Mayor Eric Adams of New York City has recently initiated a groundbreaking community-driven study to explore the possibility of covering sections of the Cross-Bronx Expressway. This highway, built in the 1950s and 1960s, has been a source of noise and air pollution, as well as a divider of working-class neighborhoods, mostly black and Latino. The study will look into strategies to cover sections of the highway, create new open public spaces with connections for pedestrians and bicycles, reconnect communities north and south of the current highway, reduce vehicle emissions, improve safety on local streets and along the corridor, and more sustainably manage cargo and other vehicle traffic. The Cross-Bronx Expressway was a project of Robert Moses that destroyed the homes of approximately 40,000 residents.
Currently, an average of 300 diesel trucks use the road every hour and tens of thousands of cars travel in each direction every day. This has resulted in high levels of noise and air pollution for the 220,000 New Yorkers living close to the road. This has led to elevated rates of asthma and other health issues for local residents. On June 21st, the MTA held an event at Fordham Plaza in the Bronx to announce the launch of a new local bus network.
This network will build on previous innovative transportation initiatives to develop electrification and mobility options. The RAISE grant will help bring this project to life and make a lasting impact in the Bronx for decades. Customers will have access to a project website with informational material such as route profiles, a map of the county with color-designated routes, a link to a trip planning tool on the home page, and new Bronx bus schedules. The MTA has also launched new buses with digital screens, wider doors, more flexible seating options, and ramps designed to make it easier to get in and out of the bus.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is also working to reduce emissions from cars, trucks, and buses in the Bronx. The Department of Transportation is funding New York City to help reimagine the highway that crosses the Bronx and bring this project closer to completion. The priority bus projects that the New York City DOT is implementing across the county are part of an effort to create a more equitable transportation system for all New Yorkers. Electrification initiatives funded through the Public Utilities Commission (PSC) are also helping to reduce emissions from transportation sources.
These projects are helping to improve access to Hunts Point and promote clean transportation initiatives in the Bronx. The Cross-Bronx Expressway study is an unprecedented partnership at all levels of government that will help repair damage done to Bronx neighborhoods. It will provide better access to public transportation for residents in the Bronx while reducing noise and air pollution levels. It will also help improve safety on local streets and along corridors while promoting clean transportation initiatives. The Cross-Bronx Expressway project is an ambitious undertaking that could have far-reaching implications for public transportation accessibility in New York City's Bronx borough. By covering sections of this highway, Mayor Eric Adams' initiative could create new open public spaces with connections for pedestrians and bicycles while reconnecting communities north and south of this major roadway.
Additionally, it could reduce vehicle emissions while improving safety on local streets and along corridors. The MTA's new local bus network is another important step towards improving public transportation accessibility in this area. This network will provide customers with route profiles, maps with color-designated routes, a trip planning tool on its home page, as well as new Bronx bus schedules. Furthermore, new buses with digital screens, wider doors, more flexible seating options, and ramps designed to make it easier to get in and out of them are being launched. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is also working hard to reduce emissions from cars, trucks, and buses in this borough while initiatives funded through the Public Utilities Commission (PSC) are helping reduce emissions from transportation sources. All these projects are helping improve access to Hunts Point while promoting clean transportation initiatives. In conclusion, Mayor Eric Adams' initiative is an important step towards improving public transportation accessibility for residents in the Bronx borough of New York City.
By covering sections of this highway it could create new open public spaces with connections for pedestrians and bicycles while reducing vehicle emissions and improving safety on local streets and along corridors.
