Tuesday, October 30, 2007

One Week Later

It's been over a week since automobiles were restricted from the Sheridan Expressway, making it available to the thousands of bicyclists participating in the 2007 Tour de Bronx . Most of the 1.25 mile highway was closed to traffic for much of the day on October 21... and trucks and cars continued to flow throughout the rest of the City - and the Bronx - without a hitch. There were no catastrophes. There were no monumental traffic jams (at least not resulting from the Sheridan's closure). We are proud to report that, one week later, there's little chance that any motorist in New York City would know that a "major" highway was closed to traffic for hours on end this month.

So why not make it permanent?

Thanks to Clarence Eckerson, Jr. of New York City Streets Renaissance for the excellent photo showing the Sheridan at it's best: empty and ready to be replaced with greenways, bike paths, affordable housing, and new economic development opportunities.

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Our Hats Off to Jane

The Community Vision for replacing the Sheridan Expressway with affordable housing, open space, and new economic development opportunities was a huge hit at last night's SOLD OUT "Civic Activist Boot Camp" panel discussion at the Municipal Art Society.

The panel was just one in a series of events connected to "Jane Jacobs and the Future of New York", an exhibit at the Municipal Art Society that explores the life and work of New York's Patron Saint of community-driven urban planning. The exhibit comes on the heels of three exhibits launched last spring in tribute to Sheridan-builder Robert Moses.

Alexie Torres-Fleming, Executive Director of Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice, represented the Alliance on a panel that included such local luminaries as the Reverend Billy of the Church of Stop Shopping, Joshua David of The Friends of the High Line, and Marshall Brown of the Atlantic Yards Redevelopment Project.

Couldn't make it to the discussion? Stay tuned for links to a PBS webcast. In the meantime, download, print, and sign our new Letter of Support for the Community Vision and mail it to:

Philip Silva
Southern Bronx River Watershed Alliance
c/o Sustainable South Bronx
890 Garrison Avenue, 4th Floor
Bronx, NY 10474

It will just take a minute, but collectively, all of your letters will have a huge impact!