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August 16, 2012

Atlantic Yards transportation plan Q&A: no remedies if goals aren't met; some on-site parking not pre-reserved; developer need not pay for transit service; arena website being updated; no signage to highlight residential area

Atlantic Yards Report

As I wrote yesterday, the mildly tweaked Atlantic Yards/Barclays Center final Transportation Demand Management Plan is far less interesting than the long Response to Public Comments document, which, despite the knotty problem of promoting prepaid parking that is not yet "seamless," not unexpectedly deflects nearly all the community concerns raised.

Here are some highlights, described further below:

  • there are no remedies if performance goals to reduce driving aren't met
  • sidewalks may be smaller than assumed, but they're still OK (according to an unreleased memo)
  • the Carlton Avenue Bridge may open with temporary street lighting/railing
  • there's no option to have farmer's market or other programming in the surface parking lot
  • only VIP and HOV slots at that 541-space on-site surface parking lot will be pre-reserved; some more expensive slots will be available for drive-up
  • no measures directly address on‐street parking
  • Forest City Ratner need not deploy all the money saved by not providing free MetroCards into promoting use of transit
  • the developer will not pay for increased transit service
  • "Barclays Center is in the process of updating and refining its website" regarding transportation issues
  • meters on area streets may be extended past 7 pm to deter arena-goers from parking all night
  • no special signage is planned to remind arena-goers they're in a residential area
  • "No Honking" signs are not considered effective and won't be installed
  • a traffic study examined 41 intersections, but a post-opening study will look at 56, including those facing traffic from BQE north of arena
  • "measures as necessary [will] address traffic and pedestrian conditions" while towers are built next to the arena.
  • those going to the 2/3 train from the new subway entrance will find a straight shot, while those going to the Q or 4/5 will have to climb additional stairs
  • event-related buses may be staged at the Brooklyn Navy Yard
  • Brooklyn‐bound gap trains will start at Whitehall Station or from a spur north of DeKalb Avenue
  • trucks staged from the Navy Yard won't be able to use Flushing Avenue, as once stated, but "will avoid traveling on secondary, neighborhood streets whenever possible"

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Posted by eric at August 16, 2012 5:40 PM