Fund a bicycle connector across the Palisades Interstate Parkway to connect Harriman and Bear Mountain State Parks.
Overview
In order to bike the 14 miles between Harriman and Bear Mountain State Parks along 7 Lakes Drive, one must travel half a mile along the Palisades Interstate Parkway. However it is illegal to do so. The Palisades Interstate Park Police (PIPP) turns back anyone who attempts it—effectively alienating the parks from what the Palisades Interstate Parks Commission (PIPC) has identified as a core constituency.
To address this, the PIPC, in collaboration with the Office of Parks, Recreational and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) have proposed creating a shared used path (SUP) through the Anthony Wayne parking lot at a cost of $3.8 million.
Recommendations:
- Fund the Anthony Wayne SUP from a mix of federal and state sources whose mandate is to fund projects which grow jobs, local economies and tourism and enhance resident access to green space.
- In addition, because the funding, design and construction of the AWSUP is apt to take five years, the PIPC-OPRHP should expedite a bikeway along the north edge of the PIP that leverages the graded crossing by Queensboro Lake.
Much, if not all, of the proposed 7 Lakes Drive connector (7LDC) can be accomplished in the course of regular road maintenance. And because the alignment confines itself to the existing roadbed, the project should merit a categorical exclusion from environmental review.
Proposed 7 Lakes Drive Connector – Red Route (modified).
- It is further recommended that NY call on New Jersey to match the investment by approving the Palisades Interstate Park Commission’s request for $3.5 million to restore the Henry Hudson Drive.
The Henry Hudson Drive (the “Drive”) is an eight-mile stretch cresting the NJ Palisades between Edgewater and Alpine. It connects directly to NYC’s Hudson Greenway via the GWB. The Drive is a “naturally occurring linear park” and a preeminent destination for the region’s cyclists.
However, it is frequently damaged by rock slides, and whole sections were ruined during Hurricane Ida. The Palisades Interstate Park Commission has requested $3.5 million to restore the Drive to a state of good repair. Ten bike clubs, representing thousands of area cyclists, have signed a letter in support.
Complete George 