Cypress Avenue Campaign
Fall 2024 Update
In October 2022, Ridgewood Rides launched a petition campaign in partnership with Transportation Alternatives calling for NYC DOT to create safe pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure improvements to the Ridgewood Reservoir and Highland Park, the closest large green space to the neighborhood.
We spent a year collecting signatures, generating public attention in the press, reaching out to elected officials, and partnering with NYC H2O on Reservoir stewardship events.
Our efforts reached a high point in November 2023 with Repair Our Reservoir Routes! A Community Walk and Potluck where community members walked up Cypress Avenue and Vermont Place, putting a focus on the missing sidewalks, dangerous crossings, lack of accessibility, aggressive traffic, and lack of safe routes for bike riders looking to access Highland Park and the Ridgewood Reservoir.
In February 2024, Ridgewood Rides gave a presentation to Queens Community Board 5’s Transportation Services Committee outlining the urgent need for safe bike and pedestrian infrastructure along Cypress Avenue and Vermont Place, including the installation of sidewalks and protected bike lanes. The committee voted overwhelmingly in support of these improvements to the corridor, and in April 2024, Community Board 5 voted unanimously to request NYC DOT study bike and pedestrian improvements to Cypress Avenue and Vermont Place.
In a joint letter dated June 11th to DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez, elected officials Nydia Velazquez, Donovan Richards, Michael Gianaris, Julia Salazar, Jennifer Gutierrez, Bob Holden and Sandy Nurse expressed public safety concerns from the community and urged the DOT to take action: “The absence of adequate traffic controls, signage, designated pedestrian crosswalk, wide sidewalks and biking infrastructure have contributed to several observed instances of near fatal accidents, and auto collisions,” the jointly-signed letter said. “These conditions compel pedestrians and cyclists to risk their safety and that of their families.”
On June 18, 2024, the DOT presented a proposal to Queens Community Board 5’s Transportation Services Committee with a proposal for bike and pedestrian safety improvements to Cypress Avenue between Cooper Avenue and Vermont Place between Cypress Avenue and Highland Park. Components include:
Two-way protected bike lane along north side of Cypress Avenue
Construct missing sidewalks on north side of Cypress Avenue and east side of Vermont Place
Redesign of the intersection at Vermont Place and Cypress Avenue to improve safety
Explore options for future bike & pedestrian connections to Highland Park Greenway and Bushwick Bicycle Network.
The Committee voted in overwhelming support of the proposal. In September 2024, construction of a new sidewalk began on the east side of Vermont Place, where previously pedestrians reached the reservoir via a dirt path. We eagerly await implementation of the remainder of the proposal, including the protected bike lanes, which are scheduled by the end of this year, as reported at the 9/18/2024 Commissioner in Your Borough event. We will continue to monitor progress and call for swift implementation of these changes.
We are thrilled to see DOT making these long overdue improvements which will allow Ridgewood, Glendale, and Bushwick residents to more safely access our largest nearby green space! We are thankful to all our Ridgewood Rides members and larger network of neighbors who signed the petition, gathered signatures, spoke at public meetings, voiced support on the Community Board, wrote to elected officials, or contributed in other ways to make this victory possible! We would also like to thank allied community partners NYC H2O, Transportation Alternatives, Ridgewood Runners, and others who have contributed to these efforts!