Public petition asks Mayor de Blasio to back East River Skyway
A month ago, U.S. Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, City Councilman Stephen Levin, and State Assemblyman Joseph Lentol drafted a letter to the Mayor, urging him to advocate for the East River Skyway as a solution for the impending L train shutdown. Building on this momentum, a digital petition addressed to de Blasio has launched on Change.org where the public can show their support for the plan, as well.
As the petition notes, the Skyway would be a zero-emission alternative to increasing bus service and ferries, and it could be easily constructed prior to the L train’s closure in 2019. It would then be able to transport 5,000 riders per hour, or 100,000 people per day, with an average trip time in each direction of just six minutes. After conducting several preliminary studies, East River Skyway founder Dan Levy* estimates the project would cost $134 million build, but he and local officials feel confident that this can be funded privately. He also says that an unlimited monthly pass would cost only $25.
So far, de Blasio hasn’t made a public statement on the project, though the aforementioned elected officials have requested a meeting with him. “If the mayor takes on the Skyway as he has the Brooklyn Queens Connector (BQX), we will see major strides forward,” as 6sqft previously noted.
Sign the petition here >>
RELATED:
- East River Skyway endorsed by local politicians as L train alternative
- East River Skyway Proposal Gains Steam, Would Only Cost Riders $25/Month
- MTA Announces Details on L Train Shutdown To Begin in 2019
*Disclosure: Dan Levy is the CEO of CityRealty, 6sqft’s publisher
