It’s a bridge not too far at all.
A new bike and pedestrian path on the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge officially opened Monday, giving New Yorkers a chance to pedal or hoof it between Manhattan, the Bronx and Randall’s Island.
MTA bigs held a ribbon cutting and ceremonial bike ride celebrating the new path, which follows the completion of other bicycle and pedestrian routes on the Cross Bay Veterans Memorial Bridge and the Henry Hudson bridge.
The path replaces pedestrian-only paths on the bridge’s Manhattan and Bronx spans that both connect to Randall’s Island.
“Pedestrians and bikers have a continuous, car free path between Manhattan, the Bronx and Randalls island, with Queens to follow shortly,” said Jamie Torres-Springer, the MTA’s president of construction and development.
The car-free path into Queens is expected to be complete in 2027, officials said.
When done, there’ll be an uninterrupted, Americans With Disabilities Act-compliant bike-pedestrian path from Astoria to Randall’s Island, the officials said.
The bridge connections are part of a $128 million investment in bicycle, pedestrian and micromobility infrastructure made by the MTA.
“Broadly speaking, we recognize that when transit remains the go-to travel option for the overwhelming majority of New Yorkers, there’s been tremendous growth in alternative micromobility options like bikes and scooters, both shared and personal,” said MTA boss Janno Lieber.
“Far from being a threat to mass transit, the trend gives the MTA an opportunity to extend the transit system’s reach deeper into communities that have less fixed rail service, or is little further away from a train station.”
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