Wow for those of us who ride and enjoy the westside bike path dont know just how lucky we are, i decided to explore and go riding along the eastside bike path, let's just say i wont be riding there anytime soon. There's alot of detours because of ongoing construction, alot of sections are not paved, dirty and some sections even look like dirt roads, instead of a clean smooth bike path. I was really suprised to find the eastside bike path in this poor condition.
Eastside bike path
Sat, 10/14/2006 - 11:55am
Sat, 10/14/2006 - 2:22pm
#1
No surprise here.....
I take the east side path during the week on my way to work and it's like cycling on the moon with all the craters. Eventually once all the construction and reconstruction is completed that path will be repaved. If you consider the economics/demographics of the people along this east side vs. the west side you will understand why this part of the east side path is so terrible and why the city has taken so long to address this area.
Sat, 10/14/2006 - 4:18pm
#2
bike path
so Jason what are you really trying to say? that the eastside is being neglected because of the kind of people that live on that side of manhattan?
Sat, 10/14/2006 - 4:48pm
#3
You got it Steve!
Should this be a surprise to you? I guess if you're a transplant from another city it might be but take it from a native New Yawker; that's the real deal!
Mon, 10/16/2006 - 6:41am
#4
west side vs east side path
"The reason the west side bike path is much better than the east side path has little to do with demographics. When the old elevated West Side Highway was condemned in the 70's, it provided an opportunity for a 'clean slate' to re-develop the area. One proposal, Westway, would have ran a highway under the ground, leaving a wide park on top (much like Boston's big dig). When cost and environmental factors (""snail darter"") scuttled that plan, we ended up with the current configuration of West Street and Hudson River Park, developed by both the state and city.
There is much less opportunity for such a grand reconfiguration on the east side. So improvements there come in bits and pieces. (Don't think there is any chance of closing down the FDR)."
Mon, 10/16/2006 - 4:14pm
#5
Guess again!
You're being naive if you don't think that the demographics/economics of the people bordering the east side especially below 14th street has nothing to do with the level of gov't service rendered in that area which would include public works projects.
The fact is that the east side path especially below 14th street could easily have been paved and made more useful and useable as a pedestrian/bike path many years ago...take it from someone who has been biking that route for over 20 years!
People who have money and are usually more politically savvy get better service from the gov't....again this should come as no surprise...if it does then some further education is in order.
Tue, 10/17/2006 - 6:12am
#6
Of Cour$e!
The esplanade in East River Park began to collapse several years ago. It's been fenced off ever since. At least they're working on it now, oughta be open next year, maybe...
Now if that happened in Riverside Park today, do you think it'd take until 2012 to fix?
Take a look at children's playgrounds in various public parks around town, and tell me there's no correlation between the facilities provided and the tax base of the surrounding neighborhoods.
Tue, 10/17/2006 - 9:28am
#7
This problem goes back a long ways
"In his definitive biography of Robert Moses, ""The Power Broker,"" historian Robert Carro points out that Moses as city parks commissioner virtually ignored poor neighborhoods like Harlem when constructing new playgrounds and parks in the 1930s."
Sat, 10/14/2006 - 11:15pm
#8
Yeah I'll take 1st Ave over the East side path anyday.
Sun, 10/15/2006 - 7:13pm
#9
I took a short spin on it today
And I'll agree, it isn't worth riding it. It really is a poor excuse for a bikeway, it looks more like they put signs up along whatever stretch of pavement they could find. I only went from Houston to the Manhattan bridge this time, but the only other time I rode all the way to wherever it ends uptown. It was hard to tell with all the detours.
Sun, 10/15/2006 - 7:35pm
#10
might be fun with a mtn bike: holes to jump, an unmarked path, hops 'n drops on cragly descents (stairs). one of these days (keep voting) we'll get a decent ES path.
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