Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Department of Parks & Recreation

Parks Department Closes Off Car-Free High Bridge With No Explanation [Updated]

3:12 PM EST on January 9, 2018

Photo: Bike Snob

The Parks Department has shut entry to the High Bridge, cutting off a key biking and walking link between the Bronx and Upper Manhattan.

[Update: As of 4:00 p.m. Tuesday, the Parks Department says the High Bridge is open. A department spokesperson said the bridge, which must be cleared of snow and ice by hand, was closed due to a “communication error.”]

Eben Weiss, a.k.a. Bike Snob, tweeted a photo of the bridge entrance blocked by a gate late this morning. There was no notice of the closure from the Parks Department Twitter account.

Like the Hudson River Greenway, the High Bridge is a piece of transportation infrastructure that the Parks Department treats like a recreational facility.

The High Bridge connects Washington Heights and the Highbridge neighborhood in the Bronx. It was reopened to the public in 2015 after sitting idle for 45 years, thanks to a years-long restoration project initiated by the Bloomberg administration.

Despite demand for 24/7 access, the Parks Department only allows people to use it from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., with unspecified seasonal adjustments. When the bridge was reopened three years ago, Parks officials left open the possibility of expanding access, but that hasn't happened.

Streetsblog has asked Parks why and when the bridge was closed and when it will be reopened. TransAlt Bronx Organizer Erwin Figueroa posed the question on Twitter. We'll update this post as soon as we receive a response.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Cruise Ships Saddle Red Hook with Traffic ‘Nightmare,’ Toxic Fumes

Red Hook is drowning in traffic and smog from cruise ships Mayor Adams has touted as a "boost" to the economy.

September 21, 2023

Thursday Headlines: UN Hypocrisy Week Edition

The Bronx Zoo and the New York Botanical Garden preach climate action, yet still oppose better bus service. Plus other news.

September 21, 2023

Online Retailers Selling Illegal Batteries and Mopeds to City Buyers

Call it Amazon crime: The mammoth online retailer is selling illegal batteries and mopeds to city residents, despite such devices being forbidden from city streets.

September 21, 2023

Manhattan BP Wants To Raze FDR Drive South of Brooklyn Bridge

It's a great idea, but will highway-obsessed officials bite?

September 21, 2023

Wednesday’s Headlines: Head-Scratcher Edition

Three items crossed our desk yesterday that simply need to be addressed. Plus other news.

September 20, 2023
See all posts