For more than 20 years, citizens and community leaders have worked to develop a greenway along the Bronx River, spanning the borough from north to south. Since early 2001, more than $33 million has been allocated by Governor Pataki, Mayor Giuliani and Congressman Serrano for the effort.

A key site in the project is an abandoned section of Edgewater Road between Westchester Avenue and the Bruckner Expressway. Last year, the NYC Parks Dept. began negotiations with NYC DOT to acquire the land. It was to begin design workshops for the new park connection in May. 

However, as the Daily News recently reported, the NY State DOT has asked the Parks Department to cancel those meetings. One of the State DOT’s plans for reworking the Bruckner-Sheridan interchange might require the southwestern portion of the site. The agency says it cannot rule out using the land until it finishes an EIS for the highway project.

Public interest groups have been calling for the EIS to get going for more than three years in order to show the environmental benefits of getting rid of the Sheridan Expressway (MTR #180). At a meeting last week hosted by Borough President Ferrer, attended by Congressman Serrano’s office, the State DOT, NYC EDC, NYC Parks, community boards and community and environmental groups, everyone agreed that the EIS should move forward. 

Congressman Serrano’s aide stated that the Congressman has put on hold money he had originally allocated for redeveloping Edgewater as a road. The Borough President’s representative also indicated that he wanted the Edgewater property turned over as quickly as possible and was unhappy holding the greenway hostage to an EIS process which has already slipped for more than three years.

At the meeting, the State DOT said that it intends to sign a contract with consultants to conduct the Sheridan EIS soon.The study will only look at the redevelopment of the Bruckner-Sheridan interchange,leaving aside NYS DOT proposals for work on the interchange with the Cross Bronx Expressway and a controversial plan to build a new elevated connector to the Bronx River Parkway.DOT says the study is due to start in the winter and require four years to complete.

Road for Park Rally in the Bronx - December 4, 2000

Trucks and Bronx Highway To Nowhere - July 10, 1998

Redundant Roadway: Deconstructing the Bronx' Sheridan Expressway - a paper by the Tri-State Transportation Campaign

MTR search facilityand back issues:

Search our database of all past issues of Mobilizing the Region since Fall, 1994.

Go to indexof all Mobilizing the Region back issues