Could it be? Streetcar transportation in Brooklyn and Queens? Maybe. Of course, this is New York City. We're not going to get too excited about updates until there's actually something concrete, and by concrete we mean literal groundbreaking.
The idea was proposed at the beginning of this year with hopes that it would be seen as possible. Since the proposal, the De Blasio administration has really been devoting time and energy into the project.
But now it's getting like, more official with this new 25-page report outlines the possible routes that the streetcar could travel.
Along with a new possible form of transportation, the Department of Transportation and the NYC Economic Development Corporation have discussed a new payment plan that would go along with the streetcars.
Fingers crossed it's less than the subway.
With routes all over Queens and Brooklyn, Curbed NY reports that each route takes many factors into consideration including: transfer points, road widths, and current traffic patterns.
Streets that could possibly adopt a streetcar include: Atlantic Avenue or Court Street in Downtown Brooklyn, Columbia Street in Red Hook, and Cobble Hill.
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The Brooklyn Queens Connector also known as BQX, would run every 5 to 10 minutes during peak hours, and could accommodate more passengers than city buses.
The estimated cost of the BQX is around (gulp) $2.5 billion.
How will the city find that money you ask? The proposal lays out how the city would manage to find that amount; "capturing a percentage of increased real estate value along the corridor" to pay off debts was suggested by backers of the project, the Walentas Clan and Doug Steiner.
If all goes well, the environmental review process will hopefully begin next year, and the groundbreaking will take place in 2019.
Real question is... would native New Yorkers make the switch to streetcar instead of subway car?
Take a look at all of the routes below!
[via Curbed NY] [Feature Image Courtesy Curbed]