Final Environmental Impact Statement Section II.C C.1.v. Provisions for Pedestrians and Bicyclists Provisions for pedestrians and bicyclists within the project area are limited to at-grade streets and sidewalks within the industrial areas of Brooklyn and Queens on both sides of Newtown Creek and the Brooklyn residential neighborhoods of Greenpoint and East Williamsburg. Based on review of the New York City Bicycle Map, 56th Road and Review Avenue are the only designated routes in the vicinity of the bridge and are recommended as areas where sufficient street width for bicyclists is available and where vehicular traffic is light. Pedestrian and bicycle access across the bridge is not provided, and therefore persons crossing Newtown Creek must use the Greenpoint Avenue Bridge located approximately 1.2 km (0.75 mi) northwest of the Kosciuszko Bridge or the Grand Avenue Bridge located approximately 2.1 km (1.3 mi) southeast of the Kosciuszko Bridge. In Brooklyn, Meeker Avenue, Thomas Street, Cherry Street and Anthony Street provide at- grade pedestrian access via sidewalks parallel to the bridge. Access beneath the bridge is provided at Kingsland Avenue, Morgan Avenue, Vandervoort Avenue, Varick Avenue, Stewart Avenue, Gardner Avenue and Scott Avenue. Sidewalk pedestrian ramps are only found at the Meeker Avenue/Varick Avenue intersection and the Meeker Avenue/Stewart Avenue intersection. However, due to poor sidewalk conditions and/or lack of sidewalks at certain locations, handicapped accessibility is very limited parallel to and underneath the bridge. In Queens, 43rd Street and Laurel Hill Boulevard provide at-grade pedestrian access via sidewalks parallel to the bridge between the LIE and 56th Road. Access beneath the bridge is provided at 56th Road, 54th Road and 54th Avenue. Access from the residential community of Woodside to the industrial area is provided from 43rd Street, which passes beneath the LIE to a pedestrian bridge connection between 43rd Street and Laurel Hill Boulevard. Sidewalk pedestrian ramps are provided at the following intersections: 43rd Street/56th Road, 43rd Street/54th Road, 43rd Street/54th Avenue and Laurel Hill Boulevard/54th Avenue. However, due to poor sidewalk condition and/or the lack of sidewalks at certain locations, handicapped accessibility is very limited parallel to and underneath the bridge. Underneath the bridge, handicapped accessibility can be found at 54th Avenue and 56th Road. Pedestrian access to Newtown Creek is limited. Streets in Brooklyn terminate west of the creek and in Queens, access across the at-grade LIRR tracks is limited to 43rd Street, in Queens. There is no handicapped accessibility to Newtown Creek in either Brooklyn or Queens. The NYSDOT Highway Design Manual (Section 18.5.1) requires bridge rehabilitation and replacement projects to consider the need for pedestrian accommodations. When generators of pedestrian activity are present and there is a probable use, NYSDOT policy is to accommodate pedestrians. A Pedestrian Generator Checklist has been completed and included in Appendix B. Based on the proximity of the project to residential communities and other potential pedestrian generators, the checklist indicates a need to accommodate pedestrians on the Kosciuszko Bridge. C.1.w. Planned Development for Area Planned and proposed residential, retail, and commercial development projects in Brooklyn and Queens were identified that could potentially affect traffic within the Kosciuszko Bridge Project study area. Each project is shown in Figure II-61, “Planned Developments,” and Table II-35, Kosciuszko Bridge Project II-89 September 2008 Final Environmental Impact Statement Section II.C which also includes the expected year of completion and estimated traffic generation for the project, where available. TABLE II-35: PLANNED DEVELOPMENT IN PROJECT AREA Completion Peak Hour Trips Generated Project Name Year Design Year (Peak Hour) Brooklyn DSNY Truck-to-Rail Waste Transfer Facilities n.a. 2025 No net increase1 Greenpoint/Williamsburg Waterfront Rezoning 2005 2013 953 (5 p.m. – 6 p.m.)2 Kent Avenue/Franklin Street Reconstruction 2006 n.a. n.a. Flushing Avenue Reconstruction 2007 n.a. n.a. Newtown Creek Water Pollution Control Plant 2013 n.a. n.a. Grand Street Bridge Replacement 2013 n.a. n.a. Queens DSNY Truck-to-Rail/Barge Waste Transfer 1 n.a. 2025 No net increase Facility Cross Harbor Freight Movement Project – 3 n.a. 2025 174 (4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.) Maspeth Intermodal Yard Site Phelps Dodge Site Redevelopment n.a. n.a. n.a. Grand Avenue Bus Depot 2006 n.a. 540 (2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.)4 Queens West n.a. n.a. 2,621 (5 p.m. to 6 p.m.)5 Hunters Point Subdistrict Rezoning 2004 2014 45 (p.m. Peak Hour)6 MTA Revenue Handling Facility n.a. n.a. n.a. MTA East Side Access Project 2012 2020 0 Sunnyside Yard Pedestrian Bridge n.a. n.a. 0 Area-Wide NYCDOT Truck Route Study n.a. n.a. 0 Notes: The Phelps Dodge Site Redevelopment and the Cross Harbor Intermodal Site are mutually exclusive. Estimates for peak hour trip generation are for the “design year” of each project. 1: Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Plan, September 2006. 2: Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning Final Environmental Impact Statement, March 4, 2005. 3: Cross Harbor Freight Movement Draft Environmental Impact Statement, April 2004. 4: Grand Avenue Depot and Central Maintenance Facility II, Maspeth, NY, Environmental Report Compendium of Analyses, March 2002. 5: Hunters Point Waterfront Development Final Environmental Impact Statement, June 1990. 6: Hunters Point Subdistrict Rezoning Environmental Assessment Statement, February 6, 2004. Specific time period for p.m. peak hour not provided in project documentation. Kosciuszko Bridge Project II-90 September 2008 Final Environmental Impact Statement Section II.C BROOKLYN NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF SANITATION’S SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN As part of their Solid Waste Management Plan (SWMP), the New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) proposes to enter into long term (20 year) contracts with either one or two private waste companies in Brooklyn and one private transfer station in Queens. All three sites are located within the Kosciuszko Bridge Project Traffic Study Area. The Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Plan, published in September 2006, identified Allied Waste Services, located at 72 Scott Avenue/598 Scholes Street and Waste Management, located at 215 Varick Avenue, as potential truck-to-rail transfer facilities. The plan proposes that one or both of the facilities would be utilized. The facility (or facilities) would accept DSNY- managed waste as well as some commercial waste. The waste would be transported to the facility via DSNY and private collection vehicles, processed, and loaded into containers. Containerized waste would leave the site on railcar via LIRR. Each of the proposed facilities is currently operating as a private transfer station. The Allied Waste System site would require an expansion of its current permitted capacities. However, any proposed expansion would require a corresponding reduction in capacity at other facilities within the same service district. The Draft Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Plan, published in October 2004, proposed the use of the Waste Management transfer facility located at 485 Scott Avenue, immediately adjacent to and partially underneath the Kosciuszko, as a truck-to-barge transfer facility. However, based on negotiations with Waste Management, this facility is no longer under consideration for that use. It is, however, expected to continue to operate as a private transfer facility. GREENPOINT/WILLIAMSBURG WATERFRONT REZONING In 2005, the New York City Planning Commission rezoned a 184-block area that is currently zoned primarily for manufacturing and industrial uses to allow for a mix of residential and light industrial uses. The city has proposed residential densities as high as R-8 (max floor area ratio [FAR] 6.02). NYCDCP’s analysis projects that the reasonable worst case development scenario would result in the creation of approximately 8,257 dwelling units, and approximately 31,323 m2 (337,160 ft2) of retail/commercial space. According to NYCDCP’s FEIS, by 2013, the projected development would generate a net of 734 vehicle trips in the AM peak hour (8 a.m. – 9 a.m.), 362 vehicle trips in the midday (12 p.m. – 1 p.m.), and 953 vehicle trips in the PM peak hour (5 p.m. – 6 p.m.). KENT AVENUE/FRANKLIN STREET RECONSTRUCTION The New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC) is responsible for the design and reconstruction of the Franklin Street/Kent Avenue corridor through Greenpoint and Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The project is approximately 5 km (3 mi) in length from the BQE to Commercial Street at the north end of Franklin Street. The roadway is a 12.2 m (40 ft) wide designated local truck route and carries one northbound and one southbound lane of traffic. Parking is generally permitted on both sides of the street. According to the Greenpoint- Williamsburg Rezoning Final Environmental Impact Statement, Franklin Street carries two-way Kosciuszko Bridge Project II-91 September 2008 Final Environmental Impact Statement Section II.C traffic volumes of approximately 610 vehicles per hour in the a.m. peak hour, 640 vehicles per hour in the midday peak hour, and 790 vehicles per hour in the p.m. peak hour, south of Greenpoint Avenue. The project is expected to be completed by the fall of 2006. Once completed, this reconstruction project is expected to have no effect on traffic volumes or patterns. FLUSHING AVENUE RECONSTRUCTION DDC is reconstructing Flushing Avenue from Navy Street to Cypress Avenue. The capital construction project involves installation or reconstruction of the following: distribution water mains, hydrants, combined sewer, sanitary sewer, storm sewer, trunk water main, catch basins, curbs, sidewalks, pedestrian ramps, roadway pavement, traffic lights, street lighting, trees, and landscaping/urban design. Temporary vehicular access restrictions are expected to occur.