OFFICE OF THE BROOKLYN BOROUGH PRESIDENT ERIC L. ADAMS President February 1, 2016 Honorable Bill de Blasio Office of the Mayor of the City of New York City Hall New York, NY 10007 Re: Downtown Brooklyn Municipal Car Share Program Study Dear Mayor de Blasio: As you know, parking availability in Downtown Brooklyn is at a premium. At the same time, ‘open space in this vibrant commercial and residential space is also limited. This challenge has once again come to the forefront as the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation continue to make progress to replace the slate stone at and around Borough Hall Plaza. As this magnificent public space becomes increasingly used during the spring and summer, [ am interested in looking for ways to end the practice of allowing cars to be parked on the plaza. As you know, the need for automobile access is imperative to addressing the needs of Brooklynites, {as many areas of the borough lack convenient transit access. I am committed to enhancing and improving the transit, walking, and bicycling environments of the borough in order to provide increased transportation choices for all residents, but Brooklyn Borough Hall must also have ready-to-access vehicles. We must find the appropriate balance between prioritizing precious public space for active use and storing vehicles needed for public business. I have begun meeting with advocates and brainstorming internally with staff to find this balance. In the process, we have come up with numerous ideas to address this challenge, including: * An intemal transportation survey to determine transportation modes of staff + Investigating the use of offsite parking garages for fleet storage, and «Investigating the possibility of enrolling in the City’s ZipCar membership program There is an additional idea that would necessitate action on your part. Brooklyn Borough Hall 208 Joralemon Street Brooklyn, New York 11201 718/802-3700 Fax 718/802-9522 wwu.brookiynusa.orgHonorable Bill de Blasio February 1, 2016 Page 2 There are at least a half a dozen City agencies in the Downtown Brooklyn area, all of which have access to their own automobile fleet. The vast majority of these vehicles, when not in use, are occupying parking spaces on Downtown Brooklyn’s overcrowded streets. 1 respectfully request that your office, in partnership with the numerous City agencies that are stakeholders, conduct a study in order to determine the feasibility of a Downtown Brooklyn municipal car share system. Better understanding and, ultimately, matching the supply of vehicles to the accurate demand could go a long way toward reducing congestion and freeing up valuable parking spaces, while also saving taxpayer dollars. | look forward to your response and working with you to ensure that the open space needs for those who live, work in, and visit Downtown Brooklyn are met, while also meeting the transportation and parking needs of agencies that serve the various comers of Brooklyn. If you have any further questions, please contact my policy director, Ryan Lynch, at (718) 802-3849 or ryanlynch@brooklynbp.nye.gov. Sincerely, Erie L. Adams Brooklyn Borough President ELAM cc: DCAS Commissioner Lisette Camilo