DOT opens public input on four outer-borough greenways, starting in the Bronx Nov. 4
The four routes would add dozens of miles of off-street paths in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Staten Island and Queens. The Council's own votes on bike infrastructure have split.
The city Transportation Department will start collecting public input next week on four new greenways outside Manhattan, amNY reported Monday. Greenways are off-street paths for walking and biking, often along waterfronts.
According to amNY, the four routes are:
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- Bronx east waterfront, about 15 miles, from Randall's Island east to SUNY Maritime below the Throgs Neck Bridge, linking industrial areas such as Hunts Point and waterfront parks in Soundview and Throggs Neck.
- Eastern and southern Brooklyn, about 12 miles, filling gaps between the Ocean Parkway and Eastern Parkway greenways to connect Coney Island and Highland Park.
- Staten Island's North Shore, about 10 miles, from the St. George ferry landing west to the Goethals Bridge.
- Southern Queens waterfront, connecting the Jamaica Bay greenway to paths farther east and improving access to JFK Airport.
The first sessions are for the Bronx route: an in-person workshop Wednesday, Nov. 4, 4 to 6 p.m. at the BankNote Building, 1231 Lafayette Ave. in Hunts Point, and a virtual workshop Thursday, Nov. 5, 4 to 6 p.m. Workshops for the other three routes begin next year.
The routes are part of six "early action" corridors announced in 2023 and paid for with a $7.25 million federal RAISE grant the city won in 2022, amNY reported. The department says the six will add more than 40 miles to the greenway network. "Greenways connect New Yorkers to parks, jobs, and other major neighborhood destinations," DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn said.
What our records add
Greenways are expensive, DOT told the Council. At the Finance Committee's May 29 hearing on the transportation budget, a department official said the cost of bike projects varies widely, and that a fully built-out greenway costs far more than a painted on-street lane. A member asked the department to provide a breakdown of costs by type of bike lane.
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The Council has split on bike infrastructure. In May the Council passed Int. 93, from Gale A. Brewer, on the bicycle parking station program, by a vote of 36 to 11. The no votes came from Vickie Paladino, Shanel Thomas-Henry, Phil Wong, Joann Ariola, Darlene Mealy, Susan Zhuang, Simcha Felder, Mercedes Narcisse, Inna Vernikov, David M. Carr and Frank Morano. The record shows the mayor returned it unsigned on June 22.
Two pending bills pull in opposite directions. Int. 613, from Rita C. Joseph with 11 sponsors, on installing protected bike lanes, is on the agenda of Tuesday's Vision Zero hearing (our preview). Int. 375, from Paladino with seven sponsors, would remove the bus and bike lane benchmarks from the city's Streets Master Plan. It has had no hearing since Jan. 29.
The ballot connection. Question 3 on this year's ballot would speed reviews of bus and bike lane projects; our ballot guide explains it.
What's next
The Bronx workshops are Nov. 4 and 5. The Transportation Committee meets Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 9:30 a.m. on Vision Zero (meeting).