You're Invited To Join RIOC For Walk And Talk About $14 Million Roosevelt Island Bike Ramp And Lane Project Saturday Morning November 10

According to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC):

Join Us For Saturday’s Walk and Talk about the RI Bike Ramp and Lane Project

You're Invited to Join Us for a Walk and Talk about the RI Bike Ramp and Lane Project this Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Motorgate Atrium, 688 Main Street, on Roosevelt Island.

In June 2018, the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC) procured Dewberry Engineers and their team including Matthews Nielson Landscape Architects to design the Roosevelt Island Bike Ramp and East Side Bike Lane project.

The goal is to construct a bike ramp that conveniently connects bicyclists from the top of the Roosevelt Island Bridge down to the East Promenade and then provides a safe path for bicyclists along the eastern waterfront of Roosevelt Island away from Main Street vehicular traffic.

The total budget for this project is approximately $14 million with a project schedule of four years.

Throughout the design phase of the project, several public meetings will be held with the first one this Saturday. We look forward to you joining us!

As reported in October 2015, the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC), with the assistance of Cornell Tech representatives were exploring the possibility of increasing safety on the Roosevelt Island Bridge Helix:

... the Cornell Tech/AKRF study concluded that fixing the Motorgate Escalator for use by bicycle riders was not an option but there is a possibility of installing a bike/pedestrian only ramp from the Motorgate Helix to the street level at the East Promenade....

Image Of Roosevelt Island Motorgate Helix From Above Via Google Maps

In April 2017, NY State Governor Andrew Cuomo announced funding of $2.9 for the construction of Roosevelt Island Bridge Bike Ramp and Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney added:

The Roosevelt Island community has long been waiting for a bike-only ramp to allow cyclists an easy and safe connection to the Roosevelt Island Bridge. Thanks to Governor Cuomo, nearly $3 million in federal dollars are being allocated to this ramp so the connection can become a reality. Cyclists will no longer have to carry their bikes up flights of stairs, or risk their safety by sharing the helix ramp with cars. It’s great that the state, federal government and community are working together to make Roosevelt Island a safer, more accessible place.

Roosevelt Island Frank Farance show us bikers riding down the current Roosevelt Island Bridge Helix Ramp.



Below is a 2017 RIOC rendering of proposed Bridge Ramp

and East Promenade.

No word yet on how the balance of $14 million project will be funded.

UPDATE 11/28 -Here's what happened at the Walk & Talk.