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

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

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

Civic Panel Dings Adams For Cutting Bike and Bus Lanes Out of Fifth Av. Redesign

Mayor Adams's scaled down redesign of Fifth Avenue isn't a "real solution" to safety issued on the packed retail corridor.

July 14, 2025

Monday’s Headlines: E-Bike Regulations Edition

Monday is a big day for the future of e-bikes in the Big Apple. Plus more news.

July 14, 2025

‘Preventable’: Hit-and-Run Driver Kills Two on Third Av. Corridor Eric Adams Refuses to Make Safer

A motorist struck and killed two men on a strip where Mayor Adams recently shelved a safety redesign amid a backlash from local business interests.

July 11, 2025

Why No BRT For NYC? Two New Reports Tackle Why Your Bus Service Sucks

Years of bus priority projects barely made a dent in speeds because Big Apple leaders won't install real bus rapid transit, two recent reports argue.

July 11, 2025

Citi Bike Riders Are Pissed About Eric Adams’s 15 MPH Speed Limit

Citi Bike's new 15 mph max speed limit is a bad deal for riders and a potential threat to safety, riders said.

July 11, 2025
See all posts