Monday's BQE Announcement
On Monday Mayor Mamdani announced a plan to rehabilitate the city-owned portion of the BQE from Atlantic to Sands Streets, also known as BQE Central.
In order to execute the repair work, "NYC DOT plans to build a temporary, two-level highway bypass on top of Furman Street, below the promenade, from Atlantic Avenue to Columbia Heights. This bypass will be no higher than the existing Queens-bound highway and will not block the promenade. The agency plans to build a second temporary, elevated highway bypass from Columbia Heights, over the Brooklyn Bridge approach, to the Manhattan Bridge. The approximately $4 billion, 10-year rehabilitation will break ground in 2030 and extend BQE Central’s design life for another 40 years," the Mayor's office said.
Where Does the BHA Stand?
At this early stage, there are many important details we still need to understand and numerous unanswered questions, including the significant impact on the neighborhood and on many of our parks and public spaces.
The BHA fully agrees with the Mayor that the time for action is now and we're looking forward to working with the administration. It was great to hear that the city is no longer considering expanding or widening the cantilever structure or reverting back to six lanes of traffic.
Still, the revival of the bypass approach to facilitate repairs is very concerning. This is an approach that the BHA and other neighborhood groups and local elected officials have repeatedly rejected. The technical, logistical, and environmental problems with this idea have not changed and the costs have only increased. We strongly urge the city to seriously consider less expensive and less disruptive options.
Just as importantly, while the city seems to have heard the repair part of the BHA's call to "repair and transform," the transform part is absent. Spending billions of city taxpayer dollars to maintain a mile and a half of a Robert Moses-era relic lacks the imagination and commitment to building the New York City of the future we hoped to see from this administration.
What's Next?
This coming fall, NYC DOT will launch a detailed environmental review through the City Environmental Quality Review process (CEQR.) The review will study how the project could affect nearby communities, including potential effects related to traffic, parking, walking and biking, parks and public spaces, noise, air quality, historic resources, neighborhood character, and construction.
As an early step in that process, NYC DOT will publish a Draft Scope of Work in September at nyc.gov/bqe. The public will have an opportunity to review the Draft Scope and comment on whether additional topics or issues should be studied.
This fall, NYC DOT will host two opportunities to learn more and ask questions before the formal CEQR public scoping meetings. The BHA will share the registration links when they become available later this fall as well as keep the community updated as more details emerge.
Virtual Q&A #1
Date: Tuesday, October 6, 2026
Time: 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Virtual Q&A #2
Date: Thursday, October 22, 2026
Time: 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Media Coverage
New York Times
Gothamist/WNYC
Streetsblog
Brooklyn Eagle
Brooklyn Paper
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