Issue Summary:

Van Cortlandt Park, NYC’s 3rd largest park, is located in the Northwest Bronx. Established in 1888, its 1,146 acres were cut in 1956 by Robert Moses when the Major Deegan Expressway (I-87) was built through the Park. We are looking to reunite the two sides by demanding the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation (aka NYC Parks) make good on their promise of a pedestrian bridge.

Background:

In the Spring of 2014, the NYC Parks released the “Master Plan 2034” for Van Cortlandt Park. Key items addressed in the plan included a list of pressing issues such as not enough welcoming entrances, the Park’s overgrowth of invasive species taking a toll on the ecosystem, and the network of disconnected pedestrian and bike pathways.

Included in the master plan was a pedestrian bridge to connect the east and west portions of the Park which were created when the Major Deegan Expressway cut through the park. This expressway opened in 1956 and was built by Robert Moses who chose locations for roadways to create racial and class division. The numerous amenities on the western side of the Park in Riverdale align with the wealth of that area. The proposed pedestrian bridge would allow residents of Norwood, Woodlawn, and Wakefield on the eastern side of the park easier, faster, and safer access to the amenities located in the southwest corner of the Park including the pool, stadium and parade ground.

In May 2015 the City announced that a $12 million pedestrian bridge project would be built with a 2019 completion date. The bridge would be located on the eastern side within the Allen Shandler Recreation Area (located near the Mosholu Golf Course) and connect to the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail on the western side. As the years went by, the project’s cost rose to $23 million - but the project was fully funded at this amount from a variety of elected officials and offices. By 2020, the project had not begun.

Newest Information:

Since 2020, the public has been kept in the dark. On January 31, 2023 a Zoom meeting was hosted by the Croton Filtration Monitoring Committee where representatives from NYC Parks included the pedestrian bridge on the agenda. During this meeting participants were told:

• The project had stalled at 40% of the design phase due to the Covid-19 pandemic and was no longer fully funded (though this project is not in the NYC Park Capital Project Tracker).
  The cost was said to be $35 million, which then changed to $39 million a few days later.
• It was also announced that the bridge project had been pulled and a half-baked alternative using existing, failing infrastructure and no price tag was presented. This alternative doesn’t reduce time. This alternative does not provide safe passage as it relies on pedestrians crossing the dangerous intersection of Jerome Avenue and East 233rd Street which includes on ramps and off ramps to the Major Deegan Expressway. And NYC Parks would not commit to keeping the existing $23 million, allocated to the pedestrian bridge, within Van Cortlandt Park.

East side residents of Van Cortlandt Park deserve better amenities and safer access to the entire Park. We demand that NYC Parks commits to serving the east side residents with dignity. We need more transparency on this project. And we need better plans and community input that prioritize people, safety, and the park experience.