City Considers Plan To Revive Brooklyn Trolleys
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A plan to bring trolley cars back to parts of Brooklyn may be getting back on track.
Officials with the Department of Transportation say they plan to meet with local groups and businesses about the idea of reviving streetcar service between Red Hook and Downtown Brooklyn.
Last summer, when he was campaigning for re-election, Mayor Michael Bloomberg backed taking a closer look.
"We'll look into the feasibility of using the city's old trolley tracks to create new streetcar service in growing waterfront neighborhoods in Queens and Brooklyn, starting in Red Hook," said the mayor.
City officials had hoped at the time to begin looking at the possibilities by the end of last year. But the five-month study is only starting now, using federal money secured by Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez.
Advocates cheered the mayor's initial enthusiasm, saying the streetcars that once served the neighborhood are much cheaper than subways, carry more people than buses and have zero emissions.
In fact, only one bus, the B61, runs between Red Hook and Downtown. Trolley proponents say that's not enough for an area that has become home to major new stores, including IKEA, and the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal.