BQE Maintenance Work to Create Traffic Problems This Weekend

By on October 28, 2022 9:31 pm in BQE rehab, Downtown Brooklyn, Traffic

In what is, no doubt, a preview of things to come, the Atlantic Avenue BID warns us of possible Downtown Brooklyn gridlock this weekend:

Maintenance on the BQE will require Queens-bound single lane closures (Washington to Pearl Sts) & Atlantic Ave on-ramp closures this weekend.

*AVOID* driving in Downtown Brooklyn this Saturday 10/29 1AM- Mon. 10/31 5AM.

Closure of the Atlantic Avenue on-ramp may divert more traffic onto Clinton and Hicks streets.

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  • Jorale-man

    Traffic was a total S–show after about 2pm today. Gridlock on Clinton and Furman Streets especially. Obnoxious people blaring their horns, thinking that will help the situation. And a street fair on Court Street adding to the congestion. One can only hope that once word gets out about this people will avoid the area entirely.

  • nomcebo manzini

    You can’t be that naive…. There are plenty of drivers who don’t have (or are convinced that they don’t have) a “public transit” option. And there is some other large number that simply has “written off” the subways for several reasons – some that you or I or the average Heightser might find more or less compelling – most boil down to “safety;” cleanliness/sanitation is up there, too, and the root cause – other than NYC Transit either being understaffed or under-supervised – has a lot to do with homelessness.

    That puts thousands of cars “needlessly” on the road EVERY weekend, and while it may be bad at PAINFUL levels (the delays), unless it’s something that will predictably last for months, the drivers DO NOT adjust.

    To me, it’s a lot like coronary problems. I don’t know how many arteries should be working smoothly in that connection, but it’s obviously life-and-death when one gets clogged. Smith St. used to be a decent alternative to Hicks and Clinton. All those eat-and-drink sheds put an end to that. Add thousands of Lyft/Uber vehicles and thousands of Citibikers & deliveries-by-scooters vis a vis 2017, and your one word description is undeniably true “16-7.” (10 PM-6 AM is OK.)

    Plus 5 mph vehicular traffic is hell on air quality!

  • Jorale-man

    Well, everyone has their reason for avoiding mass transit, I suppose, but the city still needs to manage its roadways better so that residential neighborhoods aren’t so heavily impacted when a highway entrance closes. Here’s hoping that the congestion charges to enter Manhattan will take effect soon enough and more people will be deterred from driving altogether.

  • nomcebo manzini

    Just heard NYC’s Transportation Dept. head talk about how they need to find a balance between escooters & pedestrian safety.

    I don’t want to distort what he said too much, but he echoes Adams in saying that “things change; hard-working NYers have gone from seeing food delivery as a health thing to it being a big convenience….”

    Point is that your “the city still needs to manage its roadways better” is among a zillion things that aren’t on the agenda of the one or small number of people who make City policy.

    Just as Trump’s “prosecution” looks like it’ll never happen, given what the elections in 6 days will bring, … congestion pricing – I agree that it MIGHT move the needle – is a pipe dream while Adams and/or Hochul are in office.

    The Heights mostly “voted right” last year, but we’re “out of the loop” right now. I’m glad that there are folks fighting – more than blogging/commenting – for good ideas now covered over by manure, but much of it is wasted energy, I’m afraid.

  • mta rider

    there was no 2/3 subway this weekend. pretty sure that didn’t help….