Doubt Casts Shadow on Future of BQX Streetcar Project
Brooklyn-Queens Connector (BQX) streetcar project may have gone belly up during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was proposed as a $2.7 billion streetcar linking Red Hook, Brooklyn to Astoria, Queens in 2016 by then-Mayor DeBlasio. Unfortunately, the pandemic put a dent into these plans when the city estimated a $7.4 billion shortfall in their gaping budget as tax revenue plunged when businesses and people were put on "pause" for months. An environmental review did not even start yet before it was nixed. Public meetings have not been forthcoming and during this time the Trump administration was not in the mood to help with federal funding of mass public transit in New York City. The Brooklyn-Queens Connector (BQX) was supposed to be 16 miles long but was cut down to 11 miles in August 2018 and would not have passengers until 2029. The waterfront streetcar was supposed to connect nine ferry landings, 30 bus routes, 13 subway lines, and 100+ Citi bike stations. Spanning a varying f