Eyes on the Street: 8-Year Downtown Greenway Detour Finally Ends

2:16 PM EST on November 30, 2015

greenway_free — Looking north on the newly reopened segment of the Hudson River Greenway by Brookfield Place. Photo: @DataVizier

Since 2007, people biking on the Hudson River Greenway in Lower Manhattan have had to take a circuitous detour into Battery Park City. Not anymore.

This weekend, the shuttered greenway segment reopened, providing a straight shot to and from the Battery. @DataVizier called our attention to these photos he took of the reconstructed greenway at night, and the Tribeca Citizen has more coverage.

Several agencies were involved in the eight-year process of rerouting and, after a very long wait, restoring the greenway. The detour began in 2007 to accommodate construction of an underground passageway beneath West Street, linking the Winter Garden at Brookfield Place to the World Trade Center PATH station. Originally slated to last until 2010, the detour dragged on for a full eight years, including two years after the PATH tunnel opened. The state DOT announced two months ago that the greenway would be back to normal by November.

Throughout all eight years of the greenway detour, motor vehicle capacity on West Street was barely affected.

But as of this weekend, convenient biking and walking access along West Street has been restored. Enjoy.

albany_street — Google Street View of the blocked greenway by Albany Street last year.

Looking north on the newly opened greenway segment by . Photo: @DataVizier — The view from Albany Street this weekend. Photo: @DataVizier

Ben Fried

Ben Fried started as a Streetsblog reporter in 2008 and led the site as editor-in-chief from 2010 to 2018. He lives in Ditmas Park, Brooklyn, with his wife.

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