Scissura: BQE Panel Faces “Daunting Task”

Carlo Scissura, chair of the panel appointed by Mayor de Blasio to study the rehabilitation of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway, told Mary Frost of the Eagle that the panel must undertake “a daunting task.” He said that, contrary to the expectations of many, the panel’s work is not to evaluate the many proposals for BQE reconstruction, but to

“review the state of the BQE, understand the traffic patterns of who’s using it, understand the realities of the issues surround[ing] construction and engineering and design around this roadway, and this corridor, and then with real facts and real understanding and real evidence, come together as a panel and offer ideas and suggestions on what should happen next.”

His only comment on the proposals that have been put forth is that he doesn’t believe any of them that require relocation of MTA fan plants are viable. “[I]t is in my mind doubtful,” he said, “that [the MTA] want to spend a hundred, two hundred million dollars when they have other needs that they have to address.”

Mr. Scissura also noted that the panel must consider “[h]ow will [the reconstruction] affect the surrounding communities, and the communities stretching into northern Brooklyn and Queens and southern Brooklyn and Staten Island?”

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  • gc

    A bit disconcerting that Mr Scisssura would assume that the MTA would be responsible for costs associated with a DOT project.

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7nPOzGeyaw Arch Stanton

    At some point the MTA would have to carry some of the costs, engineering, supervision, service disruptions etc. Mr Scisssura is probably referring to those costs as 1 to 2 hundred million $ is certainly not nearly enough to cover the entire cost of relocating all that infrastructure.

  • Andrew Porter

    I doubt you have to relocate the underlying infrastructure—merely where the air comes into the system. Was the existing building flooded by Sandy?

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7nPOzGeyaw Arch Stanton

    Yeah the entire shaft to the subway tunnel might not have to be relocated if the new building is placed close to the original location. However, it doesn’t appear such a location is readily available. Also, there is a lot more involved than just air. those vent shaft/buildings are also emergency exits, feeds for electrical power, etc.

    Furman Street was under several feet of water during Sandy and the subway tunnels were completely flooded, so it stands to reason the lower parts of those vents were flooded as well.