Sunset Park Needs Better Transportation Options, Councilman Says

SUNSET PARK, BROOKLYN — Sunset Park should have more and better transportation options to connect it with the rest of the city, according to a city councilman.

Carlos Menchaca, who represents Sunset Park and Red Hook outlined a series of improvements he'd like to see in the neighborhood, including more bus stops, better R train service and fewer trucks on pedestrian-heavy streets.

Menchaca faces reelection in this months Democratic primary and made the announcement about transportation improvements in Sunset Park and Red Hook in hopes of bolstering his chances of staying in office for another four years.

"We've already done a lot to improve transportation in the long-disconnected Red Hook and under-served Sunset Park communities, but I'm glad to say there is more to come," Menchaca said in a statement. "I'm ready to get to work on these projects immediately and will make it a priority if re-elected to see them to completion."

Menchaca was joined by Ydanis Rodriguez, the city council's transportation committee chair, and Eric McClure, the head of StreetsPAC, who have both endorsed him.

"Carlos Menchaca has made better transit and safer streets for his constituents a top priority from his first day in the City Council," McClure said in a statement. "That commitment to progressive transportation policy is the reason we supported him in 2013, and why we so enthusiastically support his re-election."

Below is Menchaca's plan to improve transportation in Red Hook and Sunset Park, courtesy of his campaign:

• Improving access to the Red Hook NYC Ferry stop at Atlantic Basin Terminal by tearing down an uninviting chain link fence and extending Pioneer Street to the ferry dock with bike lanes and full sidewalks.
• Installing a bus stop along the B61 route at the ferry dock once the street is opened up, giving bus riders access to quick ride into Manhattan.
• Placing a Citi Bike docking station at the ferry stop so riders disembark and quickly get to their destination.
• Begin a Red Hook/Sunset Park bus study to look at how a one-seat ride could be established either via an existing express bus line, or a new Select Bus Service route for northwest Brooklyn.
• Completion of an already-started truck study to mitigate truck traffic on streets heavily used by pedestrians.
• Completion of a community-focused, resilient Brooklyn Greenway to add a north-south corridor.
• Ensuring all capital transportation projects incorporate resiliency measures such as bio-swales on sidewalks and improved drainage on standing structures to protect against flooding.
• A Vision Zero pedestrian safety study on 3rd Avenue in Sunset Park so that the waterfront is not disconnected from the rest of the community and that crossings are safer.
• More frequent and reliable R train service to go with the fully redesigned stations opening this fall.
• Expand Citi Bike to Sunset Park

Image courtesy Carlos Menchaca campaign