NYC DOT’s Newly Reconstructed Fordham Plaza

By Wayne Sheppard

New York City Department of Transportation announced the unveiling of the newly reconstructed Fordham Plaza in the Bronx.

The Fordham Plaza area used to be called the worst intersection in the city, but it is now a safer, easier to navigate public transportation hub with more public space that can be enjoyed by all.

A major transit and commercial hub, Fordham Plaza sits at the intersection of many local and regional bus lines, as well as one of the busiest Metro North train stations, Fordham University’s Rose Hill and Roosevelt Educational Campuses. Elementary and high school students travel through the hub while Fordham Road is traveled by 80,000 pedestrians daily. The redesign will play an important role in Vision Zero’s goal to reduce traffic-related deaths and injuries, with its shortened pedestrian crosswalks, new direct crossings to deter jaywalking, and an expansion in pedestrian space. There are few places in the City as alive with activity or buzzing with energy.

The completion of the new Fordham Plaza is the result of a collaborative effort among the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT), the Department of Design and Construction (DDC), the New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC), the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), local officials as well as local stakeholders and the surrounding community. DOT worked closely with residents and local business owners and focus groups to ensure the new plaza design met their needs and is pleased to partner with The Fordham Road Business Improvement District on the management and maintenance of this plaza.