Park Entrance from Montague?

The Eagle reports that the Montague Street Business Improvement District wants a footbridge to connect the Promenade near the foot of Montague Street (photo) to Brooklyn Bridge Park. The BID says this is necessary to provide access to the Park during the time the needed repairs to the cantilevered portion of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway below the Promenade are being done, as this will affect access to the Park through other entrances. According to the Eagle story, the BID envisions the footbridge as resembling the “Penny Bridge” (see photo in the story linked above) that used to allow pedestrians to cross Montague Street, when it extended steeply downhill to the level of the then docks, before the construction of the BQE and the Promenade.

What puzzles your correspondent is how a footbridge, by itself, could allow pedestrians to get to or from the Park from the level of the Promenade, which I believe is about an eighty foot vertical distance. Nothing that looks at all like the little Penny Bridge could do this. The bridge would have to connect to a very long staircase (more steps than many people could easily manage), or escalator (prone to breakdowns), or — and this is the only way it could meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act — a tower with elevators. To meet the anticipated summer traffic volume, this would probably require two or even three elevators the size of those at the Clark Street subway station, and the tower could impinge on the protected view plane from the Promenade. The footbridge that does connect to the Park — the “Bouncy Bridge”– does so by starting from Squibb Park, which is below the level of the BQE, and executing a zig-zag. A footbridge from the level of the Promenade would have to go through several zig-zags between there and the Park to be easily walkable; it’s hard to see how this could be executed without creating a structure so massive that it would negatively affect views from the Promenade.

I also wonder what significant impediment to Park access will be caused by the BQE repair work. Neither the Squibb Park, or Old Fulton/Furman Street entrances could be affected by it, and it seems unlikely to me to affect the Atlantic Avenue entrance, as it is south of where the cantilevered portion of the BQE begins. The Joralemon Street entrance could be affected, at least for a period of time less than required to complete the entire project. This is likely also to bar auto traffic on Joralemon from going to or from Furman Street during that time.

DISCLOSURE: I live on Montague. The concerns I’ve expressed above relate only to the technical difficulties I perceive with the proposal; not from fear of excessive pedestrian traffic on Montague (my windows face Pierrepont Place, so we already get the mostly cheerful noise from the playground, and the tour guide who stops his group in front of 3 Pierrepont Place to enlighten them about Seth Low, and at whom my historian wife occasionally yells at out the window, “No, Robert Moses did NOT build that playground!”).

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  • ykwhthis…

    As soon as you explain your status or moral authority to question someone of my station. Remember a few weeks ago what I said about a flea or puppy barking at a nebula? Or seeking to question why or if a nebula should exist(!)

    In any case, no matter what your view of me, or world matters, let’s stick to why this forum exists; to address the events/conditions/prospects of our unique living area and the rare, highly humans it contains.

  • AEB

    I think he’s answered the question by refusing to answer it. But even if the answer is equivocal, he’s certainly revealed where he’s perched on the Right-Left continuum. With paranoia and authoritarianism running the show.

  • StudioBrooklyn

    What is your “station” exactly? Here’s what I can surmise: “Elderly neighborhood man who regularly posts typo-riddled non-sequitur diatribes on neighborhood news website.” (In the case of this particular comments thread you managed to take an innocuous sub-thread about teleportation and turn it into a rant about PC culture.) Is there some title or pronoun for that I should be aware of?

    (I’m sorry, Jeff, but if you want to talk about “station” you’re right down here on the same level as the rest of us neighbors. Under no circumstances is anyone a nebula to anyone else’s flea.)

    Think of me as a concerned neighbor who wants to understand you better because I don’t like jumping to conclusions about people. Unfortunately, as AEB points out, you’re forcing our hands by refusing to define yourself. And as I keep saying, yes, it’s important for us to know whether we have a neighbor who wants to see some of us dead or marginalized.

    Ball’s in your court, my dear.

  • Eddyde

    – Crickets –
    As expected.

  • Eddyde

    That a good Idea. I think it could even extend over the parking area switching back to make a ramp access with no elevators required. Total distance should be on par with the Squibb park/bouncy bridge access. If it used proven design elements, it might be doable for a realistic budget.

  • Eddyde

    I don’t think the addition of Montague access will “increase” foot traffic, It will divert it from narrower non commercial streets onto a street that can handle it. It will also be welcomed by our local merchants. It is time to face facts: The park is here to stay, it will indeed forever change the exposure of the neighborhood to transient visitors. The best we can do limit the impact on the quieter streets.

  • Eddyde

    I don’t see how “landmarks restrictions” apply to this situation?

  • gc

    So many “forever” changes. Like the loss of our hospital, our movie theater, our library and our peace and quiet. Apparently the best we can do is roll over which is exactly what we have done.

  • Jeffrey Smith

    The classical definition of a NGO are organizations like the Council on Foreign Relations, the trilateral commission, the council on economic development, and activist groups like the club of time and the bilderberg. There are, very unfortunately, hundreds of NGO both known but more quite unknown to the public. Certainly, opus dei a major NGO but in the field of religious/social change. Which is why Catholic traditionalists fiercely object to them. Aipac is more of a obnoxious pressure group, like the ADL, but well known to all activists in the middle East policy field. The NRA is a partial advocacy group well known to public.

    but the reason true NGO’s are so objectional and dangerous is the amount of financing behind them the amount of power they wieldd and the almost total secrecy they operate in. And the fact that a whole range of lower level organizations and lower level people have decided that they too can do the NGO ultra scam….like our beloved unelected who-put-them-in-charge?, Heights BID.

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

    The Montague Street BID, which is just one of several similar organizations in our vicinity, is a voluntary group consisting of merchants on the street whose “power” consists of collecting membership dues, putting up promotional signage, occasionally having portions of the street closed for events, and, as in the topic of this post, advocating policies that a majority of their members have agreed are in their best interest. Their advocacy by no means assures that these policies will be implemented. You ascribe to them a level of power beyond their dreams.

  • Andrew Porter

    And the location, one subway stop from Manhattan; the wide variety of transit options; the view of the harbor; the rich variety in real estate, from rentals to brownstones, the amenities in education, shopping, and ambience, have nothing to do with keeping people here?

    Time to take off your self-imposed blinders.

  • Andrew Porter

    You read on line somewhere…

    Really?

  • Andrew Porter

    Severe case of topic drift here…

  • StudioBrooklyn

    Let’s try to enjoy it while we’re young.

  • ykwhthis

    Buddy Holly and the Crickets-

  • ykwhthis….

    I’m you believe that, but the long history of BID’s taking on governmental roles, especially in the area of security. You’d be amazed the incidents I’ve seen around the country. And BID’s, like a lot of advocacy groups and a lot of, well, now internet figures and pop up sites all have sought to assume the role as the new reference points which the public and government should consider the voice of wisdom. Now you this BID trying to assume the great influence that we should set policy to. Listen, that’s in very micro form exactly what the darlings of bilderberg do. Again, who is these again, unelected, people to begin to agatate for something which would fundamentally change life in the Heights??? After what we’ve already had with the park? And of course, are we going to be able to vote on any of this? Of course not. That’s the whole IDEA of all unelected NGO’s to prevent the public EVER having any kind of a say…..

  • Jeffrey Smith

    I agree that’s why I tried to shut this exchange it off several times. And I’m certainly not going to feed the subject further.But I DO feel that it is societal poison to allow any group in society to be the gate keepers of who can speak and what positions can be taken on which subjects, just what these people are (unrelenting) doing here. After I’ve tried to back away from a site jamming confrontation.

    And, again, who the #@&%# are they to question me?

    Yeah, Mr Moderator, let’s get back to Heights and only Heights related subjects…..

  • Eddyde

    Ha Ha, I got you :)

  • ykwhthis…

    I know this is off topic but, what’s your favorite Buddy Holly side?

  • Concerned

    hello?

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

    There was nothing devious about the BID’s advocacy of a park entrance from Montague. It was reported in the Eagle, and I re-reported it here, hoping to make people who may have missed the Eagle story aware of it, and to generate discussion on its merits, as well as to express my own doubts about its feasibility.

  • StudioBrooklyn

    By the way, Andrew, I think I heard your name dropped during an interview with filmmaker Noah Baumbach on the New Yorker Radio Hour. I’ll see if I can find a link…

  • Jeffrey Smith

    No, this is sort of a frontal approach. Sure, that’s one of NGO’s options. They can opt for a more open approach
    when they feel that suits their purposes. But this is still the classic case of a private group seeking to implant a policy with the least possible taxpayer’s input. And never having to ask for the public’s PRIOR permission for their plan. This is just another Regina Myers act….

    Tell you what…how about placing huge Heights life changing “modifications” to the Heights…ON THE BALLOT!?!

    Oh, what did I just do? Did I hold up the ultimate cross-to-dracula to everyone in the “urban planning” and “social change” world?

    Do you know why that is Claude?…BECAUSE RATS DONT LIKE IT WHEN YOU TURN ON THE LIGHT!!!…

  • StudioBrooklyn

    Jeff, I wouldn’t dare challenge your right to take any position on any subject. I’m just trying to understand what that position is. I tried to introduce the question to you on an OTW, where it by definition wouldn’t have been off-topic, but your evasion has raised some concern among your neighbors, including myself, because your confirmation or denial would set straight a rather important point and help us to understand where you’re coming from with many of your comments. I don’t want to prejudge or misunderstand you, Jeff, because I’m your neighbor.

    “Who the #@&%#” am I to question you? Who the #@&%# are you not to give a straight answer?

  • Eddyde

    Yeah, keep ducking the question, commie.

  • Andrew Porter

    Thanks. It could be me, or the AP who is a fiction author, or other “Andrew Porter”s. We are Legion, to use a common phrase.

  • Andrew Porter

    The bigger question is whether we’ll need such structures in the future. We are already past “peak car” with many people no longer feeling the need to own such expensive transport. Tolls on the East River bridges might also affect traffic levels.

    A question for further in the future is what effect rising sea levels will have on the BQE; the trench is already below sea level.

  • StudioBrooklyn

    http://www.wnyc.org/story/noah-baumbachs-unhappy-families/

    “There was Andrew Porter, uptown…” (2:32)

  • ykwhthis

    Now I’m a commie?

    Well folks, has to be a high water mark of sorts in the great history of the BH (among other things) madhouse….

  • ykwhthis….

    So your idea is that things like BBP or the roll-over and subsequent loss of the library or other totally inappropriate changes to the Heights, does not even have the prospect of discouraging our most valuable thinking residents? Really Andy? Patriots chose the American Eagle as a national symbol precise because maintenance of freedom and national well-being demands clear eyed vision.

    Something many here should learn….