New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) officials postponed Thursday’s Cross Bronx Expressway workshop, which was a common theme on Wednesday due to the smoky and hazy conditions brought on by wildfires raging in Canada.
DOT made the move to cancel the much-anticipated workshop due to an Air Quality Health Advisory in New York City. DOT will announce a new date soon, according to DOT spokesperson Vincent Barone.
The workshop, which was set to take place at PS 106 in Parkchester, was set to be the first in a second set of public meetings to discuss the impacts of the Cross Bronx Expressway for a study meant to re-envision the highway. The reimagining of the Cross Bronx is a community effort meant to lessen the negative effects the expressway has on surrounding neighborhoods, such as by creating green space above the highway.
There are other workshops scheduled for June 14 at the East Bronx Academy for the Future and June 20 at Bronx School of Young Leaders, as well as a virtual workshop on July 12. Participants can sign up at bit.ly/CrossBronxEvents.
While the first group of workshops in the spring was meant to drum up excitement about the project and identify what high-level concerns people have, this set of workshops plans to take a deeper look at those issues, an NYC DOT spokesperson told the Bronx Times.
Prior to the workshop’s postponement, the state Department of Environmental Conservation issued a statement Wednesday forecasting that air quality in New York City will be at “unhealthy” levels through 11:59 p.m. Thursday. The mayor’s office said that it expects the polluted air conditions to be a “multiple day event.”
The city recommends New Yorkers limit outdoor activity and stay inside whenever possible. People with heart or breathing problems, as well as children or older adults may be especially sensitive to the smoke, according to the city. Older adults or those with heart or breathing problems who need to be outside should wear a high-quality mask, like an N95 or KN95, according to the city.
Residents of the South Bronx are at particular risk, with disproportionate rates of asthma, a respiratory disease, that have been caused by the notorious Cross Bronx Expressway.
Wednesday night’s Yankees game was postponed because of the conditions, and alternate side parking regulations are suspended in the city on Thursday.
New York City schools were open Wednesday, although all outdoor activities were canceled. Meanwhile, there were flight disruptions at LaGuardia International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport.
Reach Aliya Schneider at aschneider@schnepsmedia.com or (718) 260-4597. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
