A Waterfront Streetcar? It’s for the Tourists, Locals Say
A streetcar trolley line connecting Queens to Brooklyn could make it easier to travel between the boroughs – but it might be more of a tourist attraction, according to locals.
On Monday, The New York Times proposed a streetcar system along
the East River waterfront between Astoria and Red Hook, providing a public transit alternative to the G-train, which will shut down for five weeks this summer between Nassau Avenue and Court Square for Hurricane Sandy-related repairs. While locals agreed that the current state of public transit between Brooklyn and Queens is poor, some said a waterfront trolley would appeal more to tourists.“I used to live in Memphis and the trolley there was more of a tourist attraction, it wasn’t very fast,” said Christian Patterson, a visual artist who lives and works in Clinton Hill.
“If it was something between a street car and a light rail system like in San Francisco, I’m sure people would use it,” she said. “I don’t think it’s realistic for to expect another subway line.”
“It might be nice for tourists and alleviate some of the traffic on the G train and the B62,” said Jen Murphy, a local who works in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. “If they could build it before the G shuts down in the summer that would be perfect.”
Fort Greene resident Darryl Andrews said a streetcar would help people who commute between Brooklyn and Queens for work. “Especially if you work at one of the airports, the only way to get there is the A-line and the L.I.R.R.”
Moe Lee and his uncle, Roger Lee, who live in the Walt Whitman Houses, said they wouldn’t use it at all.
“I haven’t been on public transportation in years,” Moe said.