Plans for a 10.6-mile greenway running along the East River and the North Shore of Queens between the Pulaski Bridge and Flushing Bay Promenade became one step closer to reality this past week when City Councilmember Eric Gioia announced in a press conference on January 13th, 2006, that he was able to provide $500,000 in city funds for the project. This money was then leveraged by the City Parks Department, who is developing the plan, securing an additional $2.6 million in federal funding.The park's plan stems from the City's greenway master plan of 1993, A Greenway Plan for New York City, which included 350 miles of landscaped bicycle and pedestrian paths. 80% of these paths were designed to be traffic-free routes separated from oncoming cars and trucks. The Queens East River and the North Shore plan will be a combination of on-road and in-park lanes running primarily down Vernon Boulevard and 20th Avenue. In-park lanes run parallel to the East River bringing cyclists and pedestrians to the water's edge. This will require park construction, which we hope will address the ongoing needs of these waterfront open spaces, such as the restoration of the bulkhead in Queensbridge Park.Opportunities exist throughout this 10.6-mile stretch. Erik Baard of Citizens for NYC is encouraging an outpost of Recycle-a-Bicycle to partner with the existing Long Island City Community Boathouse. Recycle-a-Bicycle is a hands-on youth program that teaches kids environmental education, recycling and safe bicycle transportation in New York City. With Queensbridge Houses, the largest public housing projects in the country, as well as Astoria and Ravenswood Houses along the route, there is a large and ongoing need for youth development and education.Another opportunity lies within the lines of our changing neighborhoods. Mayor Bloomberg's office has been working to develop Industrial Business Zones (IBZ) throughout the five boroughs, one of which borders the greenway. This could be an exciting place to develop a traffic calming project like that undertaken in Downtown Brooklyn by Transportation Alternatives and NYC's Department of Transportation. Dangerous, fast and overcrowded traffic discourages walkers and bikers, and minimizes the use of adjacent greenways. It is essential that the greenway and the surrounding streets are built to the highest and best standards to encourage users and ensure safety.New Yorkers have embraced the greenway system where it is complete and accessible, but areas that are fenced off or have sinkholes have discouraged riders. This is exemplified well in Manhattan when comparing the East Side to the West Side. Users can journey along the greenway undeterred on the West Side through Hudson River and Riverside Parks, while the East Side user is often seen turning back frustratingly from the waterfront at the end of Carl Schurz Park or on the Lower East Side and taking to the ease of the street. The proposed Queens East River and the North Shore greenway is an important part of a larger greenway network and needs to be designed in a forward-thinking and comprehensive manner by ensuring that the connections to bridges and other bike paths are well designed.MWA looks forward to being part of the process that will secure a safe and accessible bike path for Queens residents and other greenway users. Meetings with community leaders and the parks department are currently underway, and we will keep you updated on future meetings and progress.