The Sheridan Expressway: Cars & Buses or Homes & Open Space?

We've gotta admit - we don't live near the Sheridan and seldom find ourselves driving on it, so we don't know where we lie on this issue just yet. Our post on Tuesday announcing a Southern Bronx River Watershed Alliance town hall meeting discussing the possibility of converting the Sheridan to affordable housing, new businesses, and open space this Tuesday caused quite an interesting debate between two of our most outspoken and well-reasoned commenters (coincidentally both named Jay).

Click here and scroll down to read each of their persuasive arguments in their entirety, or you can read below for a few snippets.

Jay Shuffield says (in part):

Removing the Sheridan has a lot of feel-good qualities to it, but it has never been a coherent plan. Proponents argue the Sheridan isn't needed because there's not enough traffic, and then they say all that traffic creates too much air pollution. They talk about the importance of transit, but then ignore the possibilities of using the Sheridan for more transit purposes.
It sounds good on the surface, but it hasn't been thought through very well. We should be focusing instead on how to enhance the Sheridan as a priority transit right-of-way for express buses that could benefit people throughout much of the Bronx, especially in those areas that are now so poorly served by transit. Moreover, these benefits could be achieved without disrupting working class jobs and dumping unnecessary traffic congestion onto local neighborhood streets!

While our other Jay argues (in part):

Jay I could not disagree with you more. As a longtime resident of the Bronx AND the surrounding community that the Sheridan plows through, I can say wholeheartedly that the removal of the Sheridan would make the entire Bronx, and this particular area MUCH better, not worse.
The area is already being repositioned as a residential use, with housing, parks and greenways ALREADY THERE and growing. The final piece of the puzzle, however, is the Sheridan. Making it a greenway, with housing and retail creates jobs, a local economy, decreases traffic/pollution (you heard about astham in the area right?), reinforces a healthy lifestyle, and provides a significant source of GOOD housing for the working and middle class in an area that needs more of them. How do I know this? I live here..do you?
Attempting to instill fear and spread ignorance by saying "it's too expensive", "the area is probably contaminated", "it's not a good place for housing" is offensive and disgusting. The reality is it is one of the FEW places where we can have significant affordable housing for the working/middle class with the public transportation to move them cheaply and quickly.
But hey, I suspect it would make your life easier as a resident outside of the community to say "Screw them, we should use it for us and get our express buses through there to make MY commute shorter." If you want to address the lack of transit for those who CHOOSE to live in areas with little to no transportation, you should do so and work towards getting PUBLIC TRANSIT to your area. The Sheridan is NOT needed, never has been, and the better use is to redevelop the entire area for a green, middle class future.

Each Jay has very clearly thought out arguments on the issue, and the above quotes only reflect some of what each has to say.

So how do other Bronxites feel about this issue? Should the Sheridan remain the way it is, or become revamped as a place for affordable housing, businesses, and open space?

~ErLu