Vanderbilt Cup Races

The Good News

QNS.com- November 9, 2023

Vanderbilt Motor Parkway in eastern Queens revamped with smoother roads for cyclists and joggers

By Iryna Shkurhan

After two phases of reconstruction, the historic Vanderbilt Motor Parkway has been revamped and recently unveiled for cyclists and pedestrians to enjoy more green space in eastern Queens. The path spans three miles and connects Alley Pond Park in Queens Village to Cunningham Park in Flushing. 

As one of the first concrete roads in the country, it was also the first highway to use bridges and overpasses and created a high-speed connection between Queens and Suffolk County. It was originally built in 1908 as a racecourse by railroad mogul and financier William K. Vanderbilt, Jr. and endures today as a popular nature path. 

At a ribbon cutting ceremony on Nov. 6, elected officials including Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. and Council Member Linda Lee joined Friends of Alley Pond Park to celebrate the completion of the project and open it to the public.

The $4 million project, funded by the mayor’s office and the City Council, enhanced the space with new pavement to make for a smoother surface for cyclists, walkers and joggers. It also addressed draining issues by elevating the ground level to prevent water from exacerbating high-risk flood zones.  

Borough President Donovan Richards, Councilwoman Linda Lee and Friends of Alley Pond Park cut the ribbon on the new path on Nov. 6.Photo courtesy of NYC Parks

“Thanks to this work, cyclists and pedestrians will be able to enjoy an upgraded open space for recreation and relaxation for years to come,” said Queens Borough Commissioner Jackie Langsam, who was present at the unveiling. “This project represents our commitment as a ‘Five Borough Administration’ to investing in equitable, accessible, and beautiful public greenspaces in our outer boroughs.” 

Rustic timber guardrails and more greenery in the form of tree plantings also gave the area an aesthetic boost with the goal of improving the quality of life for visitors. 

The upgraded path can be utilized by cyclists, joggers and anyone who wants to take a walk among greenery.Photo courtesy of NYC Parks

The first phase of the project focused on the path from Winchester Boulevard by the entrance to Alley Pond Park to Springfield Boulevard and was completed in September 2021. Construction on the second phase, which addressed Springfield Boulevard to 199th Street and north of 67th Ave, began in July 2022. 

“Eastern Queens is known for its scenic parks and green spaces that allow families to enjoy the outdoors. The reconstruction of the Vanderbilt Motor Parkway now provides refurbished space to serve as areas to benefit the health and wellness of our community,” said Lee. “The Vanderbilt Motor Parkway is always bustling with cyclists and joggers across the neighborhood, so I want to thank Queens Parks Commissioner Jackie Langsam for your leadership in ensuring the completion of this project.” 

Iryna is a staff reporter primarily covering eastern Queens.

Qgazette.com- November 22, 2023

NYC Parks Cuts Ribbon On Revamped Vanderbilt Motor Parkway

NYC Parks Queens Borough Commissioner Jackie Langsam joined Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr., City Council Member Linda Lee, and Friends of Alley Pond Park to cut the ribbon on an array of enhancements at the historic Vanderbilt Motor Parkway in Eastern Queens.

“After two phases of reconstruction, I’m excited to officially announce the opening of the historic Vanderbilt Motor Parkway, enhancing the space with new pavement, guide rails, and beautiful greenery, boosts the quality of life for all Queens residents,” said Queens Borough Commissioner Jackie Langsam. “Thanks to this work, cyclists and pedestrians will be able to enjoy an upgraded open space for recreation and relaxation for years to come. This project represents our commitment as a ‘Five Borough Administration’ to investing in equitable, accessible, and beautiful public greenspaces in our outer boroughs.”

The $4 million project, funded by the Mayor’s Office and City Council, added new asphalt pavement to provide a smoother surface for cyclists and all park patrons and addressed draining issues by elevating the ground level to allow water to flow away from high-risk flood zones. Rustic timber guide rails and tree plantings were also placed to increase public safety and enhance the appearance of the parkway.

Phase one of the reconstruction focused on the multi-use path from Winchester Boulevard by the entrance to Alley Pond Park to Springfield Boulevard. The second phase included reconstruction from Springfield Boulevard to 199th Street, north of 67th Avenue.

“I’m thrilled work on the historic Vanderbilt Motor Parkway will continue to its next phase, so that our cyclists and pedestrians can have an even better and safer experience on the thoroughfare,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. “More importantly, I’m glad we’re all working together to ensure we preserve the historic and picturesque nature trail in the heart of Queens for years to come.”

“Eastern Queens is known for its scenic parks and green spaces that allow families to enjoy the outdoors. The reconstruction of the Vanderbilt Motor Parkway now provides refurbished space to serve as areas to benefit the health and wellness of our community,” said Council Member Linda Lee. “The Vanderbilt Motor Parkway is always bustling with cyclists and joggers across the neighborhood, so I want to thank Queens Parks Commissioner Jackie Langsam for your leadership in ensuring the completion of this project.”

Originally built in 1908 as a racecourse by the railroad mogul and financier William K. Vanderbilt, Jr. (1878-1944), the Vanderbilt Motor Parkway later developed into a major public thoroughfare. It was one of the first concrete roads in the nation, the first highway to use bridges and overpasses, and the first high-speed route from Queens to Suffolk County. The Parkway’s largely untold history is filled with intrigue: race cars, bootlegging, historic preservation efforts, and public controversy. Today, the Parkway survives as a bicycle path, but began as America’s first all-elevated road for cars.

The Bad News

Streetsblog NYC-November 20, 2023

Hochul Vetoes Bill To Expand Eastern Queens Greenway

The bill passed the legislature unanimously, but the governor vetoed it, saying that it mandated a study that was not funded in the budget.

By Dave Colon

Cyclists in eastern Queens got one less thing to be thankful for this year, as Gov. Hochul vetoed the latest effort to expand a greenway from Queens into Nassau.

Last Friday, Hochul nixed a bill that required the state Department of Parks and Recreation and the state Office of Mental Health to study expanding the Vanderbilt Motor Parkway, a greenway trail that runs parallel to Union Turnpike between Cunningham Park and Winchester Boulevard, into Nassau County.

The bill passed the state Senate and the Assembly unanimously this year, but Hochul vetoed it in a package of bills that she said mandated studies or task forces that were not paid for in this year's state budget.

"Without appropriate funding, these unbudgeted costs would create significant staffing and other programmatic burdens on state agencies," Hochul wrote in her Nov. 17 veto message. "Additionally, because of the ongoing work of state agencies and authorities, a number of the proposals would result in duplication and unnecessary bureaucracy."

The veto is the latest blow to expanding the greenway, a fight that dates back to 2014. After the bill passed unanimously in both houses, supporters figured they finally would see a win.

"It's disappointing New Yorkers could work for over a decade on an issue, could organize and get something to the governor's desk with unanimous support from both houses of the legislature and get a veto," said Joby Jacob, a Queens resident who has advocated for the extension since 2014.

Advocates say that expanding the path will provide safe route for cyclists and pedestrians that parallels treacherous and dangerous Union Turnpike. Expanding the trail eastward would also allow the Brooklyn-Queens Greenway to link up with planned sections of greenways in Nassau County, as a bevy of supportive elected officials and advocacy organizations pointed out last week before the governor struck the bill down with her pen.

The Vanderbilt Motor Parkway was privately built by William Kissam Vanderbilt II in 1908, but motorists abandoned the bucolic parkway once the Grand Central Parkway and Northern State Parkway opened. In 2002, the stretch between Cunningham Park and Winchester Boulevard became a bike and pedestrian path, but it has not expanded since then.

Any effort to expand the trail east to Nassau would not require eminent domain since the trail could run entirely through the Creedmor Psychiatric Center, the Queens Farm Museum, the Frank A. Padavan Educational Campus and the Queens Children's Psychiatric Center, all of which are on land controlled by the city or state.

On Union Turnpike near Creedmoor Psychiatric Center, the sidewalk ends but the dirt path shows pedestrians still walk along the road. Photo: Angus Grieve-Smith

The eastern edge of the trail would expand from Winchester Boulevard through Creedmor Psychiatric Center. Despite the road's dangers and a "No pedestrians" sign along the stretch of Union Turnpike near Creedmor, supporters have pointed out there are still people walking there, as shown by the trampled dirt between the turnpike and the hospital campus.

"It's ridiculous that there's a well tread path through the dirt, a desire line where the sidewalk is supposed to be, but people still need to get where they're going. And so, the fact that you have a state agency that is ostensibly dedicated to mental health that isn't looking into the physical health of the human bodies that are in front of their building is pretty weird," said Jacob.

Hochul is not the first governor to veto an effort to expand the greenway to Nassau. In 2019, then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo vetoed an earlier version of the bill, and made the similar point that the study lacked funding and suggested legislators put the extension study in the state budget.

In her veto message, Hochul said she was "directing state agencies that have ongoing efforts or future plans to address the issues described in these bills to continue their efforts and to review and incorporate the goals in the legislation to the extent practicable." Because of that message, legislators are hoping that the study will become a reality sooner rather than later.

"There’s no reason to believe the Motor Parkway study won’t see the light of day, even if it won’t be right away," said state Sen. John Liu, who sponsored the bill in the Senate. "I’m confident we’ll get there, and will continue working with the governor’s office to make it happen."

Dave Colon@davecoIon