Study finds 700 miles of space under NYC bridges, tracks

Nearly 700 square miles, space that is collectively nearly four times the size of Central Park, is sitting unused underneath New York City’s bridges and elevated tracks, according to a report released Tuesday by the the Design Trust for Public Space, in partnership with the Department of Transportation.

Design Trust was also the organization that studied ways to reclaim the High Line in 2001, Crain’s reported.

Its new study, titled “Under the Elevated: Reclaiming Space, Connecting Communities,” recommends alternatives for Broadway Junction in Brooklyn, Division Street under and around the Manhattan Bridge, the Van Wyck Expressway at the Kew Gardens Interchange in Queens, and Southern Boulevard, under the subway lines at Freeman Street in the Bronx.

“We believe this comprehensive study, coupled with DOT’s [design proposals], are important steps towards reclaiming this space for the public and reconnecting neighborhoods throughout New York,” DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg said in a statement.

The proposed uses include parking for food trucks, electric car charging stations, public restrooms and retail stores. [Crain’s] — Tess Hofmann