“No more kicking the can. We have once-in-a-generation… opportunity to start rebuilding this vital transportation artery for a post-pandemic city and economy today.”
– New York City Mayor Eric Adams
Purpose
The Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE), a critical artery in New York City’s transportation network, has long been both a vital route and a symbol of urban division. Constructed between 1937 and 1964 under the direction of Robert Moses, the BQE facilitated regional connectivity but also disrupted numerous communities along its path. Today, the New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) is embarking on an ambitious journey to reimagine this corridor, aiming to transform it into a safer, more modern, and resilient roadway that reconnects the neighborhoods it traverses through a visioning process.
Community-Centered Approach
At the heart of this initiative is a dedication to community-driven planning. To ensure that the voices of underrepresented residents shaped the future of the BQE, 3×3 spearheaded a comprehensive Community Partner Program, collaborating with 18 community-based organizations to conduct grassroots engagement. This approach sought to reach stakeholders often overlooked in traditional processes and those for whom English is not a primary language. By elevating the insights of a multifaceted community, civic, and advocacy groups, this process sought to create a corridor that reflects the aspirations of all its residents.
Participation
To center meaningful engagement, 3×3 provided technical assistance and knowledge management to community partners, facilitating regular trainings and check-ins, addressing inquiries, and channeling feedback into actionable insights. Customized outreach materials and feedback summary templates were developed to ensure accessibility and adaptability for each community’s unique needs. This collaborative effort enabled the project team to swiftly process engagement feedback, identifying overarching themes and pinpointing location-specific challenges and opportunities. By integrating input from community partners with findings from consultant-led visioning workshops, focus groups, surveys, and dialogues with elected officials, a comprehensive BQE Corridor Vision took shape.
Impact
The reimagining of the BQE is more than a transportation project; it’s a bold step toward reconnecting communities and rectifying historical divides while enhancing safety, resilience, and public spaces. The community partner program laid the foundation for the award of a $5.6M planning grant to continue the important work of bridging past divides to create a legacy of connectivity for future generations. This initiative stands as a launch pad for future efforts to bring communities together to advance a more connected and just future.
