Rep. Ritchie Torres Urges State to Extend Public Comment Period for Cross Bronx 5 Bridges Project

Yesterday, Congressman Ritchie Torres (NY-15) wrote to Governor Kathy Hochul and New York State Transportation Commissioner Marie Dominguez, formally requesting an extension of the public comment period for the Cross Bronx 5 Bridges Project Environmental Assessment. The project spans communities that have long faced disproportionate environmental burdens from major infrastructure and transportation corridors.

In the letter, Rep. Torres emphasized that the current January 9, 2026 deadline does not provide residents and stakeholders with sufficient time to review and respond to the highly technical materials. He noted that Bronx families already navigate demanding work schedules, family responsibilities, and financial pressures, and that the holiday season further reduces the time available for meaningful engagement.

“This project will have a direct and lasting impact on the daily lives of Bronx residents,” said Rep. Torres. “Communities that have endured decades of environmental inequity deserve the time and space to study the details and make their voices heard. Extending the comment period is essential to ensuring a fair and accessible public process.”

Rep. Torres expressed appreciation for the State’s commitment to improving infrastructure and urged that community members be given adequate opportunity to contribute well-informed feedback on a project of this scale and importance.

Rep. Torres has long championed the reimagining of the Cross Bronx Expressway, aggressively addressing its harms to the local community and charting a path toward a future that finally meets their needs. As early as 2021, he joined community leaders in calling for parts of the highway to be capped, decking over it to reduce pollution, reconnect neighborhoods, and create green space. He has described the expressway as “both literally and metaphorically a structure of racism,” noting that decades of diesel traffic have caused serious environmental and health impacts for Bronx residents, including elevated rates of asthma and other chronic illnesses.

Building on that advocacy, Rep. Torres helped secure federal funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to launch a community-driven study by city and state agencies to reimagine the expressway. Completed in 2025, the study produced a final report outlining short, mid, and long term proposals, including possible capping, new open and green spaces, transit improvements, and enhanced bike and pedestrian infrastructure. He has also opposed state plans for connector roads that could increase traffic and pollution, emphasizing the need for community-centered solutions that restore neighborhoods, protect public health, and create equitable green space.

A copy of the letter is attached as a PDF.