BROOKLYN, N.Y. (PIX11) -- The Fifth Avenue Committee, a Brooklyn-based advocacy group, is calling for a more equitable approach to transportation projects in the borough. Their focus is ensuring these projects benefit, rather than displace, working-class communities and communities of color.
Michelle de la Uz, the executive director of the committee, proposed a community-driven planning process where residents have a say in how these projects are developed:
- Community Input: Residents should have a say in the development of transportation projects.
- Equitable Development: Projects should benefit, not displace, working-class communities and communities of color.
- Land Banking: Public authorities should acquire land near future transit lines for affordable housing development.
- Multi-Use Development: Existing infrastructure, like bus depots, can be repurposed for additional uses like housing or community facilities.
- Focus on electric buses and underutilized infrastructure
De La Uz sees the transition to electric buses as an opportunity. With less space needed for maintenance, underutilized bus depots could be repurposed for the community's benefit. For example, the Jackie Gleason Depot in Sunset Park could be transformed into mixed-use development.
The MTA acknowledges that bus depots will be needed for charging electric buses.
The Fifth Avenue Committee emphasizes the importance of land banking near proposed transit lines like the Interborough Express (IBX) route on 62nd Street and 7th Avenue. The IBX is a light rail line expected to connect Brooklyn and Queens by 2027.
De la Uz stressed that the needs of the communities impacted by these projects should be paramount. Transportation planning shouldn't just focus on technical goals and engineering concerns, it should prioritize the well-being of residents.
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