The Dumbo Improvement District unveiled an extensive public art project and upgrade to the Brooklyn Bridge Pedestrian Walkway as part of Mayor Bloomberg and Brooklyn Borough President Markowitz’s five-day celebration in honor of the 125th birthday of the Brooklyn Bridge. The permanent improvements feature wayfinding signage by Emphasis Design, and a public art lighting installation by Tillett Lighting Design and KT3D entitled “This Way.”
For many years, the Brooklyn pedestrian entrance has been in need of an upgrade to complement the Bridge’s pedestrian-friendly Manhattan side, whose small greenway and opening into City Hall Park provides an attractive and welcoming beacon for visitors entering Lower Manhattan. This project addresses the elements of poor lighting, uninviting entrances, and insufficient signage that do little to alert the pedestrian traffic to the wide variety of Brooklyn assets at the foot of the Bridge that are an integral part of the borough’s unique identity. These simple, yet significant, improvements to the Walkway provide a fitting and necessary enhancement to one of America’s most cherished urban icons.
“For too long the Brooklyn end of the Brooklyn Bridge Pedestrian Walkway has suffered from foreboding entrances and a lack of wayfinding signage, and as a result pedestrians who walk over the Bridge often turn around and head back to Manhattan without experiencing the myriad of treasures that the Brooklyn Waterfront has to offer. Today marks the transformation of the walkway into a grand entranceway fitting for the Borough of Brooklyn and for one of the world’s greatest walks,” said Tucker Reed, executive director of the Dumbo Improvement District.
“With these beautiful new signs and lights, visitors will have an easier time locating the Bridge’s pedestrian walkway and breathtaking views, as well as the wonders of DUMBO, the epicenter of ‘hip’ in Brooklyn,” said Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz. “These improvements are wonderful birthday gifts for our beloved Brooklyn Bridge. After all, at 125 years young, she’s still a breathtaking beauty — and a symbol of ‘Brooklyn attitude’ that’s built to last.”
“When visitors walk over the Brooklyn Bridge from Manhattan, we want them to come down and stay a while,” said Council Member David Yassky. “The Bridge’s Brooklyn side needs to be an inviting on ramp to all that Brooklyn has to offer. When people cross that Bridge, they should know they’ve found something special. From now on, they will.”
“The beauty of Brooklyn doesn’t have to end with the Bridge,” said NYC Department of Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan. “A single sign can mean the difference between finding your way and continuing on your Brooklyn adventure. Today, that adventure continues as we better connect the historic bridge’s walkway with Brooklyn’s equally historic neighborhoods.”
The Brooklyn Bridge Pedestrian Walkway Project was made possible by generous contributions from the City of New York, Brooklyn Borough President Markowitz, and Councilmember David Yassky. Additional support provided by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs — Percent for Art and the New York City Department of Transportation.
For more, go to www.dumbonyc.org.
