Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Will the BQE Silencer Happen in Our Lifetime?
By
Jen Carlson
Published Apr 9, 2009
Modified Apr 9, 2009
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Gothamist
View all 6
By
Jen Carlson
Published Apr 9, 2009
Modified Apr 9, 2009
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
In 2004 park officials retained landscape architect Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates to design the new waterfront for Brooklyn Bridge Park. His solution to mute the traffic noise coming off the BQE was to erect a physical barrier between the roadway and the landscaped area, but some folks have declared that this current $7 million solution has numerous problems (most notably that it simply won't work).
Earlier this week the Manhattan-based architecture firm Studio for Civil Architecture along with Hage Engineering released their proposal for a visual and sound barrier between the BQE and Brooklyn Bridge Park, dubbed the Brooklyn Bridge Connector. The barrier includes the use of steel arches, sound barrier shells, and a solar canopy. The architectural contraption even comes with its own website that simulates real-world conditions at the project site! The architect told the Brooklyn Paper that his proposal would "reduce current BQE noise from 85 decibels to 65 decibels—five decibels quieter" than the Van Valkenburgh noise-blocking mountains.
Curbed reported this week that this isn't the only silencing solution out there. There's also this eco-friendly one that includes a bio fuel gas station, and the design uses vegetation and trees to absorb both the noise and car exhaust. Some of the renderings for this green plan are above, and there's a full set here.
File under: Neat—but will it ever happen? There's likely to be many more proposals by the time this section of the BQE is actually set to get some work done (Cubed notes that's around 2018). The public scoping process for the renovation begins sometime in the next two months, during which time more suggestions will be welcome.
Tagged
bqe
brooklyn bridge park
design
noise
silencer
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
Ever wish you could get paid to walk through a stranger’s house? ‘The Scout’ is for you.
A new film focuses on the strange career of a location scout in New York City.
By
Sonia Rao
Published Sep 26, 2026
There are 100s of places to visit during Open House New York. Here's 5 of our favorites.
See the entire lineup for the weekend when the city opens its doors.
By
Hannah Frishberg
Arts & Entertainment
There are 100s of places to visit during Open House New York. Here's 5 of our favorites.
See the entire lineup for the weekend when the city opens its doors.
By
Hannah Frishberg
A massive MTA archive ended up in a Virginia warehouse. A Brooklyn man brought it home.
By
Hannah Frishberg
How a Harry Styles pop-up in the East Village led to a nearby bookstore owner's arrest
By
Sonia Rao
NYC’s creative workers are increasingly self-employed, report says
By
Hannah Frishberg
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .