Residents call on DOT to further park improvements
BY JASON COHEN
Broken lighting, protecting cyclists
and pedestrians on the greenway, controlling
speeding and unsafe slip lanes,
adding signage and improving drainage
are some of the concerns Pelham Bay
Park residents have about the community
— with progress starting to fi nally
take shape.
In August, the NYC Department of
Transportation (DOT) was joined by Progressive
state Sen. Alessandra Biaggi,
and nonprofi t organizations Transportation
Alternatives, City Island Rising Inc.,
and Friends of the Hutchinson River Greenway
as they walked the streets pointing
out various issues that need to be fi xed.
Since then, the DOT has begun to
make some changes. So far, it has installed
speed limit signs throughout the
park; wrong way signs by I-95 and by the
Hutchinson River Parkway entry/exit;
refurbished pavement markings at the
entryway/exit of the park and greenway,
and railings to protect cyclists and pedestrians
after the City Island Bridge.
“We’re responding to community concerns
to ensure the Pelham Bay Park
area is safe for drivers, pedestrians and
cyclists,” said DOT Spokesman Vincent
Barone.
Barone told the Bronx Times that the
DOT plans to install new 30 mph signage
on Shore Road by the end of January 2022
and is reviewing alternative designs for
the Hutchinson River Parkway exit Uturn.
Additionally, DOT is proposing improved
bridge and bike facilities as part
of its Shore Road Bridge replacement
project.
However, according to City Island
Rising President John Doyle more needs
to be done. Doyle said residents have requested
the lighting be fi xed on Shore
Road and Pelham Parkway Bridge and actuated
signals, and protected bike lanes
on the City Island Bridge.
Doyle added that in order for Pelham
Bay Park to fully get the proper service
it deserves, the city Parks Department
must transfer its jurisdiction of the community
completely over to DOT.
“The area near the exit fi ve Hutchinson
U-turn is dangerous,” Doyle said.
“There’s a number of safety concerns
within the park itself.”
With two ghost bikes along a roadside
memorial within the Rodman’s Neck
Circle dedicated to cyclists who lost their
lives on the road, Doyle hopes pressure
from residents and Biaggi will force the
DOT to make changes.
“Over the past few months, our group
has been working closely with Transportation
Alternatives and State Senator
Alessandra Biaggi to make Pelham Bay
Park safer for motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists,
and, of course, the deer and wildlife
that makes their home within this
natural setting,” he said. The Hutchinson River Parkway exit near City Island where people have to make a far left to complete a
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, D 6 EC. 17-23, 2021 BTR
U-turn, often leading to instances of tire tracks on the roadway. Photo courtesy John Doyle
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