Sign the Petition for a Just Transformation of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway
Add your name to this collective call to the New York City and New York State Departments of Transportation to invest in planning and implementation of a comprehensive, environmental justice-centered plan to transform the BQE.
The BQE carries nearly 150,000 trucks & cars every day through neighborhoods where 280,000+ people of color, low-income people, and immigrants live, learn, work, play, and pray.
The enormous number of vehicles on and around the highway is responsible for severe respiratory issues and traffic violence, contributing to an ongoing public health emergency that impacts our communities and the entire city.
We are living in a time of tremendous opportunity and urgency to reimagine and implement changes towards a reality where we prioritize community health & environmental wellness. As our societies face the impacts of climate change, it is imperative to rethink how our cities are designed and what we collectively create in our public land like what is today the BQE. Infrastructure like the BQE is both a contributor to climate change, and makes our communities more susceptible to flooding from extreme weather events.
A BQE plan must:
Explore zero-emission modes of freight distribution — including, a capacity study for rail and maritime transportation— to reduce truck usage and vehicle miles traveled
Invest in public transportation, pedestrian and cyclist safety, and mobility for all.
Establish a long-term plan to build a corridor-wide air monitoring network in strategic locations to obtain air quality data directly related to the BQE.
Incorporate community-developed climate adaptation and resilience strategies and designs.
Reconnect communities along the corridor: (A) Any proposed plans for repair must address the historical harm done to working-class communities , center equity, and prioritize climate resiliency (B) Land liberated by re-envisioning the BQE must be informed, stewarded, and owned by local communities.
About the BQE Environmental Justice Coalition:
MJN/Street Works is a proud member of the BQE Environmental Justice Coalition, a coalition of residents, environmental justice advocates, organizations, allies, and elected officials committed to achieving a comprehensive transformation of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE).
Our advocacy and organizing are fundamentally rooted in principles about equitable transportation access and healthy environments — key tenants of environmental justice — for all communities impacted by the BQE.
