Red Hook to Heights Trolley May Be on Track

A while back, prompted by the news of old trolley tracks being dug up and scrapped in connection with infrastructure work at Fulton Ferry, we noted wistfully the neighborhood’s history of extensive light rail service, and wondered, even more wistfully, if at least some such service might be restored. Now, it seems, thanks in large part to federal funding secured by Rep. Nydia Velazquez, this may happen.

New York Post: After two decades of false starts, the city is finally back on track with plans to build a light-rail or trolley line connecting Brooklyn’s most transit-starved neighborhood with its downtown area.

The city Transportation Department expects to select a consultant within the next two months to study running the mile-long line from the Red Hook waterfront to Atlantic Avenue at the edge of Brooklyn Bridge Park, which is in walking distance to several subway and bus lines.

According to the Post article, the study will also consider extending the trolley line along Atlantic Avenue to Borough Hall, with its many subway connections. Bob Diamond’s dream may yet come true.

Update: Brownstoner has a piece on this, with a link to a map showing a proposed rote that has the trolley line starting at Fairway, proceeding up Van Brunt Street, jogging over to Columbia Street and following it up to Atlantic Avenue, where it turns and follows Atlantic to Boerum Place, then goes up Boerum to Joralemon Street, turns left and loops back to Boerum by way of Court and Livingston Streets.

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  • Trolleyman

    Trolleys running along the Brooklyn waterfront from Red Hood to Dumbo again!? Sounds fantastic! (Lot’s of great possibilities here, like using restored antique trolley cars.) Hope it happens!

  • Matthew Parker

    This would be so great. Now that the passenger ship terminal docks in Red Hook and there’s a lot of new business in Red Hook, including the delicious ball field cuisine, this might make decent economic sense.

    I look forward to becoming a trolley Dodger.

    If only we could get the Dodgers back to Bklyn.

  • Teddy

    The only transit project that really would change Red Hook forever would be extending the 2nd Avenue ‘T’ line to RH. Build a new underwater tunnel between the South St. Seaport station and the Brooklyn Bridge Park (pier 6) station, keep going under Columbia St. until you build the next station at Union/Carroll, maybe the next station at Verona St. and finally end the line near Fairway/IKEA. RH would never feel desolate again.

    Not I wouldn’t mind seeing light rail return to the area, but I think it would be a waste of money.

  • ashton

    A trolley to Red Hook? Romantic but flaky. In order for it to be financially sustainable, the government would have to pay for the lion’s share of the operating cost.
    Clue to the clueless: help the economy, buy a car. The government is broke. Alas, no free rides on the trolley, no clang clang clang went my heartstrings.

  • epc

    I love the suburban trolls, what with their privately owned superhighways paid for solely by tolls and not taxpayer money.

  • jorale-man

    This would be great. Light rail is common in so many other countries, it should never have been so willfully destroyed here. I wonder too if this would pay for itself easily when you consider the businesses and homes that could spring up along the trolley route (thus bringing in more people and tax revenues).

    A small correction: it looks like the map shows the trolley going over to Boerum Place, not left to Clinton Street (which would be a tight squeeze).

  • nabeguy

    Bob Diamond is a true retro-visionary. I hope his ideas come to fruition.

  • http://selfabsorbedboomer.blogspot.com Claude Scales

    jorale-man: thanks for paying closer attention to the map than I did. I’ve corrected the post accordingly.

  • Teddy

    I took a look at the map and was wondering if the Atlantic Ave. tunnel would be used (it’s indicated on the map)? I would imagine it would have to be rebuilt to bring it up to current standards.

  • http://www.melaniehopegreenberg.com melanie hope greenberg

    Can’t they also up the buses on the route of the B61 from every 30 minutes to every 10 minutes? That would be helpful start in-between waiting on the trolley.