The Cross-Bronx Expressway. Image Credit: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office.
On May 22, 2024, Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez, announced the next series of public workshops to re-envision the Cross Bronx Expressway corridor, specifically the segment stretching from the Harlem River to Westchester Creek. The workshops are in collaboration with the New York City Department of City Planning Director Dan Garodnick, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan, and New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez.
The workshops will allow the public to provide suggestions on how to reconnect the communities divided by the expressway to create a solution that fosters reconnection between divided communities and mitigate the negative impacts the Expressway has had on surrounding neighborhoods for generations. Previous comments from the impacted community have noted the following areas have room for improvement: air quality, mitigation of traffic congestion, public safety, and access to public transit.
The first workshop will be held in-person at PS 106 Parkchester, 1514 Olmstead Ave, Bronx, NY 10462 in the school’s cafeteria on Saturday, June 8, 2024, from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. To register for the in-person workshop, click here.
The second workshop will be held online on Thursday, June 13, 2024, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. To register for the virtual workshop, click here. Both workshops are available in English, Spanish, Bengali and American Sign language interpretation. To request accessibility accommodations or translation services from NYC DOT Bronx Borough Commissioner’s Office, call 212-748-6680 or email CrossBronx@planning.nyc.gov at least three business days before the event.
NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said, “Thanks to our robust community engagement process, we have heard from a wide range of voices and partnered with community leaders to pinpoint the issues most important to Bronx residents along the Cross Bronx Expressway corridor.” “We look forward to this next round of workshops to further refine community-driven concepts and create connected, safe, healthy, and strong communities along the Cross Bronx Expressway.”
New York City Department of City Planning Director Dan Garodnick said, “We hope New Yorkers will join us for this important opportunity to share their vision for the future of the Cross Bronx corridor, and to learn more about how we can begin to reconnect the communities of the Bronx that have been divided for too long.”
New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan said, “When it comes to what’s right for communities, no one knows better than the people who live there.”
By: Chelsea Ramjeawan (Chelsea is the CityLaw intern and a New York Law School student, Class of 2025.)