City updates plan to improve pedestrian safety and traffic flow on West 254th Street in Riverdale

Pedestrian ramps will allow strollers, walkers and wheelchair users easier access that’s almost impossible with the conditions that are there now.”

Maria Centeno, executive director for NYC Department of Design and Construction

The NYC Department of Design and Construction has updated its plan to upgrade pedestrian and vehicular traffic on West 254th Street between Riverdale Avenue Railroad Terrace.

At Community Board 8’s traffic and transportation committee meeting, on Nov. 21, Maria Centeno, executive director for the city’s Design and Construction Department, informed the committee need for change on the corridor was becoming dire with recent flooding and pedestrian issues cropping up. 

The road is a heavily traveled area, running past residential homes, Salanter Akiba Riverdale (SAR) Academy, and down to the Riverdale Metro North station along the Hudson River. Discussions regarding a sidewalk for citizen’s safety have been ongoing for nearly 10 years, with SAR willing to offer funding for the stretch of sidewalk in front of their property, according to the school’s principal, Rabbi Bini Krauss. 

Last November, delineators were placed along the west shoulder of 254th Street between Riverdale Avenue and Railroad Terrace to allow for a temporary walkway for pedestrians, but cars began using it as parking. In April, the official design plans were presented to the CB8 traffic and transportation committee and in October, the Department of Transportation placed large boulders inside of the delineated walkway as a deterrent for vehicle parking. However, this too, caused issues when pedestrians could not effectively navigate the boulders placed. 

“I wouldn’t be able to parody a more wasteful and incompetent scenario than carving out a pedestrian path for people to walk, and then blocking [the walkway] with boulders so that they can’t,” Kevin Slavin told The Press, a resident of Riverdale and a Metro-North commuter. 

The boulders persist. 

“They are trying to find a solution where they can still delineate the pedestrian and vehicular traffic and at the same time, not impede with those stones,” Centeno said. 

According to the executive director for the city’s Design and Construction Department, DOT staff were on site the week of Monday, Nov. 11 to measure for use of Jersey barriers -- concrete obstacles, 32 inches tall with a skinny top and a flared base, often used on highways.

Centeno stated residents shared their disapproval of the potential implementation, but no official decision has been made regarding next steps. 

“The infrastructure here is very old,” Centeno said. 

The water main, originally installed in 1920, has been untouched since its installation, and at present, contains cracks and other defects. The city’s plan includes separating the sewer systems, one sanitary and one storm, as well as placing catch basins along the roadway. 

Centeno said the inclusion of catch basins impedes water flow from rushing into the residential area and the added sidewalk curbs will assist in diverging the water into the basins. 

The total plan includes a land acquisition process of 1,654 square feet. Homeowners along the roadway were contacted over the summer to learn about the process of said land acquisition which includes taking land from their personal property to build the desired sidewalk space.

The roadway improvements require building onto homeowners’ properties, but Centeno assured both the homeowners and the community board, construction will not interfere with property lines, meaning any sidewalks, walkways or steps on private property will be redone to meet the sidewalk. 

“We’re not going to leave them in the lurch,” Centeno said. 

Property owners will be given another 30-day advance notice before breaking ground on their land. 

The proposed sidewalk along West 254th Street is expected to be five to eight feet wide and will run continuously from Riverdale Avenue to Railroad Terrace, including accessible features.

“Pedestrian ramps will allow strollers, walkers and wheelchair users easier access that’s almost impossible with the conditions that are there now,” Centeno said. 

While the project will cease any parking along the roadway, Centeno said cars are now illegally parking on the street alongside the delineators.

Construction is scheduled to begin in winter of 2027. Until then, design plans are expected to be finalized February 2026, which includes plans to address the flooding problem in the area by updating the water main and sewer infrastructure. A contract will be awarded for construction October 2026.