Paddle the Bronx River, See How Cross Bronx Expansion Threatens Cmty + NYC's Last Freshwater River

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BRONX, NY (04/16/2026) (readMedia)-- On Saturday, advocates from Bronx River Alliance and the Stop the Cross Bronx Expansion Coalition will lead waterfront and walking tours of the recently expanded Starlight Park and the proposed expansion site for the $900 million Cross Bronx 5 Bridges project. Advocates will also present sustainable solutions to mitigate the highway's health and environmental harms.

View the attached rendering of the proposed expansion site.

Media interested in scheduling a paddle-along should RSVP to Adaku Nwokiwu, adaku@pythiapublic.com. Interviews will be available with staff as well as a former alum from Bronx River Alliance's Environmental Enrichment and Leadership for Students (EELS) program. There will also be existing EELS doing field work on site, but given that they are under-age, interviews will be more limited.

The Bronx River is New York City's only remaining major freshwater river, spanning 23 miles total and buffered by a critical 50-acre section of old-growth forest called Thain Family Forest. With the state's final design plan and environmental determination due early next month, Governor Hochul and the State Department of Transportation are still considering widening the Cross Bronx by another 50 feet, which would ramp up pollution and undo decades of community-led clean up efforts along the River.

In 2022, NYSDOT illegally dumped roadway debris directly into the Bronx River after demolishing a Cross Bronx entrance ramp during a similar rehabilitation project. Advocates will share background on the community's history of volunteer-led environmental remediation along the Bronx River.