Light Rail Project, the proposed ground-level rail system that would run along the East River waterfront in Brooklyn and Queens, aims to propel and expand the city’s mass transit system for the future. The light rail project will cover 17 miles in neighborhoods across Brooklyn and Queens. It will provide affordable and convenient transit for communities with limited transportation options supporting growing neighborhoods as well.
The project, proposed by Mayor Bill de Blasio, would follow the likes of other American cities, such as San Diego, California, and Portland, Oregon, which have seen increased commuter traffic since their systems’ Implementation. Thousands of newcomers to the city are arriving who are moving into many neighborhoods which need immediate, reliable and sustainable transportation. It will be an alternative way to lower or the carbon footprint and greenhouse emissions.
If the proposed plan becomes a reality, the streetcar system would link Sunset Park, Brooklyn to Astoria, Queens. There are also possible problems like building tracks for Mono rail systems by flood zones areas which would leave the infrastructure vulnerable to flood damages. Preventing these possible problems will be a challenge. Plans are already in place to build a Resilient Monorail system along with building Flood Resilient Neighborhoods in the coming years.
The objective of this plan is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050. The main advantages will be increasing access to quality jobs and bringing transportation to up and coming neighborhoods. Of the more important objectives of the light rail plan is using less oil and fossil fuels to reduce carbon dioxide in NYC, especially since Light Rail will be powered by clean electricity from renewable energy sources: wind, solar, geothermal, ocean/tidal.
400 million New Yorkers will potentially benefit from a new transportation method that will also connect them with Ferry services. The estimated time from Dumbo to Long Island City will be only 27 minutes by commuting through Light Rail. Residents of New York City will benefit a lot by saving time on their daily commute; city residents will be able to breathe clean air and less people will suffer from poor air quality due to carbon dioxide.
