Cyclists Petition for 32-Mile Greenway That Would Connect Southeast Queens to Brooklyn

There’s been a lot of talk lately surrounding the QueensWay, the High Line-esque linear park and cultural greenway proposed for a 3.5-mile stretch of abandoned railway in central Queens, but there’s another planned greenway in Queens that’s also making headlines. The proposed 32-mile path known as the Southern Queens Greenway would connect portions of Brooklyn with parks in southeast Queens, and a local group of cyclists is now petitioning for this vision to be realized.

Current bike paths in Queens, which would be connected through the greenway plan, via Southern Queens Greenway

The city introduced the Southern Queens Greenway idea in 2000, presenting a route that would connect Highland Park in Cypress Hill, which is on the Brooklyn-Queens border, with Brookville Park in Rosedale and Alley Pond Park in Bayside, both in Queens. This would allow cyclists, joggers, and pedestrians to travel between the parks along Conduit Avenue, the Belt Parkway, Laurelton Parkway, and the Cross Island Parkway. In addition to connecting some of the most important scenic destinations in eastern Brooklyn and southeast Queens, the city said the greenway would provide “improved access to spectacular waterfront vistas and major employment destinations, such as John F. Kennedy International Airport, Creedmoor Psychiatric Center and Queensboro Community College.”

To date, small portions of the greenway have been built in Highland and Brookville parks, but now local cyclists are spearheading a petition for the remainder of this 15-years-in-the-making plan to be completed. Daniel Solow, one of the cyclists who is heading up the effort, wants to garner support from local elected officials and community boards and then conduct a feasibility study. Solow lives in Long Island and hopes that he’ll one day be able to bike from his home all the way to Manhattan. Currently the petition has 93 signatures, just seven away from its goal.

[Via DNAinfo]