Building the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway
For over a decade, Brooklyn Greenway Initiative (BGI) has acted as the catalyst for the development, establishment and long-term stewardship of the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway.
Beginning in 2004, BGI and planning partner Regional Plan Association (RPA) hosted initial public workshops along the Brooklyn waterfront to develop a Conceptual Plan. BGI and RPA then worked directly with NYC DOT to host additional workshops and develop the Implementation Plan for the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway, which was released to the public on June 21, 2012.
Today, the Greenway consists of 23 NYC DOT capital projects, spanning 14-miles from Greenpoint to Bay Ridge:
- 6 miles of the Greenway are now available for public use.
- 4 additional segments are now in design and engineering.
- BGI is actively seeking funding to move more segments toward implementation.
Maintaining the Greenway
Now that the Greenway is being implemented, BGI is planning for the long-term stewardship and
maintenance of the 14-mile route and numerous adjacent green spaces currently under development.
Green Spaces
BGI is working on the creation of new green spaces adjacent to the Greenway:
Naval Cemetery Landscape, developed in partnership with the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation.
Columbia Waterfront Park, a roughly two-acre property in the Columbia Waterfront District.
Stormwater Infrastructure
BGI is working to include elements of stormwater infrastructure along the trunk Greenway route and as part of all adjacent green spaces. The goal is to use stormwater infrastructure to prevent the release of raw sewage into the East River and New York Harbor after storms:
Programs & Events
BGI hosts a variety of events, tours and public programs throughout the year, including The Epic Ride, a 40 mile ride along the Brooklyn-Queens Waterfront, The Brooklyn Greenway Half, the only half marathon and 5K exclusively on the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway and a summer and fall benefit party.