Getting to the Brooklyn Navy Yard – which is home to 7,000 jobs today and a projected 16,000 jobs by 2020 – will soon become much easier with the addition of a new shuttle service linking the Brooklyn Navy Yard to 13 subway lines and the LIRR.
Set to launch this spring, the shuttle is part of an enhanced transportation network that also includes the BQX light-rail announced earlier this month by Mayor Bill de Blasio.
The transportation upgrades will accommodate the over two-million-square-foot expansion now underway at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
The Yard is beginning phased implementation with an improved fleet of air-conditioned vehicles that will provide frequent service. Eventually, the shuttles will be Wifi equipped and a shuttle service tracking app similar to the MTA’s bus tracking app will allow passengers to determine the proximity of the shuttle to their location. Shuttle service will be available to Yard tenants, staff, and guests free of charge.
“This transportation plan will provide the Yard’s growing workforce with direct access to all corners of the city,” said Brooklyn Navy Yard President and CEO David Ehrenberg. “With our workforce set to double in the next five years, one of the Yard’s top priorities is connecting where our employees live with where they work. As the Yard grows, our transportation infrastructure will be strengthened to meet tenants’ needs.”
“The Navy Yard is undergoing massive growth and more and more jobs every day. We know that transit access is absolutely essential to building a successful economic hub and are thrilled the Navy Yard is making this investment to benefit not only its employees, but also the surrounding neighborhood,” said Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen. “This service, along with the planned BQX, will continue to enable major growth of our outer borough commercial hubs and by extension the continued growth of the new New York economy.”
“We salute the Brooklyn Navy Yard for creating this brand new shuttle program that will provide a crucial link for our tenants and the entire Navy Yard, enhancing connectivity and accessibility,” said Michael Rudin, vice president at Rudin Development, co-developer of Dock 72 along with Boston Properties.
“With over 4,000 employees working at Dock 72 on a daily basis, the Navy Yard’s new transportation network will significantly improve the commuting experience,” said John Powers, Executive Vice President of Boston Properties’ New York Region. “The new shuttles when combined with the already exiting extensive transportation options, including significant bike network surrounding the Yard, will provide another unique amenity to our exciting new project.”
The plan is the result of Philip Habib and Associates assessment of existing Yard conditions, including a survey of tenants, and their employees’ transportation needs.
“Brooklyn Navy Yard has become an engine for innovation in our community, where workers are building the Brooklyn brand for an audience the extends around the world,” said Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams. “This shuttle service will power that engine, providing a needed connection to public transportation, which will allow people to access businesses that support the continued development of our local economy.”
