Schumer Secures $2.8 Million for RiverWalk Connection to the Bridge and Route 9

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A rendering of the intersection of RiverWalk and the bridge. The Connector is highlighted in yellow

January 10, 2023

By Barrett Seaman—

The fruit of the federal government’s $1.7 trillion Omnibus Spending package, signed into law at year’s end, has begun to fall, and part of the giant harvest is $2.7975 million to fund the construction of the so-called Transit Connector that will provide ADA-accessible passage between the RiverWalk on the banks of the Hudson and the intersection of Broadway, Route 9, and the Shared Use Path across the Mario Cuomo Bridge. The link will open up all of these arteries to bicycle and pedestrian traffic, which local officials and business owners are hoping will unleash a horde of shoppers and diners on the Route 9 corridor.

“The Transit Connector, in combination with the RiverWalk Connection, will make it even more popular by allowing easier access to Metro-North commuter rail service from the shared use path across the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge and historic sites such as Lyndhurst and Sunnyside,” said Tarrytown Mayor Karen Brown in a statement.

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Others chimed in to praise Senator Schumer and outgoing 17^th District Congressman Mondaire Jones, who pushed for the measure on the House side. “This project will provide a tourism and recreation boost, help create good-paying jobs, and fulfill the long-standing dream of seeing this project come to completion,” added Westchester County Executive George Latimer.

Ned Sullivan, president of Scenic Hudson, which has been a driving force behind the entire RiverWalk project, stressed its environmental benefits of the project, which he said “will create jobs, reduce air pollution, enhance ridership on Metro-North Railroad and create opportunities for people of the region to enjoy the inspirational power of the Hudson as well as the rich historical and cultural resources of the area.”

This contribution from the Omnibus Spending Bill brings the total federal, state and local investment in the RiverWalk Connector to over $9 million. Westchester County has thrown in $1.3 million to pay for the environmental review, and the state has put in $3.5 million, although these funds are also for the broader Riverwalk Connection.

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