The City Council will consider legislation on Thursday that aims to reduce pollution and traffic caused by cruise ships docking in the city.
The Our Air Our Water Act would alter the terms of a contract between the city and the Economic Development Corporation, setting new conditions for allowing cruise operators access to cruise terminals. Under the law, cruise ships that dock at city terminals would be required to use the city’s electrical grid, rather than keeping their engines running.
The bill would also require cruise operators to develop traffic mitigation plans in order to lessen congestion, vehicular noise and other disruptions in streets surrounding cruise terminals caused by the passenger disembarking.
The bill was drafted by Councilmember Alexa Avilés, who represents Red Hook, home to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, along with several co-sponsors.
“Cruise company disregard for environmental and traffic impacts for too long has clogged our lungs and streets,” she said on X last week, when the bill was introduced.
In an opinion piece for the Brooklyn Eagle in support of the bill, the Red Hook Business Alliance said the city needed to do a better job of managing the cruise terminal, which has “dropped a mess of toxins and traffic on Red Hook’s residents and small businesses.” The bill, the alliance said, is “a beacon for a future where economic growth harmonizes with environmental and community health.”
The legislation will be discussed at a hearing at 10 a.m. on Thursday morning soon after a rally on the steps of City Hall, where Avilés will join co-sponsor Council Member Erik Bottcher and other advocates to build momentum for the bill.
Leave a Reply