Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Bicycling

Greenway Shut Tonight for Presidential Forum — Motorists, Carry On

Due to NYPD safety/security measures, bikeway will be closed btwn W. 44th St and W. 55th St, 5-10:30pm tomorrow, 9/7. Plan alternate route.

— Hudson River Park (@HudsonRiverPark) September 6, 2016

Ten blocks of the Hudson River Greenway will be closed during evening rush today as a "security" precaution for a presidential candidate event on the USS Intrepid. While people on bikes will have to figure out another way around, there's no indication that people driving multi-ton metal boxes a few feet away on the West Side Highway will have to change their routines at all.

According to the Hudson River Park Trust, the greenway will be closed from 44th Street to 55th Street from 5 to 10:30 p.m. due to "NYPD safety/security measures." The trust said greenway commuters should "plan an alternate route," and posted no re-routing info on its web site or Twitter feed.

We called NYPD about the greenway closure, and to ask if the West Side Highway would be shut as well. NYPD referred us to the Secret Service. "NYPD's the one who closes the street," said the person who answered the phone at the Secret Service field office in Brooklyn.

A spokesperson said the Hudson River Park Trust learned of the greenway closure yesterday. No one we contacted would say if motor traffic would be blocked or rerouted. No announcement of a road closure has been posted online, and the DOT's map of street disruptions shows no parallel detour on the West Side Highway today.

Tonight's event is a forum on the military and national security. While it looks like operators of motor vehicles will carry on unimpeded, people biking and walking will be targeted by NYPD security theater.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

NJ’s Plan to Widen the Turnpike Can Really Break Your Heart

"I've lived in a lot of places and all of them have had neighborhoods destroyed by turnpike expansion. New Jersey is no exception," said one activist.

June 2, 2025

Car Harms Monday: ‘Gridlock Sam’ Says We Have Lost Our Lives to the Automobile

Take it from the former head of the city's Department of Traffic: If we restore valuable public space to the people, the result will be a healthier, happier, and more humane city.

June 2, 2025

Monday’s Headlines: Critical Mass of Rage Against the NYPD Edition

Scores of New Yorkers rode on Friday to protest the Police Department's criminal crackdown on cyclists. Plus other news.

Talking Headways Podcast: Bike Guides to Build Your City

Let's talk bike lane design guides, the importance of history, political will, and the stress of being an expert witness in court.

June 2, 2025

Cyclist: Cop Pulled a Taser During Summons Chase

In a dramatic escalation of the NYPD's criminal crackdown on bike riders, a police officer pulled a stun gun while chasing a cyclist for allegedly running a red light on a regular bike.

May 30, 2025
See all posts