Mayor Eric Adams announced on Thursday, October 12th, that the city plans to broaden its current greenway network, introducing five new greenway corridors across Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Staten Island.
This expansion, extending over 60 miles and including more than 40 miles of newly protected bicycle infrastructure, seeks to fill existing greenway voids and furnish New Yorkers with more secure, environmentally sustainable transportation options, as described by Adams during a press briefing.
The project will be backed by a $7.25 million federal grant, which the Adams administration secured in August 2022.
Adams said, “Going forward, we know that the future is working with nature, reclaiming green spaces from all over New York, and making sure that everyone can have the access that they deserve.”
He continued, “New Yorkers love cycling — and I do as well — and biking more than ever. And we want to make sure everyone who cycles can get all around this city safely and smoothly.”
Notable inclusions in the greenway extension involve a 10-mile path adjacent to Staten Island’s North Shore and a 16-mile pathway paralleling the East River and Long Island Sound in Queens.
Furthermore, the enhancement plan also aims to refine cycling connections to JFK Airport with a fresh route navigating through southern Queens and introducing a new 15-mile greenway in the South Bronx.
Mayor Adams said, “While the corridors have been identified, the exact street routes will be identified through a community engagement and planning process.”
Over the next two years, extensive local community outreach will be conducted to finalize the specifics of the new paths and alleviate potential community resistance, which has historically posed a challenge to several street improvement plans in the city.
Several street improvement initiatives have encountered halts or modifications during the Adams administration due to community and business objections, such as the busway project on Fordham Road and street projects on McGuinness Boulevard.
Additionally, the city’s transportation department has failed to meet the Streets Master Plan’s 2019 mandate to install 50 miles of protected bike lanes.
The Department of Transportation (DOT) reveals that 26 cyclists have been killed in crashes this year across the five boroughs, marking the highest annual toll since the initiation of the Vision Zero program in 2014 to reduce traffic-related deaths.
