The city’s first round of public engagement sessions to reimagine the Cross Bronx Expressway wrapped up this week, signaling the start of an attempt to heal a wound that slashes through the borough.
The city was awarded $2 million through a U.S. Department of Transportation Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant to conduct a study of the expressway, which was announced in December. To kick off a community engagement process meant to inform the study, the city held three in-person and two virtual open houses, the last of which took place Monday night. A draft of the study will be released next fall, with the final version slated to be done by the end of 2024.
“We’re looking both for improvements that can be made right now, as well as those that will be developed over the coming years and decades,” Elizabeth Hamby, director of civic engagement at the NYC Department of City Planning, said at the event Monday night. “It took decades to build the Cross Bronx and reimagining it won’t happen overnight.”
Built between 1948 and 1963 under the auspices of Robert Moses, the roadway’s construction ripped apart neighborhoods, destroyed homes and displaced thousands. On top of it all, the high-traffic corridor has left South Bronx residents with disproportionately high asthma rates.
The study is a combined effort of the city transportation, planning and health departments, as well as the state transportation department.
On Monday, members of the public filled out polls asking various questions, such as how long they have been part of the community surrounding the expressway. As participants answered the questions, snippets of “Cross Bronx Expressway” by David Gonzalez & The Poetic License Band were played. (Bronx hip-hop duo Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz also have a song with the same title.)
Charles Ukegbu, assistant commissioner for regional and strategic planning for the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT),…
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