DOT officials unveil proposals to cap the Cross Bronx Expressway, add more greenspace and improve public health

Screenshot 2024-10-17 at 12.35.41 PM
Officials on Wednesday unveiled the first drafts of plans to reimagine the Cross Bronx Expressway and address safety, health and quality of life concerns in the Bronx.
Credit: NYC Department of Transportation

Officials unveiled Wednesday a series of proposals to reimagine the Cross Bronx Expressway that would reconnect communities separated decades ago by Robert Moses’ controversial infrastructure projects.

Many of the proposals involved capping portions of the expressway—which involves paving over sections of the corridor below ground level— leaving space above for parks or bike lanes. Others included addressing public transit difficulties, roadway safety, bike connectivity, traffic and freight management, and even asthma.

New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez gathered in Crotona Park yesterday with city and state representatives to present the plans and underscore the importance of the project and outline next steps.

“This road has been a scar carved through the heart of the Bronx,” said Rodriguez. “It has brought immeasurable harm through displacement, noise, pollution and terrible health outcomes.”

After a study funded by a $2 million grant in 2022 and community engagement events, the city put together the proposals based on feedback from Bronx residents who have been impacted by the displacement, noise, traffic and pollution of the Cross Bronx Expressway. Bronxites identified several quality-of-life concerns, such as a lack of access to public transit, limited green spaces, health concerns caused by pollution, and the need for safer streets.

The proposals primarily addressed the concerns of those living near the Cross Bronx through a series of short, medium and long-term infrastructure and social programs. Now, the city will refine these plans through a series of public workshops before getting to work on funding the projects.

Once plans are finalized, DOT Commissioner said the city will still have to find funding to actually begin covering the highway, something the proposal would require “large amounts of City, State and Federal funding.”

“The step where we are right now is about getting the community input and finalizing the process with a good proposal,” Rodriguez said in an interview with the Bronx Times last week. “But the part related to the money is not there yet.”

Constructed from the 1940s through the 1970s, the Cross Bronx Expressway split the North and the South Bronx, displacing tens of thousands of people and bringing hundreds of cars, and their exhaust through the neighborhood each day. The highway is one of the most dangerous and congested roads in the nation and its pollution has contributed to the high rates of asthma in the borough.

Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi summarized the proposals during the press conference. One would connect Crotona Park with Walter Gladwin Park, providing about one and a half football fields of additional greenspace and allowing pedestrians to walk between the two parks and their surrounding neighborhoods.

“Tomorrow, which is what we’re here for, is about green space,” Joshi said. “Tomorrow is about covering up the highways. Tomorrow is about more trees to bring cleaner air to the entire borough.”

A proposed site to cap the Cross Bronx Expressway would connect Crotona Park with Walter Gladwin Park along Arthur Avenue. Courtesy of NYC Department of Transportation

Another possible capping site would be on both sides of the Parkchester station subway stop, creating two new parks, connecting Virginia Playground to Virginia Avenue and improving pedestrian experiences coming out of that station.

Another proposed capping site of the Cross Bronx Expressway is on both sides of the Parkchester Avenue Subway Station. Courtesy of NYC Department of Transportation

U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres played a role in securing the federal funding for the years-long study into reimagining the Cross Bronx Expressway. He spoke at Wednesday’s event about the pollution stemming from the Cross Bronx—and how it can rob Bronxites of years from their lives.

“The difference in life expectancy between the South Bronx and the Upper East Side is as much as a decade and the life expectancy gap is not primarily a function of life choices,” said Torres. “It’s primarily a function of circumstances.”

The massive capping project is likely to be done in stages—and will involve more study, community input and additional funds. The city’s vision involves short, medium, and long-term projects, as it seeks to address the inequities and health consequences from the expressway. The entire vision is likely to take many years.

Short term plans involve addressing community needs like bus priority improvements on Tremont Avenue and installing a comprehensive bicycle network plan for Fordham and adjacent Bronx neighborhoods. The city would aim to have those completed by 2025 or 2026.

Other short-term initiatives involve public health. For instance, The NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYC DOHMH) has put forward the Bronx Asthma Initiative (BAI) complete with a new Bronx Asthma Center in conjunction with school programming to address health disparities linked to the Cross Bronx Expressway.

Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson paid tribute to the community organizations that advocated for equitable solutions to the decades of harm and injustice of the Cross Bronx corridor. She focused on the positive impact the proposals could have on the health, safety and quality of life of the communities around the expressway.

“The possibilities are endless with this new initiative that we have started,” Gibson said.

The proposals will be finalized after a round of upcoming community workshops starting next week. Registration for the in-person workshops is recommended, but not required. Bronxites who wish to attend the virtual workshop must register to receive the meeting link.

Concept Refinement Open House (In-Person)
Wednesday, October 23, 2024 6:00pm to 8:00pm
MS331 Bronx School of Young Leaders, 40 W Tremont Ave, Bronx, NY 10453
Workshop held in cafeteria

Concept Refinement Open House (In-Person)
Saturday, October 26, 2024 1:00pm to 3:00pm
PS 106 Parkchester, 1514 Olmstead Ave, Bronx, NY 10462
Workshop held in school cafeteria

Concept Refinement Open House (Virtual)
Monday, October 28, 2024 6:00pm to 8:00pm
Virtual (Register)