$50 Million Public-Private Partnership Will Create Safe, Seamless Pedestrian Access Between Existing Park and World-Class Transportation Hub

Project Renderings Available Here

Event Photos Available Here

Empire State Development (ESD), Friends of the High Line, and Brookfield Properties today announced the groundbreaking for the new High Line X Moynihan Connector, an elevated public-pedestrian pathway that connects the present terminus of the High Line at West 30th Street and Tenth Avenue to Moynihan Station through an existing public plaza within the Manhattan West development. The $50 million project represents a public-private partnership between ESD, Friends of the High Line, and Brookfield Properties with a scheduled completion in Spring 2023.

Envisioned as part of a larger neighborhood connectivity project, the Moynihan Connector links the High Line to Moynihan Station and the larger transit hub at Penn Station to improve and enhance the pedestrian experience and strengthen connectivity for a more livable, vibrant West Side. It aims to foster connections for New Yorkers among residents, local businesses, visitors and a growing workforce – while ensuring access to public open spaces and other community assets.

ESD Acting Commissioner and President and CEO-designate Hope Knight said, “The High Line X Moynihan Connector will safely connect commuters, residents, and visitors to major New York City destinations and spur further economic development on the West Side.  Projects that improve the public realm are an investment in New York’s future, and tangible sign of our optimism about the Empire State’s continued economic rebound.”

When using the Moynihan Connector, pedestrians and visitors will have safe, unobstructed access to the Far West Side of Manhattan via two bridges – Woodland Bridge and Timber Bridge – that will connect to the existing 10th Avenue terminus of the High Line. The new, landscaped Woodland Bridge will extend eastward from the High Line's existing 10th Avenue/30th Street terminus along Dyer Avenue on Port Authority of New York and New Jersey property, to the mid-block between 9th and 10th Avenues. There, it will connect to a second Timber Bridge which will travel north and link to Brookfield Properties’ 2.5-acre public plaza within its Manhattan West development directly across 9th Avenue from Moynihan Station.

The Moynihan Connector will offer a safe, scenic experience for commuters, residents, and visitors navigating this heavily trafficked area near the entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel. The project will improve access between transportation hubs like Moynihan Station and Penn Station, and destinations like Hudson Yards, Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, and Manhattan’s far West Side neighborhoods. The project complements and supports the recent public and private investments that continues to transform Manhattan’s Midtown West neighborhoods.

Brookfield Properties Executive Vice President Sabrina Kanner said, "We are proud to celebrate such an exciting milestone today as we break ground at the High Line X Moynihan Connector alongside our partners at Empire State Development and Friends of the High Line. When Brookfield Properties set out to develop Manhattan West, our focus was on connectivity, and creating a place that felt welcome and accessible. The Connector embodies these principles by providing a safe and seamless pedestrian passageway from the city’s busiest transit hub to neighborhoods up and down the West Side and we look forward to its opening in 2023.”

Joshua David, Friends of the High Line Interim Executive Director and Co-Founder, said, “The Moynihan Connector is the latest realization of the High Line's long-standing vision. In just over a year from now, New Yorkers will be able to move seamlessly through beautiful, green public spaces from the West Village, up the High Line, over the two new Connector bridges and then cross just one city street into Moynihan Train Hall and the transportation options at Penn Station. We are grateful to our project partners, Empire State Development and Brookfield Properties for their speed and dedication to a project that will ultimately create a safer west side.”

U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler said, “I am thrilled that we are now ready to break ground on the Moynihan Connector to the High Line. The High Line is an important resource for New Yorkers. The park generates important economic activity and provides a much-loved place to relax, grab a bite to eat, spend time with friends and family, and enjoy the views of our city. The Moynihan Connector realizes a long-standing vision for the High Line to provide better and safer pedestrian access to key New York City transportation hubs, recreational spaces, cultural institutions, and commercial properties. Currently, moving from Penn Station to the northern end of the High Line at 30th Street is a daunting task that includes crossing several busy streets, as well as dealing with trucks and cars entering the Lincoln Tunnel. When the connection is finally open New Yorkers and visitors will have a beautiful and safe pathway to the far West Side, the Hudson River and all the way to down to the West Village.”

Senator Brad Hoylman said, “The High Line is one of the greatest urban parks and urban reclamation projects in the world. Now, thanks to the Connector, funded by Empire State Development, Friends of the High Line, and Brookfield Properties, the park will be directly and safely accessible from New York’s newest transit hub: Moynihan Train Hall. Governor Hochul’s prioritization of improvements on the West Side of Manhattan and her incorporation of community feedback in this project are such a breath of fresh air. The Connector began from Community Board 4’s suggestions to protect pedestrians from vehicular traffic. This improvement is community engagement in action, and it will be enjoyed by neighborhood residents and visitors for years to come.”

Senator Robert Jackson said, "We welcome the innovative and strategic investment by the State and all stakeholders that will link the High Line to Moynihan Train Hall. This will allow commuters, residents, and tourists to connect to all major New York City destinations safely. As New York continues to reopen and recover, this investment will benefit our State for years to come."

Assembly Member Richard Gottfried said, “As the West Side continues to grow, we need to ensure that future infrastructure ensures the safe and convenient movement of pedestrians. The High Line extension and future improvements on the street level underneath will accomplish that, while bridging a new connection to the Penn Station area.”

New York City Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi said, “New York City’s economic recovery begins with great infrastructure, and this project will help us move in the right direction. A safe and easy connection between the High Line and the many transportation options at Moynihan Train Hall and Penn Station will help New Yorkers, commuters, and visitors take advantage of all our city has to offer. I applaud ESD and their partners for putting this exciting new project in motion.”

Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine said, “The High Line is a shining example of utilizing urban infrastructure to create badly needed open space for New Yorkers and extending it to Moynihan Hall will better connect New Yorkers to more livable and vibrant neighborhoods of Manhattan. I’m glad that the visibility improvements for pedestrians that the local community needed have been included in this plan and congratulate Acting Commissioner Hope Knight and the Friends of the High Line for their work.”



Council Member Erik Bottcher said, “I am so happy to celebrate the groundbreaking of the High Line-Moynihan Connector in my City Council district. This connector is a wonderful new addition to the community that will further connect the High Line to the surrounding neighborhood and important transit hubs.”

Manhattan Community Board 4 Chair Jeffrey LeFrancois said, "Manhattan Community Board 4 looks forward to more pedestrian-centric planning from the State and the High Line East connector improves a part of our district that has long been ignored. The High Line is an important piece of infrastructure that also happens to be a park on the west side, and MCB4 is thankful the State is making improvements to the streetscape in this area as well."

Contact:

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