Will IKEA Be a Traffic Nightmare for Red Hook?
Today’s NY Post has a story that looks at the measures being taken to mitigate the car and people traffic that some believe is going to overwhelm Red Hook when the home-furnishings giant opens next month. First off, there’s going to be a free Water Taxi running between Lower Manhattan and IKEA every 40 minutes…
Today’s NY Post has a story that looks at the measures being taken to mitigate the car and people traffic that some believe is going to overwhelm Red Hook when the home-furnishings giant opens next month. First off, there’s going to be a free Water Taxi running between Lower Manhattan and IKEA every 40 minutes when the store is open. Second, the MTA is extending the B61 and B77 bus lines so they stop directly in front of the store, and IKEA is going to offer a free shuttle between the Borough Hall/Court Street, Smith/9th Street, and 4th Avenue/9th Street subway stops every 10 minutes. The closest subway stop to IKEA, Smith/9th, is more than a mile away from the store. The retailer built 1,400 parking spots and expects 14,000 cars to flock to the store every Saturday. John McGettrick, co-chair of the Red Hook Civic Alliance, believes that number is going to be closer to 20,000, and he says the traffic is going to sink Red Hook’s character. “There’s been no IKEA in this country ever put in a situation like this; most others like the ones in Elizabeth and Paramus in New Jersey have direct access off highways,” says McGettrick. “This is on a tiny peninsula that is basically a dead end.”
IKEA Goes to Se-a in Red Hook [NY Post]
Photo by marko boni.
What transportation problem? They will have a big parking lot there. People will drive.
Who’s going to take a bus to IKEA? Honestly.
I don’t know one single person who isn’t so excited they are peeing their pants that Ikea is coming to Brooklyn.
The only people posting on Brownstoner in opposition of it are like 2 or 3 NIMBY’s, and they don’t like anything new.
You’d think that neighborhood would be glad this store is what will finally bring some much needed expansion of mass transit to desolate Red Hook. Mass Transit Good.
12:30: Red Hook was ruined long before Bloomberg got here.
sorry, the projects don’t count. when you cannot contribute financially to society and have to live off of the hard work of others, you shouldn’t get a say.
god bless IKEA! it rocks.
YESSS, this is the Bloomberg legacy. Complete mayhem and unworkable traffic in ruined Brooklyn neighborhoods. Bloomberg better get ready to be run out of town once all of his development follys permanently mess up our fare city… And this is what he does with our taxes!!!! LOL
The MTA may have agreed to have buses go through the tunnel – but they have no money for it –
but yes if Red Hooks mass transit improves – then its viability of as a residential neighborhood will too.
As for my map reading skills – I put them against yours anyday – please name on neighborhood that is as far from mass transit as Red Hook – the 2 neighborhoods mentioned (Upper East Side and Lower East Side) – both are significantly closer than any proposed (or current – sans projects) residential in Red Hook (since most Residential would be on the waterfront) – not to mention the difficulty of the distance in RH (industrial/Under Highway etc…) and the fact that unlike UES and LES – Red Hook currently has very little retail – thereby making the long march out of RH even more burdensome.
I can’t wait to get that free water taxi to Manhattan! Might be the first think Ikea has ever offered that I can use.
Can’t wait IKEA to be opened in RH, it’s so much closer now. I know many people living downtown and rely on public transports everyday, I don’t mind to take public transportation, free transports is definite a big big plus. Delivery cost is very reasonable anyway.
you better check your map because I see plenty of residential neighborhoods that have equally long walks. plus with a bus route going through the battery tunnel, which the MTA has agreed to do, access to Manhattan from Red Hook will become a lot easier.