Pelham Parkway facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
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| Bronx and Pelham Parkway | |
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Pelham Parkway highlighted in red
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| Route information | |
| Maintained by NYCDOT | |
| Length | 2.25 mi (3.62 km) |
| Restrictions | No trucks, buses, or trailers (excluding service roads) |
| Major junctions | |
| West end |   US 1 / Bronx River Parkway in Bronx Park |
 Hutchinson River Parkway in Pelham Bay |
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| East end |  I-95 / Shore Road in Pelham Bay Park |
| Location | |
| Counties: | Bronx |
| Highway system | |
| Numbered highways in New York Interstate • U.S. • N.Y. (former) • Reference • County |
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The Bronx and Pelham Parkway, usually called Pelham Parkway, is a 2.25-mile-long (3.62 km) road in the borough of the Bronx in New York City. This special road connects Bronx Park with Pelham Bay Park. It starts near the Bronx River Parkway and U.S. Route 1 (US 1). It ends at Interstate 95 (I-95), which is also known as the New England Thruway.
Even though it's called a "parkway," parts of Pelham Parkway are like a regular street. It has two main lanes for cars, one going each way. It also has two "service roads" next to it. These service roads are for local traffic. Like other parkways in New York City, big trucks, buses, or trailers are not allowed on the main parkway lanes. However, they can use the service roads. The New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) takes care of the parkway.
The neighborhood around the parkway is called Morris Park. But the part closest to the road is often called Pelham Parkway. A special bikeway runs along the entire parkway. This bikeway is part of the East Coast Greenway, a long path for bikes and walkers.
Contents
Exploring Pelham Parkway
Pelham Parkway starts at a big road connection called a cloverleaf interchange. This is where it meets the Bronx River Parkway in Bronx Park. To the west, the road continues as East Fordham Road, which is also part of US 1. For a short distance, about 0.18 miles (0.29 km), Pelham Parkway and US 1 share the same road. Then, US 1 turns north onto Boston Road.
The parkway has six lanes and is divided in the middle. It goes under the New York City Subway's IRT White Plains Road Line at the Pelham Parkway station. The road continues east through the Morris Park neighborhood. It passes and crosses Williamsbridge Road, which leads to the Jacobi Medical Center. At this spot, the parkway also goes over the IRT Dyre Avenue Line at its underground Pelham Parkway station.
The parkway then curves eastward, crossing Eastchester Road. After that, Stillwell Avenue joins the parkway. This is where the service roads end. After Stillwell Avenue, the parkway becomes a "limited-access freeway." This means all entrances and exits use ramps, not traffic lights. The parkway crosses over the Northeast Corridor train tracks and enters Pelham Bay. It then reaches another cloverleaf interchange with the Hutchinson River Parkway.
Less than 0.5 miles (0.80 km) later, the parkway enters Pelham Bay Park. It has another cloverleaf interchange with I-95, also known as the New England Thruway. This is where Pelham Parkway officially ends. The road continues east into the park as Shore Road.
The speed limit on the parkway changes. It's 30 miles per hour (48 km/h) between Boston Road and Stillwell Avenue. It increases to 40 miles per hour (64 km/h) between Stillwell Avenue and Shore Road. The service roads have a city-wide speed limit of 25 miles per hour (40 km/h).
The New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) maintains the parkway itself. However, the New York City Parks Department takes care of the trees, plants, and the bike path next to the road. Between White Plains Road and Stillwell Avenue, the parkway has a wide, green area in the middle. This area is like a small park with benches and walking paths.
The parkway also has two bike paths, one for each direction. These paths are part of the larger East Coast Greenway. This amazing greenway connects Maine all the way down to Florida.
History of the Parkway
Early Ideas for Parks
Back in the 1870s, a famous landscape designer named Frederick Law Olmsted had a big idea. He wanted to create a "greenbelt" across the Bronx. This would be a system of parks and parkways that fit naturally with the land. However, the city didn't act on his plan right away.
Around the same time, a newspaper editor named John Mullaly strongly supported creating parks in New York City. He especially liked the idea of using land owned by the Van Cortlandt and Pell families in the Bronx. In 1881, he started the New York Park Association. Some people worried that these parks would be too far from Manhattan. They also thought the parks would stop new buildings from being built. But newspapers and important people who supported the parks worked hard. They convinced the New York State Senate and New York State Assembly to pass a law.
In June 1884, Governor Grover Cleveland signed the New Parks Act. This law allowed the park system to be created. The system included three parkways and six parks. Bronx Park was at the center. Pelham Parkway was built to connect Bronx Park to Pelham Bay Park in the east. Other parkways connected Bronx Park to Van Cortlandt Park and Crotona Park.
Building and Changes
The first Pelham Parkway was built in 1911 and opened in 1912. It was a small, two-lane road in what was then mostly countryside. Strict rules meant no one could build too close to the road.
After World War I, New York City grew very fast. The Bronx became a big part of the city, with new neighborhoods and highways. Pelham Parkway became a busy road for people traveling to work. Major construction on today's Pelham Parkway began in 1935. It was finished in 1937 under the direction of parks commissioner Robert Moses.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Robert Moses wanted to make the parkway even bigger. He wanted to turn it into a full freeway, with only ramps for exits and entrances. He also wanted to extend it all the way to Manhattan. However, many people started to oppose new highways in the city. Because of this, only the section from Shore Road to Stillwell Avenue was upgraded to a freeway.
Today's Parkway
In 2010, some trees along Pelham Parkway were cut down. This was done so the NYSDOT could install guardrails. They did this because there had been more accidents. Even though some local people were against it, the project went ahead. The parks department promised to plant 200 new trees along the parkway to replace the ones that were cut.
