East SideEast River Greenway Initiative
The East River Greenway Initiative seeks to create a well maintained, full length, world class Waterfront Esplanade & Greenway similar to the Hudson River Greenway on the West Side of Manhattan. This includes a significant widening of the current Greenway in many places and connecting the gaps that still exist, especially the major gap that extends from East 37th Street to East 60th Street that currently creates an extremely dangerous situation for cyclists and other Greenway users.
We are building a coalition of community stakeholders that supports closing the gap and improving the East River Greenway.
The East River Greenway, a segment of the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway, is a shared pedestrian and bicycle path that runs along the East Side of Manhattan from the Battery to East Harlem with a 1.2 mile gap from East 37th to East 60th streets in Midtown.
the gap on the NYCDOT official Bicycle Map
At the gap, pedestrians and cyclists are directed to an inland detour on highly trafficked and dangerous First and Second Avenues. Portions of the existing Greenway are narrow and unsafe due to sinkholes being blocked off by protective fencing, and one part squeezes between the FDR and a Con Ed ship dock, requiring caution and slower speeds. Other parts are shared space with vehicles access alongside Waterside Plaza or a filling station.
Though the gap is relatively small (1.2 miles) as compared with the overall length of the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway (32 miles), representing just 3.75% of the total Greenway, its presence has a enormous impact on the Greenway’s overall use and the communities of Manhattan’s East Side.
The location of the gap is significant because the detours force users onto the highly congested and dangerous avenues of Midtown. Because of these dangerous detours, many people forgo using the East River Greenway altogether. New York City’s own Department of City Planning Manhattan Waterfront Greenway Master Plan of 2004 stated that:
First and Second avenues have both been signed, but neither is appropriate for inexperienced riders. Overall, both streets are busy and should be used only with extreme caution.
In fact, the area covered by the Greenway detours has long had high numbers of crashes according to CrashStat 2.0, making the area one of the most dangerous and unsafe spots for both cyclists and pedestrians in the entire City. Completing the Greenway would alleviate this glaring safety issue by providing a safe off-road path for pedestrians and cyclists.
Currently, residents from East Harlem to Murray Hill look west with jealousy as Husdon River Park and the Hudson River Greenway provide open-space and transportation amenities to many West Side residents. The Hudson River Greenway is also responsible for spurring the amazing rise in NYC cycling commuters over the past few years. Completing the East River Greenway would similarly provide waterfront access and parkland for thousands of people along the East Side of Manhattan. The Greenway would also serve as the backbone of a sustainable transportation network that will help foster an already growing population of commuter cyclists both North and South of the gap.
Our East River Greenway Initiative seeks to develop and maintain the political, public, civic, and government partnerships necessary to close the 1.2 mile gap from East 37th Street to East 61st Street of the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway.
We are planning to launch a separate website as part of this initiative so stay tuned for more updates!
