Cyclists to Be Detoured in Section of Riverside Park on Weeknights
The bike path under the Henry Hudson Parkway will be temporarily diverted to the waterfront at night.
Construction in Riverside Park South means cyclists will be diverted onto the pedestrian walkway next to the water starting on Monday, July 19, the Parks Department said on Friday. The diversion runs from 59th to 72nd Street and is expected to last for two weeks. It will only occur after 8 p.m. The full release is below:
To ensure safety during upcoming overnight construction in Riverside Park South, NYC Parks has announced that it will temporarily direct cyclists from the greenway to the park’s waterfront pedestrian path between 59th and 72nd streets on weeknights.
The detour will only be used during active overnight construction (starting at 8:00 p.m. Monday through Fridays), with the regular bicycle route in place during the day and on the weekends. The temporary reroute is expected to begin the evening of Monday, July 19 and run for approximately two weeks.
To accommodate pedestrians and cyclists, Parks will post signs at related path entrances notifying them of the detour and urging caution on the shared waterfront pedestrian path.
The detour is due to construction on the sixth and final phase of the Riverside Park South project, which will complete the addition of 32 acres of new parkland to New York City’s park system. The upcoming overnight work is on the pedestrian mall adjacent to the greenway, necessitating the diversion of construction and emergency vehicles onto the greenway.
I understand that the detour may be necessary, but bikers should be required to dismount if using the shared pedestrian space along the river.
It is happening only during the late evening/night hours when the path is less busy. As for requiring dismount – can you imagine a driver being told they have to detour off the Henry Hudson Parkway for 2/3 of a mile and while detoured, they must get out and push their car? The Westside Greenway is the busiest bike path in the entire country. Something tells me that, if everyone is attentive and careful, everyone can coexist for this short period. And before anyone starts their rants about inconsiderate or unsafe cyclist behavior on the path – for every cyclist that falls into this category, there are probably at least two pedestrians who do as well. Whatever mode of locomotion you favor, the other modes are always the problem.
Wait did you just compare walking a bike to pushing a car? Oh dear. To answer Tyler rhetorical question, no I can’t imagine that….
“If everyone is attentive and careful…” idk where you’re from but you’ve clearly never been to ny or never leave your apartment if you think this is realistic whatsoever
Sorry but you’re just making no sense.
Yes, I did make that comparison, because for a large majority of cyclists on the westside greenway, their bicycle is their transportation.
And I am from NY, cycling the bike path regularly, as well as walking along that same path. So I actually experience both aspects of the area.
Whether they’re riding for transportation or recreation has nothing to do with the asinine assertion that pushing a car for a mile is comparable to walking a bicycle. I think you’re being disingenuous though at this point so I’ll just leave it at that.
I’m glad you’re a considerate cyclists and pedestrian though. The city needs more people that aren’t so solipsistic.
In answer to both Brandon and Josh:
Drivers in a detour slow down.
Can you do the same? That’s all that’s being asked (by the authorities).
Asking more of the riders is not reasonable, and demanding less is equally obnoxious.
Paul, I totally agree. That’s what I am getting at. Cyclists need to be conscientious about the fact that it is a shared path. That means you aren’t doing sprints or matching your pace on Strava. So, a cyclist rides slower and gives pedestrians a wide berth going around them. Pedestrians also need to be conscientious of the fact that it is a shared path and walk straight without veering one way or the other without looking or worse, making an abrupt turn or stop without paying attention to those around them. These it is not hard at all.
There are summer weeknight events in that section of Riverside Park, eg, movies on Pier 1 (70th St), which draw crowds, so the paths aren’t really less busy then. Hard to see how pedestrians/spectators can safely share the walkway with cyclists at those times.
https://www.nycgovparks.org/events/summer_on_the_hudson
Actually, we have a good example of this working already — because if you go north on the Greenway, up into West Harlem and the Heights, you’ll find an amazing miles-long informal sort of cookout, concert, and dance party most weekend evenings. Cyclists go slowly when needed, everyone respects one another, and it all works out. It’d be strange if the Upper West Side couldn’t manage the same.
Josh,
Since when is 8:15 PM late evening especially in July/August in NYC?
So many bikers already flaunt the rules by riding next to the river. It would be nice to see some tickets being given.
I’m all for giving cyclists riding on the pedestrian path along the river tickets, as long as pedestrians and joggers on the bike path also get tickets. Why should there be hypocrisy? Both groups endanger the other when they are using the wrong path.
too many wheels. too few brains.
With the bike lane closed, where will all of the clueless pedestrians and “runners” supposed to go?
They might actually walk and run on the pedestrian path.
What would be most helpful is if the bikers would not use their phones while biking on the shared roads, and that means when people at crossways as well. It would also be helpful if bikers would slow down on shared paths, and did not have earphones on so they could hear what is going on around them. Very often bikers forget that there are old people, children and people may not be able to get out of their way. I bike and walk and have seen all sorts of oblivious people on both sides of this equation. Consideration of others and common sense help a lot with safety, especially in the dark.
This is an accident waiting to happen. Pedestrian beware.
Agreed. The rangers refuse to ticket. There’s zero enforcement. Bikers need no license. There’s no rules. Why would they not zip through? Why does nypd not patrol and ticket bikers and ebikes for going through red lights. Just last night I watched 40+ illegal motorcycles go up Broadway. No plates, no helmets, though red lights, passing police cars. Police just let them go. I don’t get it. We had a package thief in the building who I caught on camera. I called the police. They showed up 8 hours later and refused to even make a report. So why am I paying $$,$$$ in taxes again?
the enforcement of bike free walkways between 72nd and 84th just doesnt happen so unless they plan on having park rangers out and about this wont be enforced either
No one has mentioned the most dangerous part. Imagine the ebikes and escooters zooming down the path. Talk about rules not being enforced. They’re not allowed in the first place but somehow they go by me whenever I’m riding.
The Hudson River Greenway Cyclists Facebook Group has over 100 concerned members. Most of us are serious cyclists. We want safe conditions. We want enforcement. We want cops who can stop speeders, i.e. scooter or Highway officers.
We DON’T want 4 or 5 side-by-side peds (usually with kids at the outer edge) rudely blocking the path. Walk behind one another!
Many of the above commenters are unaware that the path is shared farther north, so cyclists have plenty of experience avoiding peds. And that there are MANY who ride ebikes because of age or infirmity.