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May 23, 2012
Why was arena transportation plan delayed six months? FCR consultant Schwartz dodges the question; state official cites cut in parking spaces, agency signoff, need for surveys
Atlantic Yards Report
Forest City Ratner and its transportation consultancy, Sam Schwartz Engineering, released the long-delayed Barclays Center Transportation Demand Management plan, which, depsite the long delay, was shockingly short on details.
Norman Oder kicks off the coverage.
Transportation consultant Sam Schwartz (aka Gridlock Sam) is well-respected, and for good reason: he has a distinguished career in the public sector and the private sector.
But he also works for his clients, and they come first. And this morning, when, on behalf of Forest City Ratner, he unveiled the long-promised Barclays Center Transportation Demand Management (TDM) plan, he wouldn't acknowledge that it was six months late.
...Querying Schwartz
After the meeting of the Atlantic Yards District Service Cabinet, when Schwartz took questions, I pointed out that the plan was initially due last December. I asked why it was delayed.
“I don’t see this as being delayed," Schwartz replied. "I see this as being very timely. A lot of work went into it in the past year. Doing it 130, 140 days before we even have a concert at the arena is a reasonable time to get all of our ducks in a row. And in fact, the participation of the MTA administration, all of their divisions, the participation of the Police Department, the DOT, has been key to this. So I don’t find this not to be timely at all."
There are only 30 days for public comment, and elected officials like Council Member Steve Levin have warned that the delayed release was too late to truly incorporate public input.
Posted by eric at May 23, 2012 10:57 AM