Tonight: DOT Unveils Plans for 181st Street in Washington Heights

Buses, trucks, cars and pedestrians vie for space on 181st Street. Photo: Brad Aaron

DOT tonight will present its recommendations for improvements to Manhattan’s 181st Street.

The hearing comes over a year after the first public input session on the project, where Upper Manhattanites weighed in on their priorities for making 181st a complete street. At present, pedestrians pack the sidewalks of this major thoroughfare in the heart of Washington Heights, as buses compete for asphalt with double-parked cars and trucks.

One of 14 city corridors selected for redesign under the federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Program, 181st Street provides a direct link to the Bronx via the Washington Bridge, while, to its south, the George Washington Bridge brings traffic headed to and from New Jersey. The street is part of a local truck route and is home to five bus lines.

Tonight’s meeting is at 6:30 p.m. at Mother Cabrini High School, 701 Ft. Washington Ave. at W. 190th St. Livable streets advocates, and especially locals, are encouraged to attend.