This week, Mayor Eric Adams announced the launch of a new greenway expansion project that will be taking place in New York City.
The project will look to build upon NYC’s current greenway network by constructing over 40 miles of new protected bike infrastructure throughout the city’s outer boroughs, as well as making improvements to existing paths.
Once completed, the aim of the initiative is to offer increased pathways that promote greener, safer travel options for all five boroughs, especially with cycling in NYC reaching an all-time high, according to Mayor Adams.
“When our administration came into office, we promised New Yorkers a five-borough administration — and we are taking a 40-mile step to deliver on that promise again today,” said Mayor Adams.
“This historic expansion of our city’s greenways in Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Staten Island will transform the ways New Yorkers live, work, and get around. And with more New Yorkers biking than ever, it will connect every corner of our city with this safer, greener mode of transportation.”
According to a release from the Mayor’s Office, the plan for Brooklyn will be to address gaps in the greenway network that runs from the borough’s southern tip at Coney Island to the border of Brooklyn and Queens.
The planned 12-mile route will reportedly connect to one of Brooklyn’s busiest transit hubs, Broadway Junction, providing commuters with new cycling access to some of the largest green spaces in the borough.
Additionally, the greenway routes will also see numerous improvements and accessibility upgrades, along with updated design choices.
“This expansion will fill in gaps in the greenway network including many underserved communities and will provide millions more New Yorkers with safe commuting and recreational options by foot and by bike,” said Hunter Armstrong, executive director of Brooklyn Greenway Initiative.
“Cycling, walking and running are the cleanest, greenest, and healthiest ways to get around New York City. Cycling has reached an all-time high in New York City, and major infrastructure investments like this greenway expansion are critical to keep up this positive trend.”
Work on the project has already commenced in the Bronx, with the city planning on constructing the corridors in the other boroughs every six months over a two-year period.
