New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez recently announced that public space on the Manhattan side of the landmark Brooklyn Bridge has opened. Other portions of this land, referred to as “The Arches,” connecting the area immediately surrounding the bridge to the famous Chinatown neighborhood of Manhattan, were opened last year to celebrate the bridge’s 140th birthday.
“For the last decade, NYCDOT crews have worked hard to restore the iconic Brooklyn Bridge, creating a cleaner, brighter, and safer bridge to last another century,” Rodriguez said. “Now that this critical restoration is nearing a close, we are returning another portion of the Arches to the community.”
The recently opened space has been used as a staging area for contractors for the last 10 years, where workers have engaged in bridge restoration endeavors. This newest Arches undertaking encompasses a third of an acre patch of land offering access to a variety of tall, shady trees and 16 renovated or freshly installed benches, providing users breathtaking views of the famous water crossing, which borders Park Row on the north and Rose Street to the south.
The Influence of The Arches
In May last year, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced The Arches opening as part of a more significant revitalization effort impacting the Chinatown area. Officials hope that the location, once labeled “the mecca of New York skateboarding recaptures this history with a space designed in collaboration with famed skateboarder Tony Hawk’s The Skatepark Project (TSP).
Moreover, the Adams administration continues working with the TSP to ensure that the skatepark satisfies the action sports community’s safety, wellness, and performance requirements. The area also contains basketball and pickleball courts, facilities to play shuffleboard, and public seating.
The largest part of the Arches has yet to open. That said, the NYCDOT recently kicked off a community initiative seeking opinions about how this next stage should proceed. Public viewpoints will be considered at gatherings such as board meetings and visioning sessions scheduled to take place before the new year.
Improving Community Connectivity
Additionally, this past September, the NYCDOT appealed to its parent agency, the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT), for grant money to fund this subsequent phase along with the Reconnecting Communities Pilot effort, created under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The pilot project specifically includes undertakings geared towards reinstituting community connectivity.
“I am thrilled that this large section of the Arches has been restored and is now open to the neighborhood, which, despite being one of the most densely populated areas of Manhattan, has access to very little open space and has been historically underplanted,” said Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine. “I look forward to the work continuing to renovate and reopen the remainder of the Arches, bringing much-needed new, green open space to lower Manhattan.”
“Bringing the Arches back to life is a huge win for lower Manhattan and Chinatown where open space is so limited but so vital to our community’s health and well-being,” said New York City Councilmember Christopher Marte. “This newly opened area under the iconic Brooklyn Bridge not only provides shade and a spot to rest but also symbolizes an investment in our public spaces and our neighborhoods. As we continue to make lower Manhattan more livable, it’s encouraging to see these long-closed areas returned to the community for everyone to enjoy.”
About the Brooklyn Bridge
Construction of the historic New York City feature began in January 1869. When it opened on May 24, 1883, the structure was the world’s largest suspension bridge and the tallest construction in the Western Hemisphere. The inaugural festivities attracted dignitaries like then-President Chester A. Arthur.
Today, roughly 120,000 cars, 30,000 pedestrians, and 4,000 bicycles traverse the span daily.
