Spring has sprung and the flowers are in bloom – time to get out on our region’s incredible trails to celebrate National Bike Month! Each week this month, MTR will be profiling trails in the Tri-State area.
The Manhattan Waterfront Greenway is a 32-mile trail which encircles the entirety of Manhattan on a mostly off-road route. Along the way, the trail passes through scenic Riverside Park, Hudson River Park and Battery Park while also offering connections to Brooklyn and Queens, making the trail a particular favorite among New Yorkers and visitors alike. It’s no wonder that the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway is consistently ranked the most heavily used bike path in the country.
The Greenway is typically referred to as three separate sections: the Hudson River Greenway, the East River Greenway and Harlem River Greenway. The Hudson River Greenway boasts a fully separated multi-use path from Battery Park to Inwood with great views, connections to ferry terminals and several noteworthy landmarks, including the 79th Street Boat Basin and the Little Red Lighthouse.
The East River Greenway has proven less popular due to chokepoints and gaps in the trail. There’s a mile-long gap between 37th Street and 60th Street, where cyclists are directed onto First and Second Avenues. To make matters worse, there’s no protected bike lane on this section of Second Avenue, and the protected bike lane on First Avenue currently extends only as far north as 49th Street before it disappears for 10 blocks, reappearing north of the 59th Street Bridge. Fortunately, the New York City Department of Transportation will fill the gap on First Avenue this fall. There are also plans to build a continuous waterfront path around the United Nations complex, but it’s not expected to be complete for another decade.
Farther uptown, the Harlem River Greenway largely follows the route of the old Harlem River Speedway and connects 155th Street to Dyckman Street. Here too, connections to the East and West Side Greenways can be confusing, as trips require on-street connections (though these connections are far less stressful than the East Side’s Midtown detour on First and Second Avenues).
Currently, a trip north of the George Washington Bridge on the Hudson River Greenway will eventually lead to a staircase before trail users are dumped onto local streets in Inwood. The Greenway continues at the western end of Dyckman Street approximately one mile north and south, but currently both segments are dead ends. Soon, however, the City Parks Department would like to pursue a direct waterfront connection to the George Washington Bridge by extending a new trail by about a half-mile. This would require extending the shoreline to squeeze a path between the river and the Amtrak rail line. This $22 million project is on hold until the Parks Department can secure the necessary funds to move this project forward.
While gaps may detract from the overall convenience of using the Greenway, the existing segments are a great way to travel by bike. Future expansions and improvements will only make the experience more enjoyable.
If you haven’t seen the Greenway for yourself, here’s a video of a ride along the Hudson River Greenway:
No lights on the first bike and apparently no horn. The rider is wearing grey. The only good thing about is that it is bright red. Is he trying to get hit? There is a reason cars have front and rear lights and now some side lighting.
Has there been any progress on the Lighthouse Link on the Hudson River Greenway? Is there anyone to contact to express my support for adding the tiny segment that is needed? A sea-level access to the Greenway in Inwood would be extremely useful.