One-Way Gap in Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway Set to Be Closed This Fall

The Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway is planned to run along the inside edge of a Port Authority lot in Red Hook. Negotiations between DOT and the Port Authority have delayed this short section until the fall. Image: ##http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/2013-02-21-greenway-atlantic-basin-cb6.pdf##DOT##

Construction continues on the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway along Van Brunt Street, with a two-way buffered bike lane extending the greenway south through Red Hook striped recently, but there’s a conspicuous gap in the route that won’t be filled until at least this fall.

Missing link: This two-way bike path on Conover Street is supposed to continue through the fenced-off lot in the background. Photo: Stephen Miller

Reader Anna Zivarts flagged the problem with this short video and set of photos showing how southbound cyclists on Imlay Street find that the two-way bike lane suddenly ends at Verona Street, giving them the option to backtrack, divert to a cobblestone street, ride on a narrow sidewalk, or ride against traffic for two blocks before rejoining the new bike lane on Conover Street.

Why the gap? As shown in this DOT presentation from February [PDF], the missing link is supposed to be bridged by a bike path that jumps off the street and runs along the edge of a Port Authority truck storage yard, but it appears negotiations between the Port Authority and DOT didn’t wrap up before the on-street section was striped.

“The permanent greenway route along the Basin is expected to be completed in the fall,” DOT spokesperson Nicholas Mosquera said in an e-mail. In the meantime, he said, DOT will be installing temporary bike route indicators on the sidewalk. This stretch of sidewalk, while not heavily used by pedestrians, isn’t especially wide, and on a recent visit was blocked by companies that were unloading trucks.

“We continue to work with the Port Authority and other agencies to implement the portion along Atlantic Basin,” Mosquera said. Streetsblog has inquired with the Port Authority, but is still awaiting a response.

ALSO ON STREETSBLOG

Eyes on the Street: Biking on the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway

|
Last time we checked in on the Columbia Street section of the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway, construction was in full swing. Now, along much of the path in Carroll Gardens and Red Hook, the orange barrels are gone and new plantings are taking root. Streetfilms’ Clarence Eckerson snapped these shots last week, noting that about 40 […]

Waterfront Plan Provides Timeline for Greenway Expansions

|
The Randall’s Island Connector, part of the South Bronx Greenway, would run underneath an Amtrak trestle and create a new link to bike or walk between the South Bronx and Manhattan. Image: NYCEDC New York City’s greenway system will see steady growth in the next three years, according to city plans released earlier this week. […]

Brooklyn Greenway Fundraiser

|
Join the Brooklyn Greenway Initiative to raise spirits and funds, and to focus on the future of open space along the Red Hook piers. Enjoy a casual evening of drinks and hors d’oeuvres, hosted by BGI’s Board of Directors and fellow Greenway supporters. Since last year’s inaugural fundraiser at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, BGI has […]

DOT Public Design Workshop for Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway

|
DOT will be hosting its third public input session for the DUMBO and Vinegar Hill reconstruction project to accommodate the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway. At previous public input sessions, neighborhood residents brought up concerns about reconstruction of Belgian block roadways to accommodate bicyclists. At this meeting, DOT will present revised concepts for further public input on […]