Press Releases

IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 24, 2024
Contact: (212) 839-4850, press@dot.nyc.gov

New York City and State to Unveil Concepts to Cap Cross Bronx Expressway at Upcoming Public Engagement Workshops

City and State Are Seizing a Once-in-a-Generation Opportunity To Reimagine the Cross Bronx Corridor

City and State Will Refine Concepts With the Community To Improve Connectivity, Enhance Safety, and Lessen the Highway's Negative Effects on Surrounding Neighborhoods

Attendees at a previous Cross Bronx Expressway workshop discuss the corridor with agency officials
 Attendees at a previous Cross Bronx Expressway workshop discuss the corridor with agency officials. Credit: NYC DOT

NEW YORK – New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez today announced plans to unveil concepts to improve communities around the Cross Bronx Expressway, including potential capping in appropriate areas along the highway. The concepts will be presented at the next round of public engagement workshops with the Department of City Planning (DCP), Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), and the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT). In December 2022, New York City and State kicked off a landmark study to Reimagine the Cross Bronx. The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) is funding this study with a $2 million grant as part of the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program.

"Today we are continuing our work to reverse history," said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. "Unlike Robert Moses who ignored and destroyed this community, we're eager to hear your candid input on how to best reconnect communities across the Cross Bronx."

"We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine the Cross Bronx Expressway and we are seizing the moment to right historic wrongs and improve the quality of life for Bronxites," said NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. "These proposals represent more than a year's worth of outreach, and reflect the ideas and concerns voiced by hundreds of residents who have attended prior workshops. Working with the community, we look forward to advancing concepts to cap the expressway, expand the public realm, and foster better connectivity as we build a better future for the corridor."

"We have come a long way in the process thanks to the work of the community, and we are excited to hear even more from our friends and neighbors in the Bronx," said NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan. "Engaged communities build healthier neighborhoods, and we are thrilled to be a part of this process."

"The Cross Bronx Expressway has long divided the communities of the Bronx. With these short-term and long-term proposals, we're taking another step towards fostering a safer, healthier, and more connected borough," said Department of City Planning Director Dan Garodnick. "I encourage New Yorkers to share their thoughts and get involved in this vital planning work."

"Public engagement is at the center of everything the New York State Department of Transportation and its partners across the city are trying to accomplish in reimagining the Cross Bronx Expressway," said New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez. "Only by listening to and learning from the community can we truly accomplish our goal of creating a project that reconnects neighborhoods and improves quality of life for all residents. I urge everyone to attend one of the upcoming workshops and help us fulfill the promise of this generational opportunity to reimagine and transform this corridor."

Building on the vision developed at June workshops, the city and state will hold a fourth round of engagement this October to introduce Cross Bronx vision concepts, including short-, medium-, and long-term investments, while also providing an opportunity for participants to ask questions and provide feedback on the proposals. Agencies will also conduct digital outreach to further share project concepts through online materials.

Short- and mid-term concepts to be discussed include street safety, accessibility enhancements, bike network connections, Open Streets, and other transit improvements.

Long-term project concepts include highway capping, reconnecting the urban grid, traffic management improvements, corridor-wide policies and programs to address non-transportation related issues, and preliminary ideas for next steps following the study. The physical feasibility of capping will be discussed at length at each upcoming workshop. The study team will also share 10 key metrics to measure the potential relative benefit of each proposed highway cap. Feasible locations for highway capping will be recommended for further study and investment in consultation with the community.

Outreach Schedule

Workshops will provide an opportunity for public input, questions, and comments. Spanish, Bengali and American Sign language interpretation will be provided. Families are encouraged to participate.

In-Person: Wednesday, October 23, 2024, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, October 26, 2024, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Virtual: Monday, October 28, 2024, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Website Resources

The project website is a one-stop-shop for all resources related to Reimagine the Cross Bronx. For updated information on the latest events, opportunities for community engagement, details on goals and timeline, materials from meetings, reports from Open House workshops, and opportunities for further connection, visit nyc.gov/CrossBronx. The Spanish website is available at nyc.gov/ElCrossBronx.

"I am proud to support the Reimagine the Cross Bronx initiative, which is helping develop community-driven ideas to enhance safety and quality of life for Bronx residents", said United States Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. "Exploring innovative concepts to improve accessibility and community connectivity will help address infrastructure challenges and foster healthier neighborhoods. I have worked to secure federal funding for this important project and will continue to advocate for resources to support its successful implementation."

"The introduction of these new concepts is an important step for the communities in my district along the Cross Bronx Expressway, which have dealt with the expressway's impact for decades", said New York State Senator Nathalia Fernandez. "With plans like highway capping, safer streets, and better transit access, we have a real chance to make these neighborhoods more connected and sustainable. These improvements will help address the severe air quality issues that affect our residents, who face some of the highest pollution levels in the country. I'm eager to see how local input shapes these proposals, ensuring they meet the health and safety needs of our community."

"As we take bold steps to reimagine the Cross Bronx Expressway, our commitment to sustainable and equitable urban development is unwavering—this is about healing our communities and reshaping the future for generations," said New York State Senator Robert Jackson. "I commend the NYC DOT for prioritizing a community-driven approach that centers on the health, safety, and well-being of our neighborhoods. Together, we are correcting the wrongs of the past, uniting fragmented communities, and revitalizing the urban landscape for the benefit of all residents, including those in my district."

"As we continue to work toward a more sustainable and equitable future for our city, I am encouraged by the latest efforts to redesign the Cross Bronx Expressway to address long-standing health and environmental impacts on generations of Bronxites," said New York State Senator Gustavo Rivera. "By engaging with local residents and exploring transformative solutions like capping the highway, we are not only laying the groundwork for meaningful urban renewal, but also prioritizing the health, safety and well-being of the people who live near this highway. I hope my neighbors will participate in these final rounds of public engagement so that together we can shape a Cross Bronx Expressway that truly serves the community."

"The potential capping of portions of the highway not only aims to reconnect neighborhoods but also to create vital green spaces that foster community engagement," said New York State Assemblymember Landon Dais, Assembly District 77. "Public engagement is vital when it comes to ensuring these changes reflect the needs and priorities of the people who live here. We envision more spaces that truly benefit the community. I encourage everyone in my district and the Bronx to participate in these workshops and help shape the future of our borough. Together, we can transform the Cross Bronx into a space that promotes equity, safety, and well-being for all."

"For decades the Bronx has fought against the negative environmental and health effects of the Cross Bronx," said New York City Council Majority Leader Amanda Farias. "I am excited to see that NYCDOT is moving into the last phase of their public workshops, one of which is in Council District 18. Thank you to the Department of Transportation and Commissioner Rodriguez for your commitment and intentionality while developing our plan to finally reimagine the Cross Bronx."

"For generations, the Cross Bronx Expressway has impacted the quality of life of Bronx residents," said New York City Councilmember Oswald Feliz. "Engaging local residents in the discussion to reimage the Cross Bronx Expressway is essential as we consider proposed concepts to improve the safety, access to open spaces, and sustainable strategies that will affect Bronxites for years to come."

"I Challenge Myself is a proud partner of the NYC Department of Transportation for the Reimagining the Cross Bronx project," said Quentin Ball, executive director of I Challenge Myself. "We are eager to see some of the community feedback we collected in the upcoming presentations and look forward to working with the local community on an ongoing basis."

"Loving the Bronx and the Morris Park BID welcome the concept refinement phase of the effort to Reimagine the Cross Bronx and improve public health impacts for neighboring communities, including further exploring the capping options," said Loving the Bronx founder Nilka Martell and Morris Park Business Improvement District Dr. Camelia Tepelus. "We appreciate all city and state agencies' engaged in pursuing comprehensive planning, along with innovative, impactful and technologically advanced approaches for the short, medium and long term, to maximize socio-economic, as well as public health outcomes for the Bronx."

“The Reimagining the Cross Bronx project is an opportunity to reverse the historical effects that continue to degrade the health of the residents and environment of the South Bronx,” said China Copperstone of We Stay/Nos Quedamos. “Congested streets, noise and air pollution, and correlated health impacts like asthma, are not what the community asked for or deserves. City and state plans that involve and center the affected communities before, during, and after the project is completed can enable true community transformation. We Stay/Nos Quedamos appreciates the engagement of community input and supports plans of capping, greening, improving walkability, decreasing roadways, and all efforts that would reduce air pollution and improve the wellbeing and safety of the surrounding neighborhoods.

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