A Streetcar Named BQX
What makes a successful Streetcar and can the BQX be one?
Earlier this year, the city proposed a plan to implement a streetcar line. The proposed streetcar line would run along the Brooklyn-Queens waterfront from Sunset Park to Astoria. The streetcar would run parallel to existing traffic on its own lane, and it would provide some much needed transit to these underserved areas. The Brooklyn-Queens Connector (BQX) is a bold project, and it comes with both advantages and disadvantages. Our research aims to provide a thorough investigation into the proposed streetcar line. Our project will focus on the criteria that the BQX needs to satisfy in order to successfully and efficiently supply transportation to underserved areas. We will also explore the potential consequences, both positive and negative, of the implementation of the BQX. Many people who do not live in the areas where the BQX is proposed to run through are completely unaware of the impact such a large public project will have on surrounding neighborhoods. By analyzing consequences, we will not only determine how this streetcar will affect New York City; we will also be able to provide a template to evaluate future streetcar plans and inform the general public elsewhere on what the implementation of a streetcar project completely entails. We are ultimately interested in finding out what it will take in order for this proposal to be successful and what this will mean for the the future of transportation in New York City.
We will carry out this research in two parts. The first is more of a scholarly approach, where we conduct media reviews, literature reviews and secondary data analysis. We will review current articles and studies written by those more informed on the economic, political and social repercussions of introducing a new streetcar system. We will also create a historical context for our research by studying the history of streetcars in New York City and examining modern, successful streetcars across the United States. The streetcar is currently planned to be completely operational by 2024 – a hopeful estimate given the significant red tape associated with such a project. As a result, most of our analysis will be based on already recorded results since there is no way for us to critically study the BQX line and its aftereffects in person at the present. The second part of our research is where we take a more active role and gather first hand data through surveying community contacts and conducting community mapping. Our current community contact, though we aim to reach out to others, is Julia Kite, Policy and Research Manager at Transportation Alternatives. By meeting with someone who is familiar with alternative forms of transportation and who also has experience analyzing the effects of current transportation methods on the city, in this case, buses and cars, we will have a better background with which to evaluate the successfulness of the BQX streetcar. Community mapping is integral to our research since we will need to understand the areas being affected by the implementation of a streetcar before we can make any judgements as to its effects. This mapping will done through personal exploration of the neighborhoods where the BQX is proposed to run and through analysis of already collected data, perhaps with the aid of the Social Explorer tool.
Our research will begin by analyzing the historical background of streetcars in New York City. Streetcars were once common in the city, but they soon fell out of favor with the rise of automobile ownership and traffic. Also contributing to their downfall was the city’s annexation and subsequent administration of the once-private trolley car systems. Understanding the factors that surrounded the initial uses of the streetcar will help us gain a better understanding of the consequences that may occur if the BQX is eventually implemented. Next, we will look at current streetcar systems in Hoboken, NJ, Baltimore, MD and Washington D.C. as case studies for the possible New York City streetcar. These case studies will help us define what makes a streetcar successful and efficient, definitions that we can then apply to the current propositions for the BQX. In choosing these specific locations, we will study the application of streetcars in cities that are similar to New York City and which have other municipal public transportation options available. Finally, we will shift our attention back to New York as we analyze articles and reports written by professionals who have a better understanding of possible detriments and outcomes of the implementation of a streetcar system in New York City. The economy of the city, and the social and political problems that come along with it, are not black and white issues. Being able to read others’ opinions will help us make an even more informed judgement as to whether the streetcar will be successful.
After our historical research, we will go out into the field and conduct our own personal research. If a picture is worth a thousand words, seeing something in person must be priceless. By visiting a neighborhood, one can experience and learn much more than simply reading about it. How a neighborhood “feels” and the interactions and attitudes of people who live there are not something that is easily documented in an article. We then will turn to our community contact, Julia Kite. She will help us get a better understanding of the financial repercussions of installing and maintaining the streetcar. For example, she might provide details about which private company is likely to fund this government effort and how the streetcar may improve land value more than other modes of transportation. We may include a second community contact, such as Queens Public Transportation Group, who is more directly associated with the particular communities being affected by the streetcar.
At the conclusion of our research, we hope to produce a white paper that is able to adequately convey our findings on how the BQX streetcar can be implemented best. Our white paper will take all of our contributed research and cut it down into a succinct report that gives context as to what we are researching, our comparisons to current streetcar systems across the United States, and our summarized findings and judgement. We also hope to produce a popular education/public engagement product that is interesting enough to attract an audience, while also being in-depth enough in describing our findings. We currently have two ideas for our public engagement product- a pamphlet and a website. The pamphlet would be stylized in the way MTA bus schedules and timetables are and would highlight our key findings neatly so any layperson can pick it up and understand what we are saying. A website, which is the direction we are leaning, can be accessed by virtually anyone, anywhere and it also allows us the opportunity to say as much as we want and be as in-depth as we please.
We will work on researching our respective white paper topics and have a short draft of each section by Monday, April 4. We will stay in contact and meet before and after class in order to resolve any questions and concerns that come up. We will then draft and begin revising our white paper by Wednesday April 20th. During class on April 20th, we will discuss final revisions on our paper and complete any changes by the due date on May 2nd. Concurrently we will be drafting our public engagement piece, having a first draft done by April 20th and completed revisions by the due date, May 18th.
We will divide the project into different sections upon which one group member will focus their research. For the white paper, Edwin will research the history of streetcars in New York City, Adrian will research the streetcar system built in Hoboken, New Jersey, Patrick will research the streetcar system in Baltimore, Maryland, and Mohamed will research the streetcar system in Washington D.C. Sonia will serve as a liaison between the group and Julia Kite at Transportation Alternatives by receiving input and relating our ideas. Jeffrey will compare and contrast the compiled research, organizing our findings. Currently, our public engagement product is going to be a brochure, neatly and succinctly displaying our findings and results.
