Popular Riverside Park Bike Path Set For Temporary Closure

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — With short notice, the New York City Parks Department recently announced it is shutting down a section of the heavily busy bike path in Riverside Park on the Upper West Side.

The Cherry Walk path will be closed off between West 100th and West 125th streets, starting Monday, until further notice. However, the Parks Department told Streetsblog that the work would take three weeks.

The Parks Department said the reason for the closure is out of "an abundance of caution" to do "planned shoreline and path reconstruction works" to restore areas damaged by Superstorm Sandy in 2012.

The Cherry Walk path stretches from West 72nd Street to West 158th Street on the west side of Manhattan, and it is known as the busiest bike path in New York City. The closure causes a major change in routine for the thousands of people who use it to get to and from work.

The Parks Department noted in its announcement that it will post signs within the park to remind riders of the closure. But it's not much of a detour; riders will have to find another route outside the park between the entrances at West 100th Street and West 153rd Street.

"I'm sure @NYCParks and @NYC_DOT will create a temporary protected lane on Henry Hudson Parkway or a detour through the city that's roughly as safe as the greenway instead of just throwing us to the wolves, right?" one Twitter user commented under a post about the closure.

However, other bikers expressed hope that the city was looking into fixing roots on the path that made sections dangerous.

"Safe to say the repair work is regarding all the roots that the path unpleasant/dangerous? Thanks for the advisory," a different Twitter user said under the same post.

The Parks Department announcement also said, "The project will restore the vulnerable shoreline and repave the path, providing a safer and smoother biking experience."