The city is launching a second round of public engagement sessions for its study to reimagine the Cross Bronx Expressway.
The study is supported by a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation, which was announced in December. The initiative is a combined effort of the New York City health, planning and transportation departments and the New York state transportation department.
The city is seeking out ideas to alleviate the burden of the expressway on Bronxites, which has hurt in more ways than one.
Built between 1948 and 1963 under the auspices of famed planner Robert Moses, the expressway’s construction ripped apart neighborhoods, destroyed homes and displaced thousands. The busy highway has also caused disproportionately high asthma rates — and increased risk of other illnesses — in the South Bronx.
“This next round of engagement will enable us to pinpoint the issues most important to Bronxites, and we hope to build as big a tent as possible, so come one, come all!” said NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. “As we collaborate with Bronx communities, Governor (Kathy) Hochul, Mayor (Eric) Adams, our sister agencies, City and State Government officials, and every New Yorker impacted by this 20th century highway relic, we will work to seize this critical opportunity to right the wrongs of the past and reconnect communities divided by the Cross Bronx Expressway.”
The city announced in March it was launching the first round of public engagement sessions to inform the study, with two virtual and three in-person sessions that took place in late March and early April. These public meetings drew 250 attendees and more than 500 public comments, according to NYC DOT.
While some residents expressed a desire to see the expressway torn down, the study is aimed at identifying ways to improve what already exists, such as through capping, which would involve building space above the roadway.
While the first…
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