More on the F/G Service Disruptions

*UPDATED BELOW*
The Brooklyn Downtown Star called me about the upcoming service disruptions on the Culver Line (F&G trains) that will leave many riders at Ft. Hamilton Parkway and 15th Street stations in the lurch.

Transit advocates and local Councilman Brad Lander have called for NYC Transit to provide shuttle service along the affected route during the duration of the outages.  The unfortunate reality is that that is unlikely to happen.  Ideally, the MTA could take this opportunity to test out something new, such as running bus service through the Battery Tunnel to supplement the affected service area.  But the chances for robust mitigation were essentially doomed when the State Senate smothered Congestion Pricing (and/or East River Bridge Tolls).

I applaud our City Council Member Brad Lander for standing up for the residents of the 39th District and the visitors who depend on the F/G lines for their mobility.  But until our dysfunctional state legislature provides sustainable means of funding for NYC Transit, the burden will fall on the riding public in the form of increasing fares and diminishing services.

One thing you can do to let Albany know how important reliable mass transit is to NYC is join the Rider Rebellion sponsored by Transportation Alternatives.

UPDATE:  I received this comment from Councilman Lander, which clarifies the service mitigation he is requesting:

One small thing: what we are actually pushing for on the F/G is not shuttle service, but simply a short/temporary extension of the B68 (which runs up Coney Island Avenue and Prospect Park SW, through sections of Windsor Terrace & Kensington served by the 2 stations there facing closures) from its current terminus at Bartel Pritchard Square/15th Street Station, to the 7th Avenue F/G Station.

We'll have an online petition up tomorrow, and Straphangers & I will be out at the stations tomorrow petitioning live.

This is a sensible and cost-effective fix that would be a win for everyone involved.  Transit users would gain from the improved service mitigation, and the MTA could benefit from some much needed good press.

F/G Service Disruptions Starting . . . Now

I'll have more on this later, but for now two things.

1.  Shuttle buses replace subway service on the F/G lines between Jay Street and Church Avenue this weekend.

2.  Four months of pain for riders at the Fort Hamilton Parkway and 15th Street F stations begin early Saturday (midnight Friday night).  Even greater hardships await users of the Smith-9th Street station over the next two years.

Both 1 and 2 above are due to necessary work on the Culver Viaduct Rehabilitation.  For more on the these disruptions, and indeed for all your weekend service advisory needs, head to Second Avenue Sagas for the scoop.

Image credit - MTA via Second Avenue Sagas.

Cabaret In DUMBO

I've been talking about seeing this show for going on two years now.  Still haven't seen it.  And once again this weekend we have something else planned.  But it looks like a great time.  Has anyone seen it?

One of these days.

E-Recycling Sunday @ Prospect Park

The time has come to recycle those old cell phones and broken computer gear gathering dust in the junk drawers, closets and dark corners of your home.  These products typically contain toxic elements such as heavy metals and should never be tossed out with your regular trash.  Get some fresh air and walk them over to Prospect Park this Sunday.  From my inbox:


This weekend is the electronic waste recycling event at 
Prospect Park. The Lower East Side Ecology Center will be visiting our 
district again to relieve us of our e-waste and make sure it gets reused or 
recycled.

Sunday, January 16, 2011, 10am to 4pm, Rain or Shine 
Drop Off Site: Prospect Park entrance at Prospect Park West and 3rd Street, 
Brooklyn 

They accept... working & non-working computers, monitors, printers, 
scanners, keyboards, mice, cables, TV's, VCR's, DVD players, phones, 
audio/visual equipment, cell phones & PDA's.

Downloadable flyer for the event is available here:
http://www.brooklyncb6.org/announcements/#8

Best, Craig

Craig R. Hammerman
District Manager
Brooklyn Community Board 6

Snow Emergency Declared

Looks like the Mayor's Office has decided one serving of egg on Hizzoner's face is enough for this snow season, thankyouverymuch:

WEATHER EMERGENCY DECLARATION


At the direction of the Mayor, the public is hereby advised that significant snowfall has been forecast for tonight.

The public is urged to avoid all unnecessary driving during the duration of the storm and until further directed, and to use public transportation wherever possible. If you must drive, use extreme caution. Information about any service changes to public transportation is available on the MTA website.

Any vehicle found to be blocking roadways or impeding the ability to plow streets shall be subject to towing at the owner's expense.

Effective immediately, alternate side parking, payment at parking meters and garbage collections are suspended citywide until further notice.

The Emergency Management, Fire, Police, Sanitation, and Transportation Commissioners will be taking all appropriate and necessary steps to preserve public safety and to render all required and available assistance to protect the security, well-being and health of the residents of the City.

Visit the MTA homepage for updates about mass transit

Report heat and hot water issues to 311 online

The Honorable Raymond Lohier

Congratulations to CB6 Public Safety Committee Chairman Ray Lohier, who has been confirmed to fill Justice Sotomayor's old seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (an incredibly prestigious appointment).

Ray is sharp, thoughtful, measured and civic-minded to boot.  The public is lucky to add a man of his caliber to the bench.  I feel honored to know him and look forward to great things from him in the judiciary.  Congrats!

Brooklyn Community Board 6 Holiday Party TONIGHT 12/14

When I was new to the area and wanted to get involved in our local civic life I made a point to attend the CB6 Holiday party.  It's a great place to meet and socialize with some of the people who volunteer their time to make our neighborhoods a better place to live.  We have a fantastic and dedicated District Manager in Craig Hammerman - I'd put him up against any District manager in the city - but Craig and his staff get by on a shoestring budget.  So please stop by to partake in a little holiday cheer and help support the staff that does so much for our community.  True, times are tough and money is tight, but this is one charitable contribution that not only feels good but makes a direct investment in your own backyard.  See you tonight!

CB6 Annual Holiday PARTY!


Brooklyn Community Board 6 2010 Holiday Party

Tuesday December 14th
6:00 to 9:00 PM

The DRAM Shop
339 9th Street
(between 5th/6th Avenues)  - convenient to our beloved F train
Brooklyn, NY 11215

$30 per person
Cash Bar
All are welcome, bring a friend!

(The CB6 Holiday Party is a fundraiser for “Friends of Brooklyn CB6, Inc.,” our 501-c-3 non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the work of CB6. All contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Please consider including a year-end charitable gift above the cost of the party. Checks should be made out to “Friends of Brooklyn CB6, Inc.” Thank you!)

New Hyper-Local Site: Welcome, Carroll Gardens Patch!

There's a brand new site focused on Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill and Boerum Hill: the Carroll Gardens Patch.

More news is good news when it comes to local coverage. All ready the patch has articles and opinion pieces up on Gowanus CSO remediation efforts, the Clean Ports Bill and greening the BQE trench, and the battle over condos in Brooklyn Bridge Park.

I'm looking forward to much more from our newest local blog.

Gowanus Whole Foods Update

This just in - at first glance, many improvements to the previous plan, but we'll need to take a close look to see where further improvements can be made:

DATE: November 29, 2010

RE: Great News: Whole Foods Market moving forward with first Brooklyn store at 3rd Avenue and 3rd Street

I am writing with some extremely positive news: Whole Foods Market is now officially moving forward with the development of our first ever Brooklyn store located on our property at 3rd Avenue and 3rd Street! We want to thank you and the entire community for your patience as we've worked to revise our plans and clean up the property. We're also proud to have finalized a development plan and are confident that Whole Foods Market will be a terrific addition to the neighborhood.

While we will be happy to set up a meeting and/or provide you with more detailed information in the coming weeks about the proposed store and our plans, we wanted to share this good news and provide a brief overview of our intentions as soon as possible. Our commitment to Brooklyn and our desire to invest in the greater Gowanus community are stronger than ever, and as we hope you will see, our new development plan is extremely responsive to the surrounding neighborhood and its residents.


Our property, which was formerly home to a number of auto repair shops, warehouses and other industrial uses, has now been fully cleaned and remediated under the strict guidelines of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's brownfield program and is ready to return to a positive, productive, job-creating and community service use.


Our planned new store will be approx. 52,000 square feet, which is about 25% smaller than the store we had previously proposed for this site. We believe this site plan - which continues to feature a 40 foot public esplanade for our neighbors to enjoy - will simply work better within the parameters of the property.


We have reduced the number of parking spaces on-site from 430 to 248, which eliminates our previous need for a separate parking structure and allows all of the parking to be at-grade in a surface parking lot. The store will feature parking for both energy efficient vehicles as well as specially designated recharging stations for electric powered vehicles. The lot will also include bike parking in front of the store and along the promenade. Whole Foods Market will also offer delivery for area residents.


With parking now no longer needed on the store roof either, we have been presented with the opportunity to include one of the most exciting and innovative features ever included in a Whole Foods Market: A 20,000 square foot greenhouse located on the roof of the store that will grow fresh, organic produce right on-site!


Rather than construct the store below-grade as previously proposed, we now plan to build it above-grade, which will require a variance from the Board of Standards and Appeals due to the physical hardships associated with site development (there is a high water table and, as you know, environmental cleanup requirements on the property). These factors have a large impact on the development costs that will be encountered on this site.


As always planned, the two-story, 19th century brick building situated at the property's corner at Third Avenue and Third Street - which is not owned by Whole Foods Market - will remain in place. The Whole Foods Market will "jog" around the existing building at that corner and Whole Foods has committed to investing in improvements to the building that will include a new roof and exterior repairs.


Finally, you should know that our commitment to local hiring, community investment and the creation of high-quality Whole Foods Market jobs (with excellent benefits) remains unchanged. This new store will create approx. 350 new jobs - fully 70% of which are expected to be full-time positions - and we look forward to working with you and other local stakeholders to ensure that the surrounding community has full access to these new opportunities.

As we hope you can see, we are extremely excited about the opportunity to finally provide Brooklyn residents with convenient access to their own Whole Foods Market. We believe we have developed a plan that is responsive to the surrounding community and look forward to sharing additional details with you in the coming weeks. Thank you and I look forward to speaking with you soon.

Cuomo: New York Will Take Their HSR Funds, Thank You

A few newly elected GOP governors ran against high speed rail . . . and have pledged to eschew hundreds of millions of dollars in Federal HSR funding.

Governor-elect Cuomo has an idea about where those funds should go.

Who knew that electing cretins in other states might be a boon to NY's rail infrastructure?

Brooklyn Greenway Party Thursday at FIND

The Brooklyn Greenway Initiative is one of my favorite local activist organizations, and their annual fundraisers are consistently a great time. Attend the party this Thursday to support the terrific work they're doing to unite the people of Brooklyn with their waterfront. From BGI:

“FIND” Your Way to the Greenway...for BGI's Fall Party!
Thursday, November 4th, 6:00-9:00PM
We're excited to be partnering again with FIND Home Furnishings for a fall benefit to support the development of the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway. We will also be acknowledging Council Members Brad Lander and Steve Levin for securing BGI's first City Council funding, and Waste Management for supporting BGI's stewardship programs!
Join fellow greenway supporters for great food, drink, music and raffle prizes on Thursday, November 4th, 6:00-9:00PM. Tickets are just $25, or two for $40. Get your tickets today!
There will be plenty of room to spread out and raise spirits and funds over drinks & food from local restaurants, including 5 Burro, Lilla Cafe, Red Hook Lobster Pound, Rocky Sullivan's, Union Market, Fort Defiance, Six Point Craft Ales, Alma, Steve's Authentic Key Lime Pies and Nine Cakes, along with live jazz music from Hot Johnsons in FIND's expansive showroom at 9th Street and the Gowanus Canal.
Don't miss your chance to win one of many raffle items from FIND, Brooklyn Winery, RICE, Rolling Orange Bikes, Massage Therapy by Gerald Pulis, Ground Up Designers, Urban Oyster, Red Hook Lobster Pound, Bar Tano, New York Water Taxi, Circle Line Downtown, Water Taxi Beach, and more!
Thanks to our major event sponsors aptsandlofts.com, Con Edison, FIND Home Furnishings, Industry City Associates, and S Clubs Fitness Spa & Lifestyle . Additional sponsorship provided by Brooklyn Bridge Realty, Cozen O'Connor and Waste Management.

Buy Tickets!

The Tea Party, In A Nutshell

This is absolutely brilliant.



Please remember to vote on November 2 - this year I'll be voting for Democratic candidates on Row E (Working Families) to send a message to my (Democratic) Party: your base is the working class people that form the backbone of this society.  Ignore our needs at your peril.

More Halloween Fun at Brooklyn Bridge Park

Attention area adults!  After you've had your fill of karaoke and cider at Carroll Park the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy Junior Committee is sponsoring a Halloween party on Saturday in order to raise funds for the free public programming in the park.  Free programming is the lifeblood of a great public space - and who doesn't love a good Halloween Party?  Details below:

ALL HALLOWS EVE BASH


DATE: Saturday, October 30

TIME: 8:00pm-1:00am

LOCATION: One Brooklyn Bridge Park (360 Furman Street, entrance through retail on waterside of building)

Join the Conservancy's Junior Committee for our first Halloween party, at One Brooklyn Bridge Park.
Enjoy cocktails - including Blood and Sand, a signature Halloween cocktail provided by Highland Park Scotch Whiskey, music, dancing, a costume contest, video decoration by local artist Geoff Matters, festive atmosphere and more! All proceeds support free public programming in Brooklyn Bridge Park.
TICKETS: All ticket prices include admission, drinks, music, food, dancing and costume contest!

Mischief Maker: $400 Friend Pack for 10 - (deadline pushed to 10/29 due to popularity)

Prankster: $100 VIP tickets (includes a special gift bag with the new book, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Presents Earth (The Book): A Visitor's Guide to the Human Race, Highland Park Scotch Whiskey, Conservancy-shirts and more!)

Trickster: $50 in advance/ $65 at the door
To buy tickets: https://www.brooklynbridgepark.org/index.cfm?objectid=EE3D2660-3048-7098-AFA3EB22366DD228
For questions, e-mail Samantha Dodds (sdodds@bbpc.net) or call 718-802-0603 x22
**Must be 21+ to enter

Halloween Karaoke at Carroll Park!

The Friends of Carroll Park are sponsoring two great, super fun Halloween events.


Costume Karaoke Party (this looks especially great)
Saturday, October 30th

Come dressed as your favorite rock star! Party with your friends and family near the park house from 5:00 – 9:00 and sing some of your favorite songs with Lion’s Roar Karaoke and their 10,000 song library. Hot cider will be available, and some snacks if we can muster them! Suggested donation of $1 per song to benefit Friends of Carroll Park.

Halloween Parade
Sunday, October 31

Gather at 12:30 p.m. in the park and we’ll parade up Smith Street toward Warren, then back down Court Street to the park. The first 100 kids to show up will receive free noisemakers. Step on out to have some fun showing off your costumes!
Both events are sponsored by Scotto Wines On Court Street

First Gowanus Superfund CAG Meeting Is Tonight

Didn't get your fill of the Gowanus at last night's CB6 meeting on the Flushing Tunnel?  Bop on over to the American Can Factory tonight at 7:00 for the first Community Advisory Group meeting on Superfunding the Gowanus Canal.

Pardon Me For Asking has the details.

Brooklyn Do-Gooders - Vote Early, Vote Often!

The Brooklyn Community Foundation (formerly the Independence Community Foundation)  is the largest grant-giving organization in Brooklyn, and is celebrating the one-year anniversary of its new incarnation with a "Brooklyn Does Good" celebration. 

Nominees have been submitted from the community, and the community gets to vote for "Brooklyn Do Gooders" - up to five votes per day until voting closes on October 15th.  Winners will be feted at a celebration on November 3rd, and a $5,000 grant will be made to the 501(c)3 charity of their choosing in their name.  Altogether a great program.

As it turns out, I have personally worked with a few of the candidates, and I encourage you to send your votes their way (either all or in part) daily:

Maria Pagano - Carroll Gardens Neighborhood Association (and more)
Brian McCormick - Brooklyn Greenway Initiative
Dave "paco" Abraham - Transportation Alternatives Brooklyn Committee, tireless advocate for safer streets
Shannon Hummel - CORA dance
Rita Miller - CORD

Now get out there and vote like it's Tammany Hall!

Northeast Corridor Commission

I've been banging the drum for better regional rail planning for years.  This is the sort of talk that gets me excited:

Today, the Obama Administration is working to achieve a vision of similar scope and scale. As with the interstate highways during the 1950s, we haven’t yet drawn all the lines on the map. But we are on track to creating a modern, high-speed rail system that will support sustained economic growth.


President Obama and I welcome the ambition of Amtrak's thinking, and we hope to see it spread across the nation as Americans recognize and demand the benefits of high-speed rail.



Because this train will not be stopped. And I promise you: In less time than it took to plan and pave our vast system of inter-connected highways, you will see high-speed trains carry significant numbers of Americans within and between regions.

Amtrak's Ambitious Plan for Northeast Corridor

I don't have much to add to what Yonah Freemark has written at The Transport Politic on Amtrak's proposal for true high speed rail on the Northeast Corridor, except that if it were up to me, the Obama administration would be pushing hard for a major infrastructure stimulus package.

As I've written in the past, the stimulus the administration has sought so far was at least a trillion short of what the country needs . . . and needs directed into infrastructure projects.  This proposal shouldn't be a 30-year plan . . . it should be a ten year plan and it deserves massive federal funding.

TORNADO WATCH!

Be careful out there people.  Just spoke to my neighbor this morning, they suffered over $100K damage to their building.  Ouch.

TORNADO WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE FOR WT 686


NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK

1100 AM EDT TUE SEP 28 2010



TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 600 PM EDT FOR THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS



NEW YORK COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE



ALBANY, BRONX, BROOME,

CHENANGO, COLUMBIA, DELAWARE,

DUTCHESS, GREENE, KINGS,

MADISON, MONTGOMERY, NASSAU,

NEW YORK, ONEIDA, ORANGE,

OTSEGO, PUTNAM, QUEENS,

RENSSELAER, RICHMOND, ROCKLAND,

SCHENECTADY, SCHOHARIE, SULLIVAN,

ULSTER, WESTCHESTER

New Van Service Along Old B71 Route

TLC Commissioner David Yassky came to the CB6 Transportation Committee to introduce this service on the night of the tornadoes.  It is very much a work in progress.  We all wish to have the B71 back.  In the meantime, Council Member Brad Lander sent out this note to mark the start of the new service - and to ask for your feedback.  So tell him (and tell me in comments, for that matter) - how is it?  Your feedback will help make the best of a difficult situation.  Brad's note to constituents is below:

Today is the first day of the new "Group Ride Vehicle Pilot Program" that the New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission (NYC TLC) has launched to provide shared ride van service along the former B71 route bus route.


As I am sure you know, the B71 bus route, which ran along Union Street and Eastern Parkway, was eliminated by the MTA in June, over the vehement objections of neighborhood residents, as well as myself and my colleagues. This new "group ride" service will never be a full replacement for the B71 bus service, as it does not meet the needs of disabled commuters and does not take MetroCards or allow transfers. I plan to keep fighting for the restoration of the B71 and other essential bus routes.

Nonetheless, given that the MTA has eliminated the route, I am grateful to the TLC for offering this new service in Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, the Columbia Waterfront District and Park Slope.

The vans will charge a flat fare of $2 per ride. Vehicles will be clearly marked with the words "GROUP RIDE VEHICLE" on their exterior, and will have unique identifying decals in several locations, so be sure to check for these markers before you get on board.

The new vans will make the following stops, although riders may also request to be dropped off at locations along the route that are not among the specified stops.

This is a pilot program, so we are eager to hear your feedback. Please contact my office at 718-499-1090 or lander@council.nyc.gov to let us know your experiences, opinions and ideas regarding this new program.

My colleagues and I will continue to fight for restoration of more complete MTA service throughout Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, the Columbia Waterfront District and Park Slope, but in the meantime I hope you will find the Group Ride Vehicle Pilot Program useful.