State Pledges $2M To Harlem Bridge Walking, Cycling Upgrades

UPTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — A city project to upgrade pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure on thirteen bridges spanning the Harlem River will receive $2.1 million in funding from the state, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced this week.

The state will turn over funds to the New York City Department of Transportation to aid the department's Harlem River Bridges Plan launched in 2018, Cuomo said. The project is one of four city-based walking and biking infrastructure projects the state has agreed to help fund.

"New York State is making historic, nation-leading investments in cleaner and more sustainable transportation infrastructure which is crucial to the growth of local economies," Cuomo said in a statement. "These investments in bike and pedestrian enhancements across the state will help revitalize communities, reduce our carbon footprint and demonstrate once again that New York is building for the future."

The four New York City projects are receiving $14.6 million of a statewide investment of $144.6 million for 72 projects, state officials said.

The city DOT released a report in May 2018 titled "Connecting Communities; A Vision for the Harlem River Bridges" that detailed improvements for 13 bridges connecting Harlem, Washington Heights and Inwood to the Bronx via the Harlem River. Improvements on the bridges — which stretch along the Harlem River shoreline from 102nd Street to West 220th Street — include expanded sidewalks and bike lanes, safer bridge approaches and improved signage and lighting on bridges, DOT officials said in 2018.

Upgrades to the Harlem River bridges should mirror those made to bridges along the East River in the 1990s and early 2000s. Since upgrades on East River bridges were implemented, bicycle traffic between Brooklyn and Manhattan increased from 3,000 daily cyclists in 2000 to 22,000 in 2017, city officials said.

Of the thirteen bridges set to receive improvements, nine are controlled by the city Department of Transportation, city officials said.
The bridges set for upgrades include:

• Wards Island Bridge;
• RFK Bridge;
• Randalls Island Connector;
• Madison Avenue Bridge;
• Willis Avenue Bridge;
• Third Avenue Bridge;
• 145th Street Bridge;
• Macombs Dam Bridge;
• High Bridge;
• Washington Bridge;
• University Heights Bridge;
• Broadway Bridge;
• Henry Hudson Bridge.