I was hit by a car on September 30th, 2021 while riding my bicycle, from my place of work in Green Island to my home in Troy. The driver who hit me said they didn’t see me even though it was daytime. I’ve been through this intersection thousands of times and am far too familiar with its poor design, forcing cyclists to cross 4 lanes of traffic, as they approach the Green Island Bridge.

The Green Island Bridge is the main connector for thousands of residents in Troy, Green Island, and the adjacent communities, yet it has no bike infrastructure and a sidewalk on only the south side. Drivers often speed across the bridge, paying little mind to cyclists who are forced to share the busy roadway. I am in the process of healing and do not want to see anyone get injured again or die due to this poor design.

While discussing the crash with others in my community, I learned the Hudson River Valley Greenway has proposed a two-way protected cycletrack on the north side of the bridge. Even $400,000 funding is in place for the plan, which would connect the Empire State Trail to Troy and create a safe route for people like me to cross the bridge!

When I asked when construction would begin, I was surprised to hear there is one roadblock to implementation: the Mayor of Green Island, Ellen McNulty-Ryan, is refusing to approve the plan. Mayor McNulty-Ryan claims the plan would be unfair to motorists and would rather leave money on the table. After using the bridge in 2018 and 2019 while construction reduced it to two lanes, we know three lanes will work just fine and will improve safety.

The trauma of being slammed onto the pavement is very real for me right now, but clearly action must be taken now. I am reaching out to build support for the proposed plan, as drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians all deserve to get to their destination safely, without worrying if they will be killed. 

Please sign the petition here to support a safe route across the Green Island Bridge!

Thank you for your time,

Danielle Marino