Brooklyn Breezeway

THE BROOKLYN BREEZEWAY

PROJECT CONTACT: Peter Syrett AIA rePLACE Urban Studio 12-16 Vestry Street, 7th Floor New York, NY 10013 212.380.1780 peter@replace.nyc TEAM: rePLACE Urban Studio Level Agency for Infastructure 1

The Brooklyn Bridge was originally dubbed “The 8th Wonder of the World.” Still, many people at the time wondered how such a structure so large could hold up: to allay those fears, P.T. Barnum led 21 elephants over the bridge to demonstrate its stability. Today, the bridge suffers a different type of stampede. Brooklyn-bound traffic to the BQE is strained. Instagrammers abound in both directions. All while walkers, runners and bicyclists try to eke out their place amidst it all. We propose a reimagining not only of the bridge, its traffic patterns, and lane allotments; but also of its name:

INTRODUCING....

THE BROOKLYN BREEZEWAY

“Breezeway” suggests a lightening of the bridge’s heavy modern load. But the expanse will work harder and more efficiently than ever--all without major modification.

Where once existed traffic--for cars, pedestrians, runners and bikes--there will now be “flow.”

• • • • •

The current of tourists will have spaces to slow and take in the views Manhattan-bound traffic will remain smooth Brooklyn/BQ-bound traffic will find a new frictionless off-ramp Runners will be able to keep their pace And cyclists will have a dedicated lane for commuting

The Brooklyn Breezeway will bring an airy quality to the performance of the bridge’s duties. It connotes air flow, openness, connection, and tranquility.

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RECONFIGURED ENTRY

PROMENADE PLATFORM

DEDICATED BIKE LANES

PROMENADE PLATFORM

PROMENADE PLATFORM

RECONFIGURED EXIT RECONFIGURED ENTRY

INTERVENTIONS 3

APPROACH TOURISTS AND NEW YORKERS

In the age of Instagram, taking a selfie on the Brooklyn Bridge has become the quintessential tourist experience in New York City. Unfortunately, this endeavor is at odds with the practical everyday needs of New Yorkers using the bridge. Our team recognizes the historical imperative of an efficient and direct connection between Manhattan and Brooklyn and balances this against the demands of contemporary tourism. Our proposal achieves this by creating unimpeded paths for cyclist and pedestrians, as well as minimally-designed, dedicated areas for tourists to enjoy the majestic beauty of the Bridge and New York City.

VENDORS BLOCKING PATH

OVERCROWDING

ACCESSABLITY AND MOBILITY

The Roeblings’ original design completely segregated people from vehicles. Our proposal reverts back to this eminently logical separation by moving the cyclists down to the lower roadbed – returning the promenade back to a pedestrian-only space. In terms of safety, this simple adjustment eliminates the potential of pedestrian and cyclist accidents on the bridge. Our design also reconfigures the Manhattan and Brooklyn landings to improve the flow of walkers and cyclists by creating an open-air marketplace for vendors to the side of the walkway and “schooling” areas for bikers to wait for the traffic light.

To improve pedestrian mobility, we propose the creation of three raised viewing platforms along the promenade. These platforms create “eddies” in the pedestrian flow for people to enjoy the views, pose for pictures, and for vendors to sell refreshments and mementos. These platforms allow walking commuters to cross the bridge on an unimpeded path while also creating safe locations for the tourist to experience the grandeur of the bridge. A structurally robust divider wall separates the new dedicated two-way bike lane from vehicles, while LED light strips provide diffuse, even lighting for bicyclists.

CURRENT

VENDOR PLAZA

ALTERED EXIT LANES

INSPIRATION FOR THE FUTURE

Since it opened 137 years ago, the iconic Brooklyn Bridge has constantly evolved as a piece of infrastructure and we view our proposal as its next evolutionary step. It is our hope that our design ideas will inspire others to seek out creative and thoughtful solutions that build upon the existing human, cultural, ecological, and infrastructural capital of New York City. Rather than an overly-heroic structural gesture, there are many instances where our infrastructure and landmarks can harmonize with very simple – but very transformative – interventions.

SECURITY

The security of bridge users has been an important concern since Mayor Seth Low established the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridge Police Department in 1883; today, policing concerns have expanded to include security measures against terrorism.

In recognition of this longstanding commitment, our proposal mitigates congested areas and chokepoints, creating areas where police can clearly see everyone and monitor the flow of people onto the bridge.

BIKE LANES

WALKWAY

PROPOSED MANHATTAN ENTRY

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HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT

Paradoxically, while the Brooklyn Bridge is a good place to exercise (walking, running, and biking), it is also a place where people are directly exposed to high levels of air pollution. The preliminary data from an ongoing Columbia University study has found that cyclists receive over half of their daily air pollution dose during their routine commutes, and some of the highest exposure levels for riders were recorded on the East River bridges. Our proposal seeks to mitigate this environmental health hazard by erecting a smog-absorbing material along portions of the bike lane. When applied to the concrete barrier wall, this will serve the practical purpose of protecting the cyclist from vehicles and will absorb automobile pollution. At other moments, the photocatalytic titanium dioxide coating can be applied to three-dimensional additions to solid walls along the roadway.

TOO NARROW PATH

ANOTHER THOUGHT…

We recommend altering the Cadman Plaza / BQE exit to improve the flow of vehicular traffic by having the lower volume of Cadman Plaza northbound traffic merge into the higher volume southbound BQE traffic (rather than having both stop at a traffic signal). We also recommend that a protected righthand turn be added at Prospect Street, in order to allow northbound BQE vehicles to encounter their first traffic light at Washington Street. Both of these adjustments would greatly increase the flow of Brooklyn-bound traffic coming off the bridge.

CURRENT

NEXT STEPS

Our approach is to utilize the existing infrastructure of the bridge and to seek creative ways to improve the experience, functionality, and efficiency for all users. This inherently recognizes the ionic and cultural significance of the Brooklyn Bridge while also acknowledging that the infrastructural demands of today are different than the past. Our proposal takes a very light-handed approach, adding minimal structural load at key moments. However, our proposal is contingent upon the two-way bike lane moving to the vehicular level, which we believe is feasible for the Manhattanbound roadway after minor adjustments on the Brooklyn-side approach.

WALKWAY

During the next stage of the competition, we will: • Refine the bike and pedestrian circulation into the larger networks that feed onto the bridge, the promenade platforms, and vendor areas; • Further refine the proposed smog-absorbing coatings, as well as vegetated areas, to achieve the proposed ecological goals; • Study the structural implications of using and/or bolstering the bracing system (above the roadway) to bear the loads of the pedestrian platforms; and • Study of the impact of altering the current Manhattan-bound traffic on the Brooklyn entry ramps as well as the benefits of using the area of the closed Park Row exit as lanes for FDR-bound traffic.

NEW MERGE LANE

BIKE LANES

PROPOSED BROOKLYN ENTRY 5

PROPOSED

PROPOSED

CURRENT 6

BIKE LANES

PROPOSED

CURRENT 7

PROMENADE PLATFORM

PETER SYRETT AIA, LEED BD+C rePLACE URBAN STUDIO

Wandering, curious, wondering - Peter’s exploration and questioning is driven by a fascination with the connections that make our modern world. He has built a career that spans from the molecular scale of material health to the global scale cargo ship routes. Peter co-founded rePLACE Urban Studio seven years ago and he has practiced architecture for over 28 years. When the COVID-19 pandemic is over, he’ll return to his routine of starting each workday with a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge.

THE WALKER

PHILIP PALMGREN, AIA, LEED ND

BOREUM HILL

rePLACE URBAN STUDIO

Philip is an urban thinker, architect and educator. Philip co-founded rePLACE Urban Studio in January of 2013. He has practiced architecture and urban design for the past 25 years. He brings an enthusiasm to urban challenges and a wisdom to understand that often the simplest solution or design is dismissed or overlooked. Analysis, evaluation and the ability to ask ‘why not’ have been the cornerstone of Philip’s design work. During Daylight Savings he comutes by bike and the rest of the year he walks to work. Philip currently comutes across the Manhattan bridge and he is looking forward to commuting on the Brooklyn Bridge within his lifetime.

ERIK KATH, AIA

THE BIMODAL ONE PARK SLOPE

rePLACE URBAN STUDIO

Erik’s approaches design and cities as an exercise in making. Imagining a city that works better, a connection that holds faster and a life for all residents - the quality of which can be more beautiful. Erik has strived over the last 15 years to make the world a better place. Erik is a master of making entourage and place. He has been the Studio Director for rePLACE for five years. Erik enjoys the majestic beauty of the Brooklyn Bridge each day from the deck of his South Brooklyn ferry.

THE FERRYMAN SUNSET PARK

BYRON STIGGE, PE

LEVEL AGENCY FOR INFRASTRUCTURE

Byron is the founder of Level Agency for Infrastructure, a Brooklyn based engineering practice dedicated to innovative infrastructure and transportation design. His projects have taken him all over the world and he decided to settled down in Dumbo 18 years ago. As world traveler, he happily guides tourist to best spots in his neighborhood for a selfie and to the pedestrian entry of Brooklyn Bridge on Washington Street.

TODD BEEBY

COMMUTER CONSULTANT

THE LOCAL DUMBO

Todd is a creative consultant for brands including airlines, spirits, chemical multinationals, and financial institutions. He commutes via bicycle four days a week from Prospect Park Brooklyn to the Financial and Flatiron districts of Manhattan. Todd has lived and cycled in Chicago, Boston, and NYC. In his 12 years here, he has amassed 25,000 miles of commuter riding. For his longest ride, he bicycled from Oregon to Massachusetts in one summer, averaging 100+ miles per day.

THE CYCLIST PARK SLOPE

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TEAM

Comparable Services: master planning, community outreach, cost estimating, high-level market analysis

SENSORY WASHINGTON PARK -after NEWARK, NJ proposal to revitalize Washington Park Audible LAB, (an Amazon subsidiary) SQUARE retained rePLACE a $25 million

had(anfailed to come to fruition to lack of asupport from the City and the Washington local community.

Audible Amazon subsidiary) retaineddue rePLACE after $25 million proposal to revitalize Park hadCharacterized failed to come to fruition to lackperceived of support from the City and local community. as empty, perceived unsafe, and lacking a single asdue empty, as unsafe, andthe lacking a single Characterized bench, the park is one of twoaslarge green spaces in bench, the park is one of two large green spaces in the heart of Newark’s downtown.

Rather than spending millions of dollars on a the heart of Newark’s downtown. Rather than spending millions of dollars on a “beautification” approach, “beautification” approach, rePLACE saw an essential need to engage the people who live and work in the neighborhood.

This resulted rePLACE saw an essential need to engage the people who live and work in the neighborhood. This resulted in a “Sensory Lab,” a pop-up installation that engages all five senses and acts as a testing ground for what urban public space could or in be. a “Sensory Lab,” a pop-up engages all five senses and a testing ground for solution, what should It is a flexible, modular systeminstallation that includesthat tables, chairs, planters, platforms, andacts light as posts.

Rather than a static urban public space couldpeople: or should be. and It is adults a flexible, modular that includes planters, this adjustable system empowers children alike have sincesystem been observed using thetables, park inchairs, a multitude of ways. light posts.

Rather than static solution, empowers people: children Mostplatforms, importantly, and the surrounding community felt ana immediate pride in this (and adjustable ownership of)system the park. and adults alike have since been observed using the park in a multitude of ways. Most importantly, the In addition to the revitalization of felt the an park, rePLACE conducted a neighborhood for the northern district of downtown Newark, surrounding community immediate pride in (and ownership plan of) the park. which includes new bike lanes and local buses routes; several catalytic projects along the Broadway commercial corridor; connections to theInriverfront; gaprevitalization analysis, and development Audible’s future growth. additionretail to the of the park,scenarios rePLACEforconducted a neighborhood plan for the northern district

of downtown Newark, which includes several catalytic projects along the Broadway commercial corridor, connections to the riverfront, retail gap analysis, and development scenarios for Audible’s future growth.

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Comparable Services:

rePLACE rePLACE Urban Studi the creation of a cultu that includes performi over 1000 residential PROJECT INFORMATION: aspires to not Size: Park = 5District Acres and city streets and streng Neighborhood =18 acres plan with the state of N Date: 2019

Services: Design and Masterplanning, Outreach, Cost Estimation, and High Level Market Analysis Client: Audible, a subsidoary of Amazon

WORK

rePLACE

HUDSON SQUARE: COMMUNITY TRANSPARENCY / CONNECTION PROJECT - NEW YORK, NY

In anticipation of 18-month shutdown of the L-train, which would have affected 250,000 riders each day and increased the daily bike traffic across the Williamsburg Bridge, rePLACE worked on a feasibility study for a new cyclist support hub in the Lower East neighborhood. A range of options were examined in this study to support the predicted 5-fold increase in bike commuters using the Williamsburg bridge.

A year later, rePLACE further refined the one of the pop-up solutions for Trinity Real Estate for use in the Hudson Square BID area with the goal of enlivening the public realm and building a sense of community in this worker-centric neighborhood. These pop-ups were designed as a deployable-units (housed in 9 feet 6 inches high by 20 feet long by 8 feet wide shipping containers). The size of the units has numerous advantages, the foremost being ability to be placed individually or in groups in parking spots, or on wide sidewalks, or in small plazas. Each pop-up element has a different functional purpose, such as: commuter bike storage lockers and repair shop; local small food vendors stands; local artist gallery; and a special events venue.

PROJECT INFORMATION: Size: 26 blocks Date: 2018 Services: Design and Cost Estimation Client: Trinity Real Estate

The most important pop-up program element was community transparency hub; in these units, through a technology portal, local residents and workers would be connected to upcoming events and each other. rePLACE also designed a beta community portal app as apart of this project.

Display Logo

Deployable Facility - Bike Rental Lockers (22 lockers)

Bike Storage Unit

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Deployable Facility - Bike Repair Station - Front View

Bike Repair Unit

WORK