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COUNCIL.NYC.GOV/COSTA
Daniel DeCrescenzo
Acting President
Metropolitan Transit Authority Bridges & Tunnels
Randall’s Island
New York, NY 10035
Re: Robert F. Kennedy (formerly the Triborough) Bridge Bicycle & Pedestrian
Infrastructure
As I’m sure you know, the RFK Bridge is far more than just a single bridge. It’s
an extensive network of critical transportation roadways that connect Queens, the Bronx,
Manhattan, and Randall’s Island. It connects to other major roadways like the Harlem
River Drive, Major Deegan Expressway, Bruckner Expressway, and more. Moreover,
this bridge connects communities that have long borne the brunt of environmental
injustices. Communities from the South Bronx and Uptown Manhattan, in addition to the
formerly redlined communities in Long Island City to the west of 21st Street.
When the RFK Bridge was designed and built in the early 20th Century the chief
goal was to make car travel easier and faster within New York City. Traffic engineering
rationale at that time did not consider how car use is detrimental to the environment, the
streetscape, and urban livability. What we now know about cars in 2019 is starkly
different than what we understood in the 1920s. For this reason our city has been
methodically implementing new traffic engineering standards that prioritize pedestrians
and cyclists. I believe protective fencing along the RFK Bridge would be a small step
forward in rectifying this legacy. And, in the long-term, creating separate paths for
cycling and walking would be a major improvement and make this bridge safer for all
types of travelers.
Sincerely,
Costa Constantinides
Council Member, 22nd District