of 2 min to East Side

• Public awareness campaign

o Digital signs with travel times

o HOV lane emphasis

• Diverts vehicles from BQE

Triple Cantilever

• During periods of congestion

on the Triple Cantilever,

1% to 13% of vehicles divert to

the Hugh Carey Tunnel

Source: INRIX, 2019

18

18

Minimizing Effects | Automated Enforcement

• Direct outreach to trucking

industry/major operators

• Enhanced wayfinding for truck routes to

keep trucks off residential streets

• Automated enforcement for overweight

and/or over dimensional trucks

19

19

Note: Visual is demonstrative and does not necessarily depict exact

sign locations

Minimizing Effects | Automated Enforcement

• Sen Kavanagh & AM Simon passed legislation in Albany that allows weigh-

in-motion (WIM) devices to conduct automated overweight truck

enforcement on BQE

• CMs Levin & Lander also passed a home rule message at the Council level

• Legislation will be sent to Governor at some point this year

for signature, Governor's support is critical to allowing automated

enforcement

20

Minimizing Effects | VMS Messaging

21

Sample VMS Locations: Gowanus Expy

Variable Message

Sign (VMS) devices

are essential for

communicating

diversion routes and traffic conditions

Sample VMS Locations: FDR Dr

Potential Alternate Route

Existing Route

VMS Locations with

Messaging

21

Minimizing Effects | Communications & Marketing Plan

Developing a messaging plan that

mirrors the successful effort of UN

General Assembly to keep drivers

off the roads

• Press

• Web

• Social Media

• Radio Ads

• Digital Ads

• Owned Displays

22

22

Minimizing Effects| Monitoring

Traffic in the local community will

be minimized through ongoing

monitoring and optimization of

traffic flow. The monitoring

program includes:

• Extensive on-site personnel to

monitor and manage and address

issues in real-time

• Coordination with NYPD for

Traffic Enforcement Agent (TEA)

deployment

• Carefully track effects of new

configuration and implement

changes in real time, if needed

23

23

Minimizing Effects | Monitoring | On-Site Monitoring

On-Site traffic managers and field

personnel to monitor & manage traffic in real time

• Work in partnership with JTMC

• Ensure rapid response to incidents on the BQE and detour routes

• Identify locations with extensive queuing and congestion

• Identify excessive diversions to local

residential streets

• Monitor trucking activity and compliance

with designated truck routes

• Identify locations for additional roadway

adjustments

24

24

Minimizing Effects| Monitoring | NYPD TEAs

• NYPD Traffic

Enforcement Agents

(TEAs) staffed on an as

needed basis

to manage traffic at key

neighborhood locations

25

25

26

3

Advancing Practical

Near-Term Repairs

Hicks Street Retaining Wall & Deck Spans27

Joralemon Street

Span 4

Span 34 Wall Repairs at Hicks Street

• Timeline: Fall 2020 – Fall 2021

• Work includes repairing concrete and rebar on retaining wall

Deck Span Repairs

• Span 34 – Clark St (QB) and Span 4 – Grace Ct (QB)

• Timeline: Planned for 2022

• Will require some partial and complete weekend lane closures

in each direction

Internal Structural Work28

2

1

Joralemon South

Abutment WallColumbia Heights

Drainage Issues

1 Joralemon Street – North Abutment Wall

Clark Street

Columbia Heights

Drainage Issues

JoralemonSt Abutment & Clark St Fan Plant

• Repair flags and cracks, joint issues, concrete, and deterioration

• Timeline: Planned for 2022, expected to complete in 2022

• Limited local effects because work is interior

2 Clark Street

Structural Work (cont’d)

1

2

4

3

Washington Street Abutment Wall (2)Old Fulton Street Deck (1)

• Additional Work: As work is underway, additional

repair needs will be identified and addressed

• All work will be reviewed for compliance with any

applicable land use and environmental review laws,

which may include NEPA, CEQR, SEQRA, and

ULURP

Tentative Work - note that these spans are still being

reviewed from the preservation perspective to see if

other solutions exist to achieve 20-year service life:

• Old Fulton (1) & Washington St (2) Structures:

Deck and superstructure replacement; abutment

wall repairs

• Prospect (3) & Sands St (4) Structures: Deck

replacement with steel strengthening

• Some traffic and noise

• Timeline: Planned for 2023, completion ~2 years

29

30

4Reimagining the Entire Corridor

A Bigger, Better Plan

• Reimagine the future of the BQE – no longer the “only truck highway in Brooklyn”

• Part of a vision to decrease reliance on trucks for moving goods

(currently move 90% of goods by truck)

• Shift goods delivery from trucks to barge, rail, and last mile

clean/small vehicles

• Working with partners like EDC, Port Authority, private sector

31

A Bigger, Better Plan

• Need a clear BQE corridor-wide vision from Staten Island to Queens

• DOT consultant will engage stakeholders along corridor to formulate a vision and illustrative concept for BQE

• Vision plan will inform next Mayoral Administration and the

governance entity proposed by Sen Kavanagh/AM Simon

• Timeline: Process begins Fall 2021

32

Next Steps & Contacts

• Launching Quarterly Meetings: DOT will launch quarterly meetings to discuss

overall BQE framework – next meeting in Fall 2021

• Project-Specific/Construction Meetings: DOT will host project-specific

meetings (similar to Hicks St) to discuss construction plans and local effects

• Next Public Meeting: DOT will present to BK Community Board 2's

Transportation Committee on Thursday, September 16 at 6pm; Further details

at: www.nyc.gov/brooklyncb2 for details

• Email: BQEproject@dot.nyc.gov

• Website: www.nyc.gov/BQE

33