New York City’s Department of City Planning is working on a study that will have major impacts on the future of the Sheridan Expressway and the Sheridan-adjacent portions of the Bronx River Greenway. The formal name of the study is the Sheridan-Hunts Point Land Use and Transportation Study abbreviated as "SEHP." If you attended the 2013 Bronx River Flotilla, you may have seen City Planning’s booth soliciting community input. The SEHP study has been underway for about two years, and is expected to be completed this summer. Actual on-the-ground changes to the Sheridan will likely take another 5-10 years.
Earlier this week, at a community meeting on Tuesday May 21st 2013, city representatives announced that the study is far enough along that they have selected a preferred alternative among the four scenarios they’ve been analyzing. The alternative is known as "Modify Combined." The Modify Combined is the scenario most different from today’s existing conditions: portions of the Sheridan roadway are reduced to the fewest number of lanes. Modify Combined includes the most new crossings: three new traffic signals will be added, allowing for crossing the Sheridan at Jennings Street, 171st Street, and 172nd Street.
Revisiting the Sheridan will have beneficial impacts on the Bronx River Greenway. According to the Department of City Planning, the "Modify Combined" alternative will add "1600 linear feet of publicly accessible waterfront" along the Bronx River (between 172nd Street and Westchester Avenue.) It will also add "over 2 acres of added open space to Starlight Park." In addition to these benefits, the three new crossing points (Jennings, 171st, 172nd) are expected to greatly improve access to Starlight Park from the Crotona Park East neighborhood.
If you’re interested in learning more about the Sheridan study, and expressing your interests in the Sheridan’s, the neighborhood’s and the Bronx River Greenway’s future, read more about the study at the city’s project website, and plan to attend the final City-hosted community meeting planned for June 20th 2013.
