Eyes on the Street: Safer Passage Between GAP and Eastern Parkway

11:33 AM EDT on September 21, 2012

Cyclists use the almost-completed median on Eastern Parkway near Grand Army Plaza earlier this week. Photo: Ben Fried

The reconstruction of Eastern Parkway between Washington Avenue and Grand Army Plaza is wrapping up. A big benefit of the project is the completion of a widened median, including a path for bicyclists, between the main traffic lanes and the service road.

What used to be a bumpy median that wasn't useful or walking or cycling is now a link from the Eastern Parkway greenway to Grand Army Plaza and all the bike routes that converge there. While this is the last piece of the GAP bike network puzzle to materialize, it's a project that's been in the pipeline for many years, so in a way it predates other recent improvements.

The final product. Image: ##http://66.39.72.204/system/files/EasternParkwayHWKC1019.pdf##Department of Design and Construction##

The project also includes curb extensions and curb ramps for pedestrians, connecting to the expanded bike lanes and pedestrian areas around Grand Army Plaza. The project is scheduled for completion this fall.

Families are already using the median's large curb extension to more safely cross Eastern Parkway. Photo: Ben Fried

Stephen Miller @

In spring 2017, Stephen wrote for Streetsblog USA, covering the livable streets movement and transportation policy developments around the nation. From August 2012 to October 2015, he was a reporter for Streetsblog NYC, covering livable streets and transportation issues in the city and the region. After joining Streetsblog, he covered the tail end of the Bloomberg administration and the launch of Citi Bike. Since then, he covered mayoral elections, the de Blasio administration's ongoing Vision Zero campaign, and New York City's ever-evolving street safety and livable streets movements.

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