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Port Authority extends George Washington Bridge bike hours, but reasoning remains murky
By
Charles Lane
Published Oct 28, 2024
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Charles Lane/Gothamist
By
Charles Lane
Published Oct 28, 2024
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Bicyclists and pedestrians hoping to cross the George Washington Bridge overnight have won a morsel of what they've been asking for: They voiced hopes for 24-hour access to the iconic expanse, but instead saw the bridge’s availability go from 18 hours a day to 19.
Earlier this month, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said it started opening the bridge’s bike and pedestrian path at 5 a.m. – an hour earlier than previously. The announcement came after some 860 people signed onto a petition calling to open the path around the clock, arguing that the closure limits early- and late-shift workers without cars from commuting to work.
But the Port Authority’s reasoning for closing the path in the first place has grown murkier.
The agency previously told Gothamist the path was closed overnight to accommodate “cleaning and maintenance” and a “major restoration project” that started in 2016. The reasoning appears to contradict another agency statement that attributed the closure to standard practice dating back as early as 1995. Those statements also appear to contradict a 2004 press release, which states the path would be closed overnight for “enhanced security measures” because of the Republican National Convention.”
“We have already answered your questions on why the path is closed overnight, please refer to that,” Port Authority spokesperson Seth Stein said when asked for clarification on the conflicting statements. “As previously stated, the south walk has been closed overnight since at least 1995.”
People who access the path by bike told Gothamist otherwise, however.
“They used to both be open all the time, both sides of the bridge were always open,” said Ed Ravin, a member of the city-based bike group Five Borough Bicycle Club.
Ravin said he had a distinct memory of gates being installed on the path after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
“I remember seeing that gate and saying, ‘They want to be able to close this path.’ I didn't like that at all,” he said.
Rich Jones, who bikes across the bridge’s path five days a week, said he doubted the Port Authority’s cleaning and maintenance argument because he’s seen the route close due to inclement weather, like snow.
“It has not been open on the day of or the day after snow since at least 2019,” he said, suggesting maintenance was not as much of a priority as the agency claims.
The Port Authority said it has to close the path overnight in order to operate a special piece of cleaning equipment exactly the same width as the path.
Jones said he doubted this explanation as well. He said he’s often the first to arrive at the path in the morning and has to wait for the Port Authority’s tow truck operator to unlock the gate.
“Where would they store it? There's no storage,” he said, “There's no shed. There's no maintenance box.”
In addition to being one of the world’s most traveled roadways, the George Washington Bridge’s 14 lanes of 24/7 toll-paying traffic is also the Port Authority’s second most profitable asset, second only to JFK International Airport. About 4 million vehicles a month bring in nearly $900 million a year, according to Port officials.
By comparison, the agency said fewer than 90,000 pedestrians and cyclists cross the bridge in an average warm-weather month without paying tolls.
Ravin said he believed that was behind the agency’s opaque reasoning for closing the pathway overnight.
“They really don't take bicyclists seriously,” Ravin said. “From their point of view, we're not paying a toll. Who cares about you?”
Tagged
new york city
new jersey
manhattan
transportation
Charles Lane
Charles is a Day-of reporter focused on breaking news and enterprise. He’s very friendly and can be reached at [email protected], or more securely on whatsapp/signal 631-295-6715
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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