Sam Schwartz wins Diamond Award for BQX from ACEC New York

Manhattan, NY Sam Schwartz was honored at the 50^th Annual Engineering Excellence Awards Gala by the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC New York) at the Hilton Midtown in New York City on April 1^st. Friends of the BQX and Sam Schwartz received a Diamond Award in the Studies, Research, and Consulting Engineering Services for the Brooklyn Queens Connector (BQX). Diamond awards are presented to those projects that represent a high level of  “complexity, innovation, and value to society.” The BQX will also receive the National Recognition Award in Washington D.C. on April 25^th.

“We’re truly honored to have been recognized by the ACEC New York for our work on the BQX,” said project director Harris Schechtman. “Our team is thrilled to see the BQX develop, and we’re confident that this could really change the face of transit in New York City.”

Running along a 16-mile expanse from Astoria, Queens to Sunset Park, Brooklyn, the BQX encompasses technologies that set it apart from other streetcar systems in the country. Namely, its use of on-board power sources will render it more sustainable and resilient than those which use the typical catenary wire, which runs overhead. It will also reduce travel times, decongest other bus and subway lines, and increase mobility within outer boroughs. The BQX stands as a unique endeavor for the city of New York. Once completed, it will offer transit services along areas of the city which have previously been unserved by the subway system. This selection touts Sam Schwartz’s work as having an “eye toward the future, identifying innovative, yet cost effective technology.” Also, selected for a Platinum Award in Special Projects is Asphalt Green and Sam Schwartz’s East 91st Street Marine Transfer Station (MTS) Safety Study and Design. “We’re really excited to be recognized for our work on this rewarding project,” said Jeff Smithline, Principal-in-Charge on the MTS study. Sam Schwartz collaborated with the City’s Department of Sanitation (DSNY) to provide alternatives to a planned route by DSNY for 150 garbage trucks to the MTS. Ultimately, Sam Schwartz’s proposal will improve pedestrian and bike safety, while minimizing impact on the local community.