"It just feels like a real opportunity to turn [the bridge] into a premier space for pedestrians and cyclists. One of the things that we want to avoid in Gowanus with the rezoning and all of the new development is just like a traffic apocalypse where people move in, bring their cars with them, and are just using them for every trip because driving is easy."
"Gowanus was once an industrial hotbed and maritime hub in the 1800s, leading to untreated industrial waste and raw sewage emptying into the Gowanus Canal. But the neighborhood has transformed since the Environmental Protection Agency listed the canal as a national Superfund site in 2010 and the City Council rezoned blocks around the canal in 2021 to spur the development of more than 8,000 housing units."
"The Carroll Street Bridge is one of the oldest bridges in the city and one of four remaining retractable bridges in the U.S., rolling horizontally on wheels set on steel rails to allow boats through the canal. Of the bridges that DOT operates, the Carroll Street Bridge was the quietest."
The Carroll Street Bridge, built in 1889 and closed for repairs since 2021, is set to reopen this spring. Community advocates seek to pedestrianize this historic retractable bridge over the Gowanus Canal as the neighborhood undergoes significant transformation. Gowanus has shifted from an industrial hub with severe pollution to a rapidly gentrifying area following EPA Superfund site designation in 2010 and 2021 rezoning. Home prices surged 118 percent from 2014 to 2024, with luxury development accelerating. Local advocates worry new residents will increase car traffic, making pedestrianization of the bridge a strategic opportunity to promote sustainable transportation and preserve public space in the changing community.
#urban-pedestrianization #historic-infrastructure #gentrification-and-community-change #sustainable-transportation #gowanus-neighborhood-development
Read at Streetsblog
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