Photo: Russell Bernice via Flickr
Riverside Park’s iconic Cherry Walk is out of commission for the next six months. Pedestrians and bikers approaching the path, located along the water from 100th Street to 125th Street, were greeted by a sign on Monday announcing construction and directing them to take a detour up Riverside Drive.
c/o NYC Parks
In order to bypass the construction, cyclists and pedestrians heading uptown, the sign says, should take Riverside Drive to Tiemann Place, then turn onto West 125th Street. Those heading downtown should exit the park through St. Clair Place, then take Tiemann Place to Claremont Avenue, and then merge back onto Riverside Drive.
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Cherry Walk is characterized by its eponymous cherry trees, the first of which were presented to the city by the Committee of Japanese Residents of New York back in 1909. Since then, it has become well known as one of the best spots to see New York’s cherry blossoms when they bloom each spring.
However, Cherry Walk is more than just a viewing spot: it’s also an essential part of many New Yorkers’ daily commutes. Thousands of cyclists ride through the park each day. The new detour will likely increase the traffic along the street route which saw 76 reported total crashes in the last 12 months, including 15 involving cyclists, e-bikes, and scooters.
The $1.5 million construction project was first announced back in 2022. It aims to upgrade the path and address issues including potholes, rough terrain, and tree root growth that’s cracked through the streets. Another section of the greenway, between 181st and Dyckman streets, is also shut down as the city fixes a sinkhole on 187th Street.
This isn’t the first time Cherry Walk has been roped off for construction. It was previously shut down in September 2020 in order to repair damage that occurred during 2012’s Superstorm Sandy. Those repairs wrapped up in just a few months, with the walk reopening in January 2021.
Fortunately, the timeline appears to account for the cherry blossom season. If things go as planned, the path will open in March, just in time for spring.
Uh, the picture does not show Cherry Walk,,, it looks like it’s facing south and below the tennis courts at 96th.
“It aims to upgrade the path and address issues including potholes, rough terrain, and tree root growth that’s cracked through the streets.”
As I paste this I realize the last part makes no sense unless I read streets as ‘path’.
How are those aims intended to be achieved?
Have tree roots been cut?
Has a metal plate been installed on either side of the path to prevent future incursion by tree roots?
Will this work need to be done again in the next 10 years?
BTW. Due to the detour I was hit by a car on December 4 2024 on Riverside Drive. I would have been biking on Cherry Walk.