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Forum to Look at How to Improve Williamsburg Transit

By Serena Dai | April 9, 2015 5:57pm
 A plan would add a toll to the Williamsburg Bridge, with the intent of reducing congestion and increasing revenue to fix transit infrastructure.
A plan would add a toll to the Williamsburg Bridge, with the intent of reducing congestion and increasing revenue to fix transit infrastructure.
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DNAinfo/Serena Dai

WILLIAMSBURG — Complained about the L lately? You might want to stop by a town hall on transit in north Brooklyn on Monday.

The public forum, which will be held at Brooklyn Brewery, will largely discuss the Move NY plan, a proposal that increases tolls for places with more traffic and uses the money for transit infrastructure, as it relates to Williamsburg and Greenpoint.

After a presentation and Q&A session, locals will break out into groups to discuss transit solutions that can be pitched to local elected officials, said Alan Minor, an organizer of the event.

"Everyone wants to complain about trains and delays that are happening every week now," he said. "But nobody seems to be connecting the dots between a lack of funding and degrading and crumbling transit infrastructure."

Move NY says its proposal to add tolls to busy East River bridges would raise $1.5 billion per year in revenue.

That money could be used to improve roads and transit, and the new toll system would also reduce congestion in areas that drivers currently flock to, according to Move NY's proposal.

Residents will learn more about how the plan might impact Williamsburg and provide input on how the plan may need to be changed, Minor said.

For example, adding a toll to the Williamsburg Bridge could reduce traffic and pollution in the neighborhood, he said. But he's also heard some neighbors say they fear people will park in the neighborhood and take the train into Manhattan instead.

"Lots of motorists travel into our neighborhood only to avoid paying tolls on other bridges," Minor said. "There are a lot of implications for this neighborhood, pertaining to the plan."

Monday's forum will be at Brooklyn Brewery, 79 North 11th St., from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.