Bad News for Squibb Park Bridge: Will Not Reopen Until Spring 2015

The recent flurry of development in the Heights and in Brooklyn Bridge Park (including this bridge) are prime examples of the law of unintended consequences. Let’s slow down and consider where we’re headed.

But screw the residents on Joralemon street, right? Seriously we live in one of the most high profile neighborhoods on the planet. Learn to deal with the tourists.

This all comes down to sensible planning. Yes, there will be tourists and people visiting from other parts of the city when you have something like BBP. But there are right ways and wrong ways of managing the traffic flow and avoiding turning the Heights into another Times Square or Disney World ride. For instance, the BBP website would direct visitors to enter through Atlantic Avenue and Old Fulton Street (and not Joralemon) and perhaps even have signs near the subway stations directing them away from residential streets.

Of course, people’s phone GPS’s might still point them to cutting through the Heights. But there should be ways of better balancing the needs of residents with those of tourists.

Yes, it was considered years ago, as was opening the Clark Street subway tunnel entrance on Furman Street for subway users (instead of just for maintenance crews). Both were considered unfeasible. Although, given the crowds and congestion, maybe opening the subway entrance (right in the middle of the park!) would have been a sensible investment.

The opening of the bridge to BBP has fundamentally changed life for residents of northern BH, and definitely not for the better. Thousands more walking along Middagh Street, many illegally parked cars as those who have to drive everywhere realize there are no parking lots for them to use and use any spaces they find, often both sides of the narrow streets (we don’t need no stinkin’ parking rules!). Then there have been the graffiti attacks on the Columbia Heights Citibike station and on the stonework at the Fruit Street Sitting Area, and the vandalism on north Hicks Street, with planters destroyed.

I sympathize with residents of Willowtown and Joralemon Street, who are going through the same unhappy experiences. Unintended consequences of the overwhelming number of visitors to BBP, though wiser heads *did* warn this might happen. Those voices were ignored, accused on NIMBYism, or, worse, accused of racism or 1%-ism…

they made the decision..why should not they be held accountable. thats not vindictive. that is right

As a north heights resident with a kid in ps 8, it hasn’t been a problem at all. More tourists for sure, but so what. Most are nice and spend money here. The closed sidewalk at Plymouth St has been way worse but it looks like they’re wrapping up.

Increasing the number of visitors to the area is good for local merchants, and it’s great to see people from all over the borough, the city, and the world using the park. I live in the North Heights as well, and I imagine that we are encountering what other people across the city in desirable neighborhoods have for decades. I agree that the illegal parking is a problem, and one that could be fairly easily curtailed if the local police wanted to do anything about it.

During the public park planning process, at least one prominent resident and governor of the Brooklyn Heights Association expressed opposition to hordes of park visitors passing through the central Heights (although I suspect Montague Street business owners/operators would have licked their collective fingers). Nevertheless, this potential park access route was not only discussed later on, but Sam Schwartz, a former DOT commissioner and famed traffic consultant, presented a design of a pedestrian bridge zigging and zagging from the southern end of the Promenade into the park at a public meeting (I don’t recall the year, neither do I recall whether DOT or BBP would have been saddled with the construction costs). I doubt raising this park access will meet with any success.

If I were you, I would be very careful inferring that the recent vandalism in the North Heights was caused by BBP visitors; what evidence do you have? If you’re bothered by illegal parkers, isn’t it the firemen who park on the sidewalks?

Ever? Do you know something that we don’t?

Spill!

Ha, no. Just my gut.

ask councilman Levin. He funded it with pressure from Hank Guttman

We don’t need any more tourists directed down Old Fulton Street.

There have been brownstone renovations in the nabe that cost more than 5 million, why does that number seem so high for a bridge? Also, it hasn’t “failed” at least not yet. It may have been damaged by the construction of the Pier House and or needs some adjusting.