Sheridan Swap

Is removing the Sheridan Expressway and replacing it with housing and parks SBRWA's only goal?

2011-06-09T15:54:00.002-04:00

ABSOLUTELY NOT! As community advocates, the economic development of the Bronx is among our top concerns, and we want the Hunts Point Market businesses to stay and thrive in Hunts Point. We believe that industry and residents can coexist in a more mutually beneficial way, and that is what we are working towards.

The poor design of the existing highway network costs Bronx businesses time and money, and undermines the health and safety of residents and workers alike. In the absence of any better highway connection, we know that many businesses now rely on the Sheridan, even though this requires them to drive through congested local streets to reach it.

To solve these problems, we are advocating for the following changes that will improve the highway infrastructure of the Bronx:

The Community Plan calls for a new interchange at Oak Point Avenue that would allow direct access to the Hunts Point peninsula to and from the Bruckner Expressway in all 4 directions. This solution helps business by providing faster access to the industrial part of Hunts Point, and helps residents by keeping trucks off of local streets. These are solutions that everyone can get behind.

We are also calling for a fix to the George Washington Bridge and Major Deegan Expressway interchange so that trucks may easily travel from one to the other, and then connect to the Bruckner and access the Hunts Point peninsula directly via the new Oak Point ramps.

Finally, we are proposing that the Bruckner Expressway elevated viaduct be extended across the Bronx River, removing the existing dangerous and congested interchange between the Sheridan and the Bruckner that now blights our neighborhood’s commercial and transit hub, and enables local streets to be reconnected at Bruckner Boulevard.

We are aware that each business will experience different impacts, but on the whole, we believe that the benefits of this plan outweigh its disadvantages for the community as a whole. We look forward to continuing these conversations with any and all people, businesses or residents, who are interested. We can be reached online at southbronxvision.org, or by calling 718-328-5622, extension 11.

New York State Dept. of Transportation's Traffic Study Based on Flawed Data

2011-05-04T17:53:00.002-04:00

Last spring, the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) presented the computerized model they used to compare the potential impact on existing streets and roadways of keeping the Sheridan Expressway versus removing it. NYSDOT concluded that their model showed an increase in traffic if the Sheridan Expressway was removed. However, an independed technical consultant, Smart Mobility, hired by the Southern Bronx River Watershed Alliance found NYSDOT's modeling to be flawed and to contain many errors.

Smart Mobility found the following problems with NYSDOT's model:

the model contains factual errors such as incorrect traffic counts

their numbers are flawed since htey assume that traffic will increase city-wide by 2030 to levers that are impossible within the limits of street space, and that are unlikely due to declining driving trends

they overestimate truck volumes by as much as 110%

NYSDOT's model is not designed to measure local traffic impacts

Independent experts agree - NYSDOT's model has too many flaws to determine the Sheridan's future!

Please read the full report here: New York State Dept. of Transportation's Traffic Study Based on Flawed Data

"Tear Down the Sheridan" TOWNHALL MEETING!

2011-01-10T19:03:00.002-05:00

Thurs. January 27th, 6:30 - 8 pm

EAST BRONX ACADEMY FOR THE FUTURE
(1716 Southern Blvd. Bronx, NY)

We are closer than ever to replacing the Sheridan Expressway with afforable housing, parks, and jobs! At the townhall meeting we will raise awareness of the plan to remove the Sheridan and we will build a large group of residents, organizations, and politicians that will work to replace the Sheridan. We will address concerns and questions and make a CALL TO ACTION by encouraging our politicians to meet our demands and by involving more of our South Bronx neighbors in the campaign.

Train: Take the 2 or 5 train to 174th street.
Bus: BX36 to Vyse Ave and E 174 St
OR
BX19 to Southern Blvd. and E 173 St

Stakeholder's Meeting Announced

2010-06-28T12:11:00.003-04:00

NYSDOT will be having its first Stakeholder's Meeting in TWO YEARS for the Bruckner-Sheridan Interchange Project. Come and make sure your voice is heard! Snacks and refreshments will be served.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Casita Maria Center for Arts and Education
928 Simpson St - 6th Floor, x 163rd St

6 train to Hunts Point, walk on 163rd St to Simpson St.
map

Contact Melanie for more info

Town Hall A Success!

2009-12-01T13:10:00.000-05:00

Thank you again to everyone who came out to our Town Hall Meeting! There were some great discussions and some good questions were raised. You can find the Q&A from the meeting here.

If you missed out on the Town Hall, you can still ask to be on our mailing list. If you went to the meeting and would like us to present the Sheridan project at your church, community group, tenant association, or club please let us know!

TOWN HALL MEETING

2009-10-26T11:48:00.002-04:00

TOWN HALL MEETING!

Tuesday, November 10 at 6:45 PM

Location: The POINT - 940 Garrison Ave

Come one, come all to our Town Hall Meeting where you will be able to learn more about the current and future progress of the project, ask any and all your questions, and brainstorm about what you would like to see in the Sheridan's place.

Dinner, childcare, and Spanish translation provided!

The Alliance Stands on the Sheridan Expressway

2009-07-21T15:02:00.003-04:00

On Wednesday, July 15 2009 at 5.30 pm, the Alliance took a group photo on the Sheridan Expressway. The photograph was a repeat of a photograph taken nine years ago, and showed that at rush hour, there is still little traffic on the Sheridan. The traffic on the Sheridan is also cars commuting from Manhattan to the North Bronx and Westchester, not trucks that use the Hunts Point Market. These cars could use the Bronx River Parkway if the Sheridan were taken down.

As our friends at TSTC said, "The gaps in the traffic weren’t quite long enough for a sit-down picnic, which is too bad because the South Bronx is sorely lacking parks and other places for families to recreate and relax." The Community Plan has room for open space and for community space, which is just another reason the Sheridan must go!

Sheridan Expressway Featured on PBS Special

2009-05-18T16:26:00.002-04:00

Blueprint America: Road to the Future
Wednesday, 05.20.2009 at 8.00 pm on Channel 13

Miles O'Brien, former aviation and science correspondent for CNN, hosts this documentary about innovative infrastructure projects being discussed and created in Portland, Denver and New York City. …[C]ities that once built infrastructure to serve only automobiles and trucks are now looking to innovative new forms of transportation systems - like trolleys, light rail, pedestrian walkways and bike paths. Whether it is talking to residents pushing sustainable development in the Bronx, smart growth in Denver, or a journalist in Portland whose beat is bicycling, Blueprint America finds a common theme: America’s love affair with the car may be a thing of the past.

The Southern Bronx River Watershed Alliance and its vision to turn the Sheridan Expressway into 28 acres of open space, affordable housing, businesses, and jobs is highlighted in this PBS special on the future of infrastructure in America! Show your support by watching the show, and check out the additional airdates in case you miss it:

Additional Airdates:
Friday, 05.22.09 at 1.00 am on Channel 13
Sunday, 05.24.09 at 7.00 pm on WLIW World
Monday, 05.25.09 at 7.00 pm on WLIW World
Monday, 05.25.09 at 2.00 am on WLIW21
Wednesday, 05.27.09 at 5.00 am on WLIW21

Sign the Petition

2009-03-18T16:20:00.003-04:00

The SBRWA has created an online petition so that you can show your support for alternative 1E! Alternative 1E is currently being evaluated by the NYSDOT and decommissions the Sheridan Expressway, which would open up 28 acres of land to be developed as envisioned by the New Community on the Sheridan Plan. The other alternative being evaluated, 2E, retains the Sheridan.

Both plans feature new ramps at Oak Point freight yard that connect the Bruckner Expressway to Hunts Point. These ramps would take trucks off local streets by creating a direct exit into Hunts Point and further erase the need for the Sheridan. Both alternatives will provide a direct route to the Hunts Point Markets, but only 1E creates room for housing, open space, and businesses, whereas 2E keeps the 'highway to nowhere' there forever.

Cross Bronx is slowest route in the US

2009-03-03T10:27:00.001-05:00

Last week, the New York Post quoted that a study done by INRIX, a traffic research firm, said that the Cross Bronx Expressway is the slowest route in the United States. The Cross Bronx has four of the country's eleven worst bottlenecks; the third worst being where the Cross Bronx meets the Sheridan.

Adopting the New Community on the Sheridan Plan and taking out the Sheridan Expressway would reduce traffic congestion in the area and also open up that land for economic redevelopment. The finding by INRIX underscores the need to rethink our transportation system. The New Community Plan provides a plan for much-needed economic development while improving traffic flow and providing transportation alternatives! The Sheridan lands are a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.. let's make sure that what happens there benefits the South Bronx.

Tour de Bronx 2008 Video

2008-12-17T11:53:00.000-05:00

Streetsblog has put up a video from the 2008 Tour de Bronx! More than 4,000 riders showed up for the 14th annual event, which takes bikers on the Bronx Greenway, through different neighborhoods, by the shoreline, and down the Sheridan.

One side of the Sheridan was closed for the Tour de Bronx, but notice how few cars are using the side of the highway that's in use. If the Sheridan can look this great with bikers, imagine what it could be with bikers, pedestrians, open space, new businesses and affordable housing!

STAC Traffic Micro-Stimulation Workshop

2008-11-12T13:40:00.001-05:00

Tonight from 6.00 pm - 8.00 pm NYSDOT will be hosting a traffic micro-stimulation workshop at Hostos College at 500 Grand Concourse, Room B-115 Bronx, NY 11451. NYSDOT will be presenting the traffic models they will be using in the Bruckner-Sheridan Interchange/Access to Hunts Point Peninsula EIS (Environmental Impact Statement). These models are better than previously used models at calculating local street traffic impact. Getting trucks off local streets is a key component to the Sheridan Campaign, so please come out and show your support for the New Community Plan!

Time: 6.00 pm - 8.00 pm
Location: Hostos College, 500 Grand Concourse, Room B-115.

Website is up and running!

2008-10-30T16:20:00.001-04:00

The new and improved SBRWA website is up and running! Photos, images, videos, maps, and fact sheets are still being added so make sure to check back regularly to see what you've missed. Also, make sure to visit the calendar to learn about upcoming events. The next one is a traffic micro-stimulation meeting to be held on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2008. Come and show your support for the New Community on the Sheridan Plan!

How Long Will It Take?

2008-01-09T13:22:00.001-05:00

According to yesterday's Crain's Insider, a New York State Department of Transportation spokesperson estimates that an Environmental Impact Assessment for the Sheridan Expressway's future won't be available until at least 2010. That's more than three years behind the schedule.

It seems like an awfully long time to prove what even the DOT spokesperson was willing to admit yesterday: all four options on the table for the Sheridan's future would improve truck travel times in the region... even the options that call for getting rid of the Sheridan all together.

So what are we waiting for? Affordable housing development is failing to keep pace with demand. Open space and parks continue to be an unattainable luxury for residents of the South Bronx. Access to living wage jobs for locals with modest levels of education is continuing to shrink. It's time to replace the Sheridan Expressway with over 1,000 units of housing, open space, and new economic development opportunities.

A Civic Activist Bootcamp

2008-01-03T21:23:00.000-05:00

Just found on YouTube:

This is a heavily edited video, courtesy of the Municipal Art Society, documenting "A Civic Activist Bootcamp" – one of multiple events hosted around a exhibition at the MAS on the life and work of Jane Jacobs.

Tune in to hear Alexie Torres-Fleming, Executive Director of Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice, representing the Sheridan Expressway campaign on the panel.

Presentation Anytime

2008-01-03T20:56:00.000-05:00

Last fall, the Southern Bronx River Watershed Alliance presented its community-inspired vision to replace the Sheridan Expressway at an event hosted by Solar 1, the "green energy, arts, and education center" in lower Manhattan. The event was part of Solar 1's ongoing "Green Renter" series, giving "local activists, experts and artists the chance to share with Solar One’s growing community information and news about what is, isn’t and can be done to make New York a more sustainable city."

Thanks to a cool new online presentation platform called "Articulate," now you can check out the virtual presentation 24/7 on the Solar 1 website.

Thanks to Chris Neidl at Solar 1 for putting the presentation online!

Hot Off the Presses

2007-11-28T16:48:00.000-05:00

The Hunts Point Express is running an article on the Southern Bronx River Watershed Alliance's efforts to spread the word about the Sheridan Expressway's future to New Yorkers in all five boroughs. Reporter Daniel Allen had this to say:

"The Sheridan, Silva noted, was the brainchild of Robert Moses, whose bridge, tunnel and highway projects, including the Bruckner Expressway the Cross Bronx Expressway, transformed New York. He originally planned to link the Sheridan with I-95 by steamrolling through the Bronx Zoo and New York Botanical Garden. When opposition doomed that effort, he was left with the short stub of the Sheridan, dubbed by opponents “the road to nowhere.” It remains underused and unwanted, according to Silva."

Thanks to our friends at Solar One for the venue. Check back soon for video of our presentation at Stuyvesant Cover Park in mid-November.

If you'd like the Southern Bronx River Watershed Alliance to come to YOUR organization, contact Philip Silva, Alliance Coordinator, at psilva[at]ssbx [dot]org.

One Week Later

2007-10-30T21:20:00.001-04:00

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.

Our Hats Off to Jane

2007-10-17T17:08:00.000-04:00

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!

On The Road With The Alliance

2007-09-27T19:17:00.000-04:00

The Southern Bronx River Watershed Alliance will be hitting the road this fall with the following four event dates secured through to November (click on event title for location, time, and additional information):

Bronx River Festival :: September 29 :: Bronx River Alliance
A Civic Activist Boot Camp :: October 16 :: Municipal Art Society
Tour de Bronx :: October 21 :: Bronx Borough President's Office
Sheridan Swap :: November 13 :: Solar One

The Alliance is actively seeking opportunities to participate in panel discussions, lectures, and other public events to promote the community vision for replacing the Sheridan Expressway with affordable housing, green space, and new economic development opportunities. Email psilva [at] ssbx [dot] org with your suggestions and invitations.

Check back for more event dates in the near future...

Park(ing) the Sheridan

2007-09-26T15:15:00.000-04:00

The Southern Bronx River Watershed Alliance celebrated Park(ing) Day 2007 with a wildly successful installation on Southern Boulevard near the Hunts Point Avenue 6 Train station. Hundreds of community members stopped by to play card games, eat snacks, and learn more about our plan to replace the Sheridan Expressway with affordable housing, green space, and new economic development opportunities. Folks came out to see the parking space that became a park and walked away eager to see a highway turned into a greenway. Even News Channel 12 stopped by to produce a four minute segment on the campaign! Special thanks to the folks at Transportation Alternatives who helped with press and logistics.

Sheridan at the Guggenheim

2007-08-18T08:19:00.000-04:00

The Southern Bronx River Watershed Alliance is participating in an "interactive discussion of New York City's Public Space" at the Guggenheim Museum today at 12 pm. The event is hosted by Transportation Alternatives and coincides with the museum's Shapes of Spaces exhibit. Check out the Streetsblog calendar for details.

Mini Swap

2007-08-14T20:40:00.000-04:00

Swapping streets with green space in New York City isn't as outlandish as some folks might want you to believe. Just look at the new public plaza in Brooklyn's DUMBO neighborhood (pictured here). What as once a motley collection of parked cars, warped traffic cones, and trash is now an oasis under the Manhattan bridge.

In recent years, cities throughout the world have been replacing obsolete highways with new housing, parks, and riverfront promenades. Highway replacement projects can be found in cities as far off as Seoul in South Korea or as close to home as Milwaukee.

The trend has finally caught on in New York City, albeit on a somewhat smaller scale. Streetsblog has the scoop on NYC Department of Transportation's efforts to transform underused street spaces into public plazas. The initiative comes out of the City's long-term plan for environmental sustainability for the year 2030. According to Streetsblog, the DUMBO plaza is just one of 31 similar initiatives in the pipeline throughout the city. How about making the Sheridan's replacement #32?

NYSDOT To Consider Community Vision

2007-08-06T08:46:00.000-04:00

The New York State Department of Transportation announced last month that it will weigh the costs and benefits of its plan to expand the Sheridan Expressway against a Communit y Vision for the highway's removal and redevelopment.

The Community Vision, which includes decommissioning the Sheridan and replacing it with affordable housing, open space, and new economic development opportunities, will be included in NYSDOT's Draft Environmental Impact Statement on the proposed expansion.

If the analysis finds that the Community Vision makes more economic and environmental sense than the expansion proposal, NYSDOT will be hard pressed to move forward with its plan to stretch the Sheridan south into Hunts Point.

Check back soon for updates on the DEIS process. In the meantime, check out what Wikipedia has to say about Environmental Impact Statements

Missed Connections

2007-08-02T22:38:00.001-04:00

The Sheridan Expressway begins at the point where the Bruckner Expressway veers east across the Bronx River and it ends abruptly at the Cross Bronx Expressway about a mile to the north. Relatively few people use this stretch of road, and traffic (if you can call it that) is sparse even at rush hour. It's no wonder the Sheridan has, over the years, earned the nickname "Highway to Nowhere."

Yet the Sheridan wasn't always destined for such a fate. Robert Moses, the "master builder" that oversaw the Expressway's construction, was never one to take on small transportation projects. This 1950's map of projected construction for new arterial roads in New York shows the Sheridan zooming past the Cross Bronx Expressway to link up with other highways heading north into New England.

There were just a few complications with Moses' plan. After the initial stretch of the Sheridan was built, communities to the north had little enthusiasm for a new highway. In fact, there was outright opposition. The communities organized and fought, alongside their elected officials, to fend off the Sheridan's expansion. And then there was the minor fact (to Moses, at least) that the extended Sheridan would cut through the Bronx Zoo and come disastrously close to the New York Botanical Gardens – an untenable proposition for the well-heeled patrons of both institutions. The expansion never happened, and to this day the Sheridan is a stump of highway taking up valuable land that could be put to better uses.

Welcome!

2007-08-01T09:29:00.001-04:00

Welcome to SheridanSwap, a news and information resource for the campaign to decommission the Sheridan Expressway in the South Bronx. Hosted by the Southern Bronx River Watershed Alliance, SheridanSwap will offer updates on local and city-wide efforts to replace the Sheridan with affordable housing, open space, and more. Check back regularly for profiles on Alliance members, details on the Community Vision for the Sheridan lands, and tips for advocating for the Sherdian's replacement over the coming year.