Northeast - Warning about the Brooklyn/Queens Belt Parkway bike path

Just a warning to any Brooklyn (or NYC) cyclists who use the Belt Parkway cycling path - there's a 1/4-mile stretch that's completely closed for repair near Erskine Rd. (the Target/Home Depot mall) and the big landfill. I was headed west from the Cross-Bay Bridge the other day and suddenly - chain link fence, no more bike path! Luckily the construction guys let me climb through and cyclo-cross my way to the other side, they said the city is supposed to put up signs warning people that the path is closed but I sure didn't see anything in either direction.

The guy I talked to said that stretch would be closed for about a month, and then they will be moving further east a section at a time until they get to Cross-Bay Blvd. That part of the path could sure use an upgrade, it's just too bad they have to wait until the good weather to close it all down.

Yeah that sucks, I've squeezed between the fence and the jersey barrier a few times the last month or so. definitley sketchy-but worth it to get the loop in.

If you want, you can detour around it so you don't have to squeeze through the fence. If you're headed west, make a right when you get to Erskine St. (by the Target/Home Depot mall), then make your first left (in front of the mall.) You can loop around and come up to Flatlands, make a left, go to Pennsylvania Ave. and make another left, and that'll take you back to the bike path right on the other side of the construction. The roads are mostly in pretty good shape, although watch out for some sketchy driving!

The bike path is open, but the path is in horrible condition in some spots. There is lots of dirt piled up in front of the landfill, and further down around rockaway parkway features this huge up sprouts of tarmac that will completely rock your fillings out if you dont see them.

This would be a beautiful ride if it were a little more smooth, and maybe had some lights running along it.

Anyway, I haven't been on it in about a month, but I have been noticing construction vehicles on the path again.

No construction anymore.... Still the same conditions though. Also want to add, just east of Rockaway PKWY there are TONS of sea shells littering the path. Might get you a flat if you tires are a bit soft.

Thanks for the info.
It's getting to that time of year where I'll be using that stretch of road.

Was on the path yesterday.

Same conditions as above. Watch for some glass strewn all over the road near the landfill in addition to all the dirt and sandstone.

The Seas shells are part of the landscape, they have always and will always be there.

Don't worry about the glass though, they usually clean that for the NYC Century in SEPTEMBER!!!

That bike path has so much potential, especially since they finally finished that stretch after Erskine street. Well, that's why I ride on Armadillos.

Maybe some of us Brooklyn Riders should go out there with a broom once in awhile and sweep some of the glass and seashells away to make the path better for everyone. Either organize a "sweep & eat" party or just go out on our own and adopt a small section to maintain.

Maybe some of us Brooklyn Riders should go out there with a broom once in awhile and sweep some of the glass and seashells away to make the path better for everyone. Either organize a "sweep & eat" party or just go out on our own and adopt a small section to maintain.

Ok, so after writing the above post, I decided to take my own advice so I went to one of the problem spots: the sand by the Plum Beach parking area. Was there for about two hours in my orange vest and used my yellow shovel to widen the path considerably. Much more needs to be done, and if I do it in little chunks, it should remain somewhat manageable. Who knows, maybe others will come and help. Or maybe others will help out at some of the other trouble spots like that crazy seashell area.

Christ... you just undid 8+ hours of my "extend the beach" operation on the bike path!

Christ... you just undid 8+ hours of my "extend the beach" operation on the bike path!

I did move alot of sand. Not sure how long it takes to come back, but I am gonna monitor the situation.

I'll be back tonight with my quad & the plow to move the sand back onto the pathway...

I don't think you'll have much luck keeping the sand off the path. That sand has been there on the path for at least 40 years that I know first hand. You'll have better luck against the shells, at least those take time to build up.

The answer my friend is blowin' in the wind...

Matt..
hey great job.. i ride to work some times using that path.. but its faster to take the local streets at 5;40 am..
you have to join up with the guys.. for the random nights ride..
H

Was on the path a few times this past week.

The seashells are nearly all gone!

Somebody swept them to the side of the road. There is a still a small amount, and still a sort of a lot over by Rockaway Parkway, but thats it.

Glass is still on the road, the landfill area still has a ton of dirt on the path as well, and the surface still makes my wheels cry bloody murder.

Will be on the path again today.

Was on the path a few times this past week.

The seashells are nearly all gone!

Somebody swept them to the side of the road. There is a still a small amount, and still a sort of a lot over by Rockaway Parkway, but thats it.

Glass is still on the road, the landfill area still has a ton of dirt on the path as well, and the surface still makes my wheels cry bloody murder.

Will be on the path again today.

Was wondering if you seen a difference in the path by the Plum Beach parking area? I was there again today with my shovel and broom (third day in a row) and cleared alot of the sand off the path at the west end of the parking lot. The parks department was there too today, but never even came up the me. They all just watched me sweeping and shovelling while they were picking up trash. They finally left without asking who I was or what I was doing.

Also, thanks to whoever cleared the shells!! I guess I ain't the only one working on the path!

Was wondering if you seen a difference in the path by the Plum Beach parking area? I was there again today with my shovel and broom (third day in a row) and cleared alot of the sand off the path at the west end of the parking lot. The parks department was there too today, but never even came up the me. They all just watched me sweeping and shovelling while they were picking up trash. They finally left without asking who I was or what I was doing.

Also, thanks to whoever cleared the shells!! I guess I ain't the only one working on the path!

I rarely ride that way. My loop invlolves entering/exiting along the flatbush ave bike path into floyd benett field.

My last ride I flatted almost immediatly, had a bad tube so I was stuck limping back.

God bless you matty.

I rode over from Jersey City last weekend and used the Belt Pkwy path for the first time. It's a pretty nice facility. I caught it over by Sheepshead Bay and rode up it to the Canarsie Pier before turning off and taking the shorter on-street route back to the BK Bridge. I'm looking forward to going back and taking the Marine Pkwy Bridge over to Breezy Pt.

Matt:

I've been there a few times over the last two weeks, the sand is there but not nearly as bad as I remember it being. I guess your work paid off, thanks.

The path is closed at the last overpass before Cross Bay BLVD. The great news is that the path "appears" to be undergoing
about a 200% widening AND repaving!

Can't wait till it is actually done!

Christ... you just undid 8+ hours of my "extend the beach" operation on the bike path!

Hilarious.

They are repaving a long stretch of the path. The path is now closed at the overpass nearest Cross Bay Blvd. It also looks like it is being widened considerably.

The path is closed at the last overpass before Cross Bay BLVD. The great news is that the path "appears" to be undergoing
about a 200% widening AND repaving!

Can't wait till it is actually done!

I rode the Belt Parkway, aka Circumferential Parkway, bike path today east from Erskine Street to 157th & 84th Street and the fence at 84th Street is now down, so it's clear sailing on this brand new path. This must have happened within the last 3 or 4 days, since I was on this stretch back a few days and I had to squeeze through the gap in the fence.

But has the city done anything about the narrow, dangerous stretches over the bridges?

But has the city done anything about the narrow, dangerous stretches over the bridges?

Papa Tom... I assume you're concerned about the narrow and dangerous bike paths. The one that scares me is the Mill Basin drawbridge path. It is narrow and even with the wooden flooring, I get a little spooked with the fingers of the two sections bouncing around in the middle.

I just learned something that is surprising. Have you noticed that they put traffic lights and drawbridge gates up near the Paerdegat Basin Bridge several years ago. I secretly suspected that the contractor put them in the wrong spot, instead of at the Mill Basin Bridge. The Times had an explanation of this several years ago, which didn't convince me.

In looking it up again, I found another explanation for the gates, which is equally strange.

http://groups.google.com/group/misc.transport.road/browse_thread/thread/60e32811b3bb6708

It's in this article, that I just became aware of plans to replace 7 of the Belt Parkway bridges, including Mill Basin, Paerdegat Basin and the Gerittsen Beach overpass. Interestingly, the new Mill Basin Bridge will not be a drawbridge.

The following article reports that the cost of replacing these bridges will be $500 million.

http://www.gerritsenbeach.net/category/community-board-15/page/2/

Narrow is not the problem.
The ramp to the GW is narrower than that with cyclists coming and going.
When i cross the bridges you mention, I'm more concerned with all the broken glass that's up there. :mad:

What's the current status of the PB bike path condition/availability?

I rode the entire length from Sheepshead Bay to Howard Beach back in July. The section from Erskine St to the end was not officially open, but there didn't seem to be any reason not to ride it. There was a fence at the end that you could walk around in the grass (or ride on an MTB). If they really didn't want people to use it they should have blocked off both ends.