Randall's Island Park

The Daily Plant : Thursday, April 13, 2006

Waterfront Pathway Opens At Randall’s Island

photo by Daniel Avila

On Friday, April 7, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held to mark the completion of the first phase of the new waterfront pathway at Randall’s Island Park.

Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe joined Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, New York State Parks Commissioner Bernadette Castro, leadership of the Randall’s Island Sports Foundation (RISF), and young members of the Randall’s Island Kids Nature Program to announce the completion of the half-mile path leading from the East 103^rd Street footbridge to Icahn Stadium.

This waterfront pathway features bicycle and pedestrian trails along the Park’s western shoreline. It creates scenic waterfront views along the East River and provides increased access to Randall’s Island Park for the neighboring communities of East Harlem and the South Bronx. When completed, the entire pathway will run nearly the entire 5-mile shoreline of the Park, allowing all New Yorkers to enjoy leisurely bike rides and scenic walks along its length.

"The pathway marks an important milestone in RISF’s ongoing commitment to providing increased access to the unique waterfront resources and facilities of Randall’s Island Park," said Randall’s Island Sports Foundation Executive Director Aimee Boden. "This is a wonderful example of a successful public-private partnership that benefits all New Yorkers."

It was also announced that a $4 million wetlands restoration project would soon begin. This work will remove decades of trash and debris from the Little Hell Gate Wetlands, comprising 5.25 acres of some of the last undeveloped waterfront on Randall’s Island. The wetlands will then be re-graded and planted with salt marsh and freshwater vegetation that will clean and filter the water, reducing pollution in the East River and Long Island Sound and eventually restoring habitats for birds and fish. The restored wetlands will also serve as an expanded outdoor classroom for the 10,000 children served by the RISF through free recreation and sports programming.

The Randall’s Island Sports Foundation, founded in 1992, is a public-private partnership with Parks & Recreation that seeks to realize the unique potential of 480 waterfront parkland acres anchoring Manhattan, the Bronx and Queens. They strive to empower under-resourced children through sports and recreation with an investment of over $300 million in world class facilities, playing fields and programming.