NYC Roads

[D-Dey65]

Has that access road from Douglaston Pkwy. always been there or was it built more recently to substitute for the GCP entrance/exit that was closed off ?

A historic aerial shows the road there in 1966, and continuing east of Douglaston Parkway to a former south-to-east flyover ramp between Cross Island and Grand Central.
https://historicaerials.com/?layer=map&zoom=15&lat=40.758333&lon=-73.747222

[D-Dey65]

A couple of other things about the Cross Island Parkway;

I don't know how many people remember the gas stations on the parkway. I know that one existed on the southbound lanes south of the south-to-east loop ramp to the Long Island Expressway. I'm trying to find out if others existed.

Somewhere south of the Fort Totten exit, I remember a series of construction barricades and chain-link fences along the southbound lanes on a slab of asphalt that looked either like a big parking lot and/or former rest area, or a temporary realignment of the road, When I saw that for the first times, for some reason, I couldn't remember what was there before, and that scared me a little bit.

I'm looking at Historic Aerial photo of that region from 1966, and for the life of me, I can't be sure of what it used to be.

https://historicaerials.com/?layer=map&zoom=15&lat=40.758333&lon=-73.747222

[The Ghostbuster]

There were many gas station-only service areas along the parkways of the state of New York. Most of them have since been demolished, but some of them have survived. The surviving ones have since had Dunkin' Donuts restaurants added to them.

[SignBridge]

A couple of other things about the Cross Island Parkway;

I don't know how many people remember the gas stations on the parkway. I know that one existed on the southbound lanes south of the south-to-east loop ramp to the Long Island Expressway. I'm trying to find out if others existed.

Somewhere south of the Fort Totten exit, I remember a series of construction barricades and chain-link fences along the southbound lanes on a slab of asphalt that looked either like a big parking lot and/or former rest area, or a temporary realignment of the road, When I saw that for the first times, for some reason, I couldn't remember what was there before, and that scared me a little bit.

I'm looking at Historic Aerial photo of that region from 1966, and for the life of me, I can't be sure of what it used to be.

https://historicaerials.com/?layer=map&zoom=15&lat=40.758333&lon=-73.747222

You're talking about the Bayside Marina. There was a parking area parallel to the Parkway and a dock that led out to a building on the water. It survived until recently. I passed there two weeks ago and was surprised to see it's been demolished. Don't know why.

I remember the gas station by the L.I.E. cloverleaf, but I don't recall any other gas stations on the Cross Island Pkwy.

[vdeane]

You're talking about the Bayside Marina. There was a parking area parallel to the Parkway and a dock that led out to a building on the water. It survived until recently. I passed there two weeks ago and was surprised to see it's been demolished. Don't know why.

There's a note on their website about being closed for renovations.

[D-Dey65]

You're talking about the Bayside Marina. There was a parking area parallel to the Parkway and a dock that led out to a building on the water. It survived until recently. I passed there two weeks ago and was surprised to see it's been demolished. Don't know why.

No, this was north of the Bayside Marina, and this was in the 1970's. It was also across the road.

I remember the gas station by the L.I.E. cloverleaf, but I don't recall any other gas stations on the Cross Island Pkwy.

Somebody had old footage of the Cross Island Parkway which included a gas station toward the end. I wasn't sure it was the same station, and the landscape didn't really convince me it was.

[SignBridge]

You're talking about the Bayside Marina. There was a parking area parallel to the Parkway and a dock that led out to a building on the water. It survived until recently. I passed there two weeks ago and was surprised to see it's been demolished. Don't know why.

No, this was north of the Bayside Marina, and this was in the 1970's. It was also across the road.

I remember the gas station by the L.I.E. cloverleaf, but I don't recall any other gas stations on the Cross Island Pkwy.

Somebody had old footage of the Cross Island Parkway which included a gas station toward the end. I wasn't sure it was the same station, and the landscape didn't really convince me it was.

Yeah sorry; you did say the southbound side; my error. And I think I've seen that old footage, showing the gas station before the L.I.E. overpass was built, right?

[D-Dey65]

And I think I've seen that old footage, showing the gas station before the L.I.E. overpass was built, right?

If this is the footage, then yes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hb7oLR8K_4Y
And looking at it again, I can see how this could be the same gas station.

[SignBridge]

Yes that is the right video. The L.I.E. viaduct over the C.I. Pkwy was built circa 1956.

[D-Dey65]

Regarding the construction north of and across from Bayside Marina? I found it.
https://historicaerials.com/?layer=map&zoom=15&lat=40.758333&lon=-73.747222
Does anybody know where the Bay Terrace Country Club is? The south end of this construction project was south of that, and the north end of it was roughly around The Towers at Water's Edge. This clearly looks like a realignment of the parkway, albeit a temporary one. This thing was around from around 1973 to sometime in the 1980's.

As I mentioned, the thing that scared me is that once I saw the realignment, I couldn't remember what was there before. I was along that road so many times before I was old enough to go to school, and all of the sudden that one plot of land drew a blank with me.

[Plutonic Panda]

Cross Bronx Expressway study is complete:

https://www.amny.com/nyc-transit/study-on-cross-bronx-expressway-redesign/

[Rothman]

Cross Bronx Expressway study is complete:

https://www.amny.com/nyc-transit/study-on-cross-bronx-expressway-redesign/

"SDOT" is a new way to refer to NYSDOT...

[The Ghostbuster]

Here is a link to the CBE reimagining study: https://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/reimagine-cross-bronx-final-vision.pdf. It doesn't look like there is much that can be done to improve the corridor (although capping the expressway would definitely be an improvement). One idea I would have is to add ramp meters to manage traffic entering the freeway. Would that work?

[D-Dey65]

Cross Bronx Expressway study is complete:

https://www.amny.com/nyc-transit/study-on-cross-bronx-expressway-redesign/

"Residents and some area politicians have long said that the highway divides neighborhoods, increasing asthma rates while decreasing safety and walkability."

Total BS. If they think keeping everything at surface level is going to prevent the division of neighborhoods, pollution, and increase "safety and walkability" they're seriously deceiving themselves.

[Ted$8roadFan]

When it comes to the Cross Bronx Expressway, the worst highway in the NYC area IMO, there are no good options....just bad and less bad ones.

[SignBridge]

When it comes to the Cross Bronx Expressway, the worst highway in the NYC area IMO, there are no good options....just bad and less bad ones.

I think the Brooklyn-Queens Expwy. is a worse road than the Cross Bronx Expwy. The Cross Bx. roadway is in somewhat better condition and most of that road has shoulders. Many sections of the longer BQE do not.

[PastTense]

Here is the full Cross Bronx Expressway study:

https://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/reimagine-cross-bronx-final-vision.pdf

[The Ghostbuster]

NY Congestion Pricing Likely to Continue for Months at Least: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-04-08/nyc-congestion-pricing-likely-continues-for-months-filing-says?srnd=homepage-americas.