Elected Officials Join the Push to Light the East River Track

The campaign to light the East River Track has taken an important step forward! In an October 27 letter to the Parks Department and the Department of Design and Construction, five local elected officials called for permanent sports lighting to be installed at the East River Park Track as part of the East Side Coastal Resiliency project.

Thank you to Assembly Member Keith Powers and to his Legislative Director, Gabriel Turzo, for spearheading the letter. Their leadership has helped bring elected officials together behind this important improvement.

We’re grateful to all five signers:

• Keith Powers, New York State Assembly Member, District 74

• Harvey Epstein, New York City Council Member, District 2

• Brian Kavanagh, New York State Senator, District 27

• Grace Lee, New York State Assembly Member, District 65

• Brad Hoylman-Sigal, Manhattan Borough President

The letter recognizes that rebuilding the track presents an opportunity to address its longstanding lack of lighting. For neighbors whose schedules leave early mornings or evenings as their only opportunity to exercise, permanent lighting would make the track safer and more accessible.

The elected officials’ letter provides meaningful momentum for the campaign. Turning that support into reality will require funding through city and/or state budgets, as well as a commitment from DDC and NYC Parks to update the construction scope to include permanent lighting. The signers’ offer to support the project’s capital funding needs provides a foundation for those next steps.

Meanwhile, construction is progressing on the track’s reconstruction. A recent presentation from the ESCR project team shows the foundation for the track building being laid (below).

Thank you to our elected officials and everyone supporting the campaign! Your continued advocacy is helping move this forward.