Cyclists, pedestrians want George Washington Bridge's pathways to be open 24/7
FORT LEE, N.J. – The George Washington Bridge has a dedicated pathway for pedestrians and cyclists, but it isn't open 24 hours. One Bergen County man is trying to change that.
The Port Authority estimates that in June of 2024, more than 1,100 cyclists and close to 900 pedestrians used the bridge's pathway on the average weekday. Those numbers went up to over 2,700 cyclists and nearly 1,500 pedestrians on weekends.
Kacy Knight, who considers himself somewhat of a nighthawk, said he was shocked to find out the pathway is closed from midnight to 6 a.m. seven days a week.
"I want I guess justice for people. I really feel like this is a matter of freedom of movement," he said.
Knight said he's started a petition, now with more than 600 signatures, to have the pathway stay open 24/7.
"Especially if we are talking about congestion pricing and things like that. I think there needs to be some give and take," he said.
"Some people walk, run there. Some people go to work early in the morning, and their life is very difficult because it's closed," said Henry Francisco, owner of the Hudson Bikes shop across the bridge.
Port Authority says overnight closures are necessary
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey operates the bridge. An agency spokesperson said both the south and north walks have been closed overnight for decades, going back to 1995.
The Port Authority said it uses the overnight hours to clean the pathway way, but Knight said he's willing to compromise.
"I'm open to just shortening the hours that it is closed," Knight said.
But the Port Authority spokesperson said that's out of the question right now because the pedestrian-only south walk is closed until 2026, saying, "We are currently undertaking a $2 billion restoration of the George Washington Bridge, during which time overnight closures are necessary."
The spokesperson added, "When that work is complete and the south walk reopens, we look forward to continuing the conversation about overnight closures, with an eye to ensuring we can still perform essential maintenance and cleaning operations while keeping people safe on the bridge."
Walkers and cyclists alike are hoping for a compromise.