Public weighs in on Sheridan Expressway revitalization plan

The Sheridan Expressway is getting a makeover, and Bronx residents are now getting the chance to weigh in on the plan.
The public can for the first time raise questions and concerns about the proposal announced by Gov. Andrew Cuomo in March.
A public scoping meeting Tuesday at the Casita Maria Center for Arts and Education is the first step in the official environmental review of the plan.
Residents are calling for transparency and honesty in helping the Hunts Point Access Improvement Project become a reality. Cuomo announced the $1.8 billion project that aims to transform the Sheridan Expressway into a pedestrian-friendly boulevard. The Sheridan is set to be decommissioned next year as part of phase one, and the tree-lined boulevard is expected to be completed by 2019.
Cuomo believes the plan will help combat pollution and make the area safer by preventing many large trucks from traveling through residential streets to get to the Hunts Point Market.
Cuomo has said the plan can strike a balance between residents' health and the economic vitality of the market, which employs about 3,500 people. The changes would give people living in the area better access to the waterfront and recreation areas. It would also build new roads and bridges that would bring traffic directly into the market.
The 30-day public comment period is currently underway.