"Atlantic Yards"

Having it Both Ways in the “Atlantic Yards” DEIS

Combing through the massive Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the "Atlantic Yards" project in Brooklyn, the Tri-State Transportation Campaign has found at least four instances of the strange, Hamlet-like soliloquy, exemplified below.

By Aaron Naparstek

12:42 PM EDT on August 14, 2006

Combing through the massive Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the “Atlantic Yards” project in Brooklyn, the Tri-State Transportation Campaign has found at least four instances of the strange, Hamlet-like soliloquy, exemplified below.

“During this period, it is anticipated that the DOT will implement traffic calming measures developed as part of the Downtown Brooklyn Traffic Calming Project (DBTCP). Under this project, which was initiated by DOT in 1997, a comprehensive area-wide strategy of physical and operational traffic calming measures was developed for Downtown Brooklyn on a corridor-by-corridor basis…. With the exception of the conversion of Smith Street from two-way to one-way northbound operation from Atlantic Avenue to Schermerhorn Street in November 2003, no specific measures in the DBTCP have been identified for implementation within the study area at this time. However, all measures remain candidates for implementation. DOT is working with the Community Boards on prioritizing these measures. DOT intends to implement measures based upon further detailed review, analysis of impacts, and community review. As no measures have been identified for implementation, the analysis of future pedestrian conditions therefore assumes that no additional improvements are implemented at analyzed pedestrian facilities in the 2010 future without the proposed project. (13-40)

So, let’s see if we’ve got this straight:

At the start of the paragraph the DEIS anticipates that the Downtown Brooklyn Traffic Calming Project will be implemented, but since no measures have been identified for implementation at this time, by the end of the paragraph the analysis assumes that Downtown Brooklyn Traffic Calming Project will not be implemented.

Is this just unclear bureaucratic writing? Careless editing? A lawyer covering all his bases by acknowledging every possible scenario? Does anyone understand this?

Aaron Naparstek

Aaron Naparstek is the founder and former editor-in-chief of Streetsblog. Based in Brooklyn, New York, Naparstek's journalism, advocacy and community organizing work has been instrumental in growing the bicycle network, removing motor vehicles from parks, and developing new public plazas, car-free streets and life-saving traffic-calming measures across all five boroughs. He was also one of the original cast members of the "War on Cars" podcast. You can find more of his work on his website.

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