The never ending Columbia Street traffic jam has an effect on business, by Brian Abate

Residents and businesses in the Columbia Street Waterfront District have been dealing with extreme traffic along Columbia St. and throughout the neighborhood. ever since the BQE bottleneck under the Brooklyn Heights Promenade was introduced in 2022.

Driving just a few blocks can take 30 minutes or more as cars look to avoid the heavy traffic above.

Mazzat, a Mediterranean restaurant at 208 Columbia St. and Mex Carroll’s Diner at 192 Columbia St. have both been affected by the traffic.

“I drive to work and the traffic is very bad every day since what happened with the BQE,” said Jimmy Bakhoum, the owner of Mazzat, a long-time fixture on Columbia Street.

“It used to be much easier. Now I come in from the BQE and get off at Hamilton Ave. and it takes at least 20 minutes just making the left from Hamilton to Columbia. I’ve had to adjust and leave earlier but some days the traffic is even worse than usual.”

The extreme traffic from the BQE has been going on for over a year but nothing has been done to significantly reduce it.

“The traffic is certainly a concern and we’re waiting on DOT to improve signage in areas right off the BQE like Hicks St. and Columbia St.,” said Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon in February 2023. “That wouldn’t solve the problem but it should help make a difference. I understand the frustration with the traffic because I live with it myself, but right now the priority is protecting the triple cantilever. If the triple cantilever falls off a cliff, we will be in for a world of hurt which is much worse than the increased traffic.”

Interestingly, New Yorkers are also still waiting for something to be done about the cantilever, a 0.4-mile-long section of the (BQE) that carries both eastbound and westbound traffic on separate levels under the Brooklyn Promenade. Construction to re-design the cantilever isn’t expected to start until 2029 according to a proposal that the City announced earlier in 2024.

The road goes from three lanes down to two lanes in that section of the BQE.

“The traffic also has a negative effect because the restaurant has some regular customers who usually come from Manhattan once a month,” said Bakhoum. “Now with the noise and pollution, not everyone wants to make the trip. Also, in the summer when the weather was warm, we would usually keep the doors open. Now we have to keep them shut most of the time.”

Miguel Ramirez of Mex Carroll’s Diner at 192 Columbia St. thinks traffic has negatively affected his business. He has been a manager there since the diner opened in 2014.

“I usually drive here early so I arrive before the traffic but I see it later in the day,” Ramirez said. “There’s always a lot of congestion. For other people, it can take an extra 30 minutes or more to get here. It’s tough to be completely sure but I think for some people, they just don’t want to deal with waiting in traffic to get here.

“It feels like they’re always talking about different plans and ideas but now we need whoever is in charge to make a plan and follow through. This has been going on for a long time and a lot of people are frustrated.”

For now, the frustration continues for residents and those who work in the Columbia Street Waterfront District. The traffic has made it very difficult to travel by car during rush hour, in addition to the pollution and safety concerns.

“Whether you listen to Waze or check the Maps app on your phone, there is no way to avoid the traffic,” Bakhoum said. “We want to see the City get this done and deal with it but everything takes such a long time.”