Eyes on the Street: Safer Passage Between GAP and Eastern Parkway

Cyclists were already using the median on Eastern Parkway near Grand Army Plaza earlier this week. Photo: Ben Fried

The reconstruction of Eastern Parkway between Washington Avenue and Grand Army Plaza is wrapping up. A big benefit of the project is the completion of a widened median, including a path for bicyclists, between the main traffic lanes and the service road.

What used to be a bumpy median that wasn’t useful or walking or cycling is now a link from the Eastern Parkway greenway to Grand Army Plaza and all the bike routes that converge there. While this is the last piece of the GAP bike network puzzle to materialize, it’s a project that’s been in the pipeline for many years, so in a way it predates other recent improvements.

The final product. Image: ##http://66.39.72.204/system/files/EasternParkwayHWKC1019.pdf##Department of Design and Construction##

The project also includes curb extensions and curb ramps for pedestrians, connecting to the expanded bike lanes and pedestrian areas around Grand Army Plaza. The project is scheduled for completion this fall.

Families are using the median's large curb extension to more safely cross Eastern Parkway. Photo: Ben Fried

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