A section of the Hudson River Bike path was expected to be close on Monday and stay closed for about five weeks as the Department of Transportation fixes the Henry Hudson Parkway Viaduct between 72nd and 82nd Streets.
Bicyclists can use the path near the Hudson River instead, according to a bulletin from DOT.
Bikes don’t use that upper “bike path” anyway. There was a proposal a year or two ago that would have mandated bikes using the upper bike path but that seems to have died.
As a person who regularly commutes by bike and regularly walks on the path by the river, I think it would be great to move bikes to the upper bike path – especially the NJ spandex crowd that races down the pedestrian path every nice weekend.
You’re incorrect. This isn’t the “upper path” that was suggested, but the continuation of the bike path under the overpass that is regularly used by cyclists.
No, this is the actual bike path, where it bends left around the baseball field and goes under the parkway at the dog run and basketball courts. The portion they show closing is between that bend and the Pier I Cafe. It appears, from the picture, that the new section of the bike path will be open. The spot you are thinking of was approaching 79th street from the North.
This will ensure we miss the cherry blossoms. Why now?
This is incorrectly labeled. That section of the bike path actually runs from around 65th to 72nd. May be worth an edit/update to the article!
The area between the arrows in the tiny section of map shown describes the section of bike path that is under the elevated highway next to the basketball courts between 70th and 72nd Streets. This is just south of the Riverside Park South Dog Run, and just north of Pier 1, the Pier i Cafe, and the prefab restrooms. If this is in fact where the closure is to occur, it will shunt bike traffic between the Cafe’s seating area and Pier 1.
Since the Esplanade already serves as a highway for reckless cyclists weaving at high rates of speed between seniors, children and other strolling pedestrians, adding more cyclists to a narrow, crowded path would seem to be a prescription for an accident. When will the Parks Department take action to separate pedestrians and Tour de France wannabes?
Here’s an idea, ban bikes all together! Every day I almost get run over by bikes while I’m innocently driving my range rover on the upper west side! A nuisance!
It is Pier I, NOT Pier 1.
Keep the bike riders
Just put in speed bumps
Keep the bike riders, ban the spandex.
Spandex is a privilege, not a right.