More noise! But at least the Henry Hudson gets a bike path

David Handschuh has had his fair share of construction noise. And it all comes from what is supposed to be a beautiful sight outside of his Kappock Street home — the Henry Hudson Bridge.

One night last month, Handschuh was awoken to loud work and bright lights, but it was nothing new. And the fact that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s bridges and tunnels division is adding a much-needed bicycle path to the bridge, doesn’t really lessen the impact for him.

“It’s a horrible inconvenience for people in the neighborhood,” he said. And now construction of a bike path could make those hours seem longer. 

Handschuh has complained about overnight construction on the bridge since at least July 2020 — bringing those concerns to Community Board 8. When he got no results, he turned his attention to the MTA, who promptly informed him it’s the local community board’s responsibility to let neighbors know about construction and other goings-on.

So, he emailed the community board. Again.

“I’m hoping that you can contact TBTA/MTA Bridges and Tunnels in a timely manner and convince them to immediately suspend overnight construction,” he wrote, citing New York City restrictions that limit work like this to weekdays from between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m.

“Sorry it took us so long to get back to you,” someone from the community board wrote back to Handschuh. “We’ll look into it.”

If they did, CB8 never responded to Handschuh again.

“It’s my belief that all this construction, they don’t have to start it at 10 p.m. in a residential neighborhood,” Handschuh said.” I understand they got to do the work. I understand it benefits many people. I understand that the inconvenience to a few makes many more people benefit from it,” but he remains unsure if the hassle is worth the reward.

CB8’s traffic and transportation committee chair, did not respond to requests for comment. The MTA did not talk about the overnight aspects of the project, but did say they are removing the existing barrier on the lower level to widen the walkway, rehabilitate the retaining wall alongside the Kappock Street exit ramp, and construct a bike path on the lower level of the bridge.

The MTA also is installing a new ADA ramp that will connect to the Henry Hudson Parkway.

Of the seven bridges the MTA manages, the Henry Hudson Bridge is one of just four with pedestrian walkways. However, none of these walkways permit bicyclists to ride across. Instead, they are instructed to dismount and walk their bikes over the bridge — although many don’t actually do that.

With the new path, bicyclists won’t need to dismount.

The project costs $20 million, and is being funded by the state’s capital program.

It will mean the MTA will have to close the sidewalk on the bridge again beginning in the fall, but should open by the following spring.

Henry Hudson Bridge won’t be alone in such projects. Legislation signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul in 2021 requires the MTA to develop a plan promoting cycling and pedestrian access on bridges, and requires the MTA to consider adding initiatives for this level of access into their capital plans.

Coined as the MTA Bike Access Bill, the plan has led to the proposal of shared bike-pedestrian pathways on the Cross Bay Bridge, the Robert F. Kennedy Suspeneded Span walkway, and the improvement of pathways already in existence on the Marine Parkway Bridge and the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge.

Once completed the shared bike path and walkway will allow pedestrians easy access between Inwood and Spuyten Duyvil once again.