Leading Innovators and Employers Support the Brooklyn-Queens Connector

February 16, 2016

Mayor de Blasio’s proposal for the “BQX” garners support from key stakeholders on the ground in neighborhoods along the Brooklyn-Queens waterfront and advocates for new citywide transportation solutions

Doug Steiner, Chairman of Steiner Studios, said, "I can't praise this enough and it can't happen soon enough. It's the true silver bullet. It unlocks the full potential for tech and media companies that want to be on this corridor and which represent the city's strongest economic future. It remedies the isolation of transit-starved NYCHA residents, and connects them to these new jobs. It solves the problem of the L subway line. And it puts to rest the term 'outer boroughs' that is so last century.”

Chad Dickerson, CEO of Etsy, said, “Mayor de Blasio’s streetcar proposal is a creative solution to meet the growing needs of building a thriving business in Brooklyn. The streetcar is a safe and sustainable transportation option that will benefit Etsy employees and other New Yorkers that live in communities all along the route. We applaud the administration’s efforts to plan and build for the long term.”

Fred Wilson, Union Square Ventures, said, “This is a big deal for NYC and a big deal for the NYC tech sector. Fixing the transportation problems into these developing neighborhoods will bring people and jobs and new vitality to these waterfront neighborhoods. This is such a good idea. I applaud Mayor de Blasio for his leadership on this issue and look forward to riding the BQX from a board meeting in Sunset Park to a board meeting on the Cornell Tech Campus in a few years.”

Daniel Doctoroff, CEO of Sidewalk Labs and former Deputy Mayor, said, “There’s a virtuous cycle in cities, where smart infrastructure investment always leads to better quality of life and economic growth. Mayor de Blasio has proposed a visionary investment that embraces this idea and will support sustainable growth in Brooklyn and Queens and pay dividends for the city for generations to come.”

Helena Durst, Chief Administrative Officer of Durst Organization and President of New York Water Taxi, said, “The Astoria waterfront is experiencing a renaissance as vacant land is transformed into parks, market rate and affordable housing, schools and businesses. The Brooklyn-Queen Connector will link Astoria to other dynamic neighborhoods up and down the East River, will provide economic opportunity for isolated communities, and nourish the transportation deserts that dot the New York waterfront.”

Eric Moore, President Client Services at Huge, said, "This proposal would make a major impact on our employees, who should have a much easier time getting to and from work every day than they currently do. We're also excited about the potential for this initiative to create more places to live in parts of Brooklyn that are currently inaccessible. Brooklyn is such an important part of the future of the United States and the New York region, it should have a transport system as innovative as the people who live here."