"Eventually, Teamsters, bosses from Phoenix Beverages, local pols and residents reached a compromise in which the trucks would bypass Columbia Street by driving on the BQE between Hamilton to Atlantic avenues.“We’re extraordinarily happy,” said Brian McCormick, a member of the Columbia Waterfront Neighborhood Association. “The trucks are pretty much gone. There is a system in place that is working, and we’re hoping that will continue.”
The trucks are expected to continue cruising on the BQE until the chronically delayed reconstruction of Van Brunt Street is completed, opening up the proper truck route from Degraw Street to Hamilton Avenue (officials say the work could be done next summer)."
Make no mistake; this is anything BUT a compromise. This was community leaders forcing a private company (with an EDC lease) to adhere to the stipulations that they had agreed upon.
I was at those meetings and voted on the deal. The use of the BQE was a MAJOR point of Phoenix and EDC's pitch.
Wasn't "the deal" also that in traveling between Pier 7 (at the bottom of Atlantic Ave) and Pier 11 (at the bottom of Pioneer St.) their delivery trucks would use "internal routes", i.e. roadways within the container terminal site? That in addition to what you have said, which is that when the trucks leave / enter the site, it should be via the closest access points to the BQE. That was the assurance reps of the EDC made to us in statements made at the meetings I attended, including CB6, COWNA, Red Hook Civic and even at a meeting of families/neighbors in my own house. The use of the "internal route", contrary to previous assurances (promises), is something that Phoenix and the EDC are now saying is not possible.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure that at the meetings I was at (not as extensive as yours), they were much more wishy-washy about the internal route; they would "make every effort", but I don't think they explicitly stated it like they did about the BQE. Either way, they should find a way to keep their trucks off the streets until absolutely necessary.
ReplyDeleteThank god somebody is around to hold these people's feet to the fire. They will lie to us forever unless real people pay attention ( keep real info ) and be there to feed it back to the liars.
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