WaHI Magazine
They’ve Fixed Our Bike Path! Hallelujah! 
24 August 2003
At long last, after many years of neglect, the bike path on the stretch of the Hudson River Greenway between 181st Street and Dyckman street has been repaved! Thank you, Parks Department!
Last weekend, as I was riding my bike home, I started climbing up the ramp leading to 181st Street, when I happened to look down at the continuing path and noticed that it seemed unusually free of rubble. So I went back down and dared to explore the path above 181st Street. The path had been completely repaved, and now it was a great pleasure to keep riding along the Hudson River up to Dyckman Street.
In the past I had gone that way, and had to deal with broken pavement, rubble, pot holes and trash. One time I nearly killed myself with a huge pot hole I affectionately called “The Jaws of Death,” or “Jaws” for short. After that I refused to go that way again — it was so unpleasant and dangerous.
But the repaving is only the first step. Now, let’s hope that the Parks Department will consider our part of the city worthy of receiving the same landscaping treatment they’ve given other parts of the Greenway, particularly in the wealthier neighborhoods of Battery Park City, the Village, Chelsea and the Upper West Side. (The landscaping suffers as you keep going up the Greenway through Harlem, Morningside Heights and Washington Heights — the “poorer” neighborhoods apparently don’t deserve the same-caliber parks amenities.)
Wouldn’t it be nice if they installed World’s Fair benches — the most comfortable park benches ever designed — like they have all along the Greenway in the “nicer” neighborhoods? And it would be amazing if they manicured the grass and planted beautiful flowers and other plants along the bike path, like they did downtown.
But is this too much to hope for? I suppose that our neighborhoods can’t expect the same kind of treatment the rich folks get.
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Readers’ Comments
Yes, it’s WONDERFUL that they’ve paved the path… now if they’ll only post a warning sign at Dyckman that there are STAIRS there — not a sloping path! I nearly killed myself…. stopped just in time. (Posted by R. L. McKee on September 2, 2003 02:45 AM.)
Yes Finally!! The Parks Dept and the Mayor’s Office did a great job with this greenway. Now if they can do the same for the East Side.. Also Great website!!! (Posted by Dago on September 3, 2003 11:49 PM.)
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