Bronxites To Rally for #HealthOverHighways, As State DOT Pushes to Expand Cross Bronx Expressway

As the State eyes plans to widen the Cross Bronx Expressway with a new polluting highway, Bronx electeds and health professionals will rally with local residents for sustainable alternatives to safeguard public health

BRONX, NY (09/10/2025) (readMedia)-- Today, Bronx residents will rally against state DOT plans to expand the Cross Bronx Expressway, alongside local elected officials and health professionals. Governor Kathy Hochul and NYSDOT are currently considering a $900 million plan to add a new, mile-long highway to the Cross Bronx, despite its dangerous health implications for residents in the borough with the worst health outcomes statewide.

Watch the livestream here.

Long considered one of the most congested corridors citywide, the Cross Bronx is a major source of air pollution linked to high asthma rates and heart disease. With up to 150,000 polluting vehicles already using the roadway daily - including 18,000 heavy trucks - the proposed expansion would pave over parts of Starlight Park and the Bronx River. It would bring even more traffic and congestion, worsening pollution for 64,000 neighborhood residents, including the 3,000 seniors and families on the frontlines at Bronx River Houses who already live with toxic air quality. Directly impacted residents and advocates will urge Governor Hochul and NYSDOT to invest in sustainable alternatives to improve the corridor and protect community health.

WHO:

Assemblymember Emérita Torres

Assemblymember Amanda Séptimo

Assemblymember Yudelka Tapia

Norma Saunders, President of the Bronx River Houses Tenant Association

Stop the Cross Bronx Expansion Coalition

Bronx River Alliance

Bronx Health REACH

THE POINT CDC

Tri-State Transportation Campaign

Riders Alliance

New Yorkers for Parks

Fannie Lou Hamer Freedom HS

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WHAT:

A rally with Bronx residents, electeds, and health professionals urging NYSDOT and Gov. Hochul to suspend plans to expand the Cross Bronx, which would directly endanger the health of tens of thousands of residents. The Cross Bronx is a major contributor to poor air quality and record-levels of childhood asthma and heart disease in surrounding neighborhoods. Bilingual, Spanish-speaking advocates will call for safe, sustainable alternatives that protect community health and the environment.
WHEN: Wednesday September 10, 2025 at 10:30AM Eastern Time (US & Canada)
WHERE: Bronx River Avenue, between 174th St & Cross Bronx Expressway
1494 Bronx River Ave
Bronx, New York 10472
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