With the sun shining and the start of official spring near, the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) has scheduled four public workshops for input on the Harlem River Greenway Implementation Plan, with the first one of the season taking place this week.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced the greenway expansion plan last year, which will stretch 7 miles along the Bronx side of the Harlem River from Randall’s Island to Van Cortlandt Park. According to the Office of the Bronx Borough Commissioner, the greenway will be a path for cycling and walking and will better connect Bronxites to the waterfront.
The project took off after the city allocated $1 million for the planning last year. In April 2023, proponents of the project voiced concerns that the former Putnam Line west of the Major Deegan Expressway could throw off plans. The MTA has used the Putnam Line site — located on a stretch from Van Cortlandt to 230th Street — as a maintenance yard.
The mayor’s office and DOT told the Bronx Times last year that the Harlem River Greenway project is aimed to restore waterfront access that was lost during the Major Deegan construction in the 1930s. It’s part of a larger city plan — which came with a $7.25 million federal grant in 2022 — to reconnect communities that lost green space due to roadway construction and infrastructure.
DOT started offering public workshops last April to gather input from Bronxites about the current conditions along the waterfront and what locals want to see from the project.
For these upcoming sessions, the department is seeking feedback on proposed route alternatives and the sessions will be divided into greenway sections.
“Your voice is critical in guiding our plan to develop this greenway, which would provide new green space and a safe, continuous cycling route connecting to open spaces, job centers, and educational and cultural institutions,” said DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez after announcing the first round of workshops last year.
Register for the upcoming Bronx Harlem River Greenway sessions:
- In person: March 13, 6-8 p.m. at Bronx Community College, Roscoe Brown Student Center, Room 211 — discussing the Van Cortlandt Park to the High Bridge section;
- In person: March 19, 6-8 p.m. at Bronx Brewery — discussing the High Bridge to Randall’s Island Park section;
- Virtually: April 3, 6-8 p.m. via Zoom — discussing the Van Cortlandt Park to High Bridge section;
- Virtually: April 8, 6-8 p.m. via Zoom — discussing the High Bridge to Randall’s Island Park section.
For more information about how to register for a public workshop, visit https://nycdotprojects.info/harlem-river-greenway-bronx.
Reach Camille Botello at cbotello@schnepsmedia.com. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
