UPDATE (04.02.2022): Updated links and made minor edits.

Memorial Highway in New Rochelle is an excessively wide road originally designed to connect I-95 to the Cross-County Parkway. However, it only exists as a stub that doesn’t connect to much of anything. Recently, Governor Cuomo awarded New Rochelle a $10 million grant; of this amount, New Rochelle will spend $6 $12 million on The Linc – a project transforming Memorial Highway from a useless car sewer to a useful linear park! Last week, I took many photos of the area. Let’s take a trip, shall we?

NOTE: Click any image to enlarge.

[Figs. 1-5] Our trip begins on A Bridge from the Past to the Future – apropos, given this post’s subject – at the New Rochelle Metro-North station.

[Figs. 6, 7] Recently-installed traffic-calming measures at North Avenue and Station Plaza.

[Fig. 8] New pedestrian path at Station Plaza.

[Fig. 9] Utility bridge over Asthmaway 95, closed to pedestrians. New Rochelle’s Complete Streets plan calls for opening this bridge to pedestrians. (Update: This bridge is now open.)

[Fig. 10] The new pedestrian path from Station Plaza and North Avenue leads…

[Fig. 11] …to the New Rochelle Transit Center.

[Fig. 12] The excessively-wide, woefully-underused Memorial Highway. This is the overpass over I-95.

[Fig. 13] Memorial Highway and its criminally-narrow sidewalks, looking north.

[Fig. 14] I-95 and Division Street, as seen from Memorial Highway. This is one of several stretches of Interstate I believe is amenable to decking.

[Fig. 15] Memorial Highway, looking north. At left is the exit onto Division Street, which passes over the I-95 on-ramp.

[Fig. 16] On-ramp to I-95 from Memorial Highway. I don’t know if The Linc’s construction would close this ramp; if the ramp closes, it’ll add a few minutes of travel time at most since there is another on-ramp nearby.

[Fig. 17] Another view of the I-95 on-ramp.

[Fig. 18] Division Street, looking south. The tower in the background is 360 Huguenot. New traffic-calming measures include “shark teeth” on the ramp from Memorial Highway…

[Figs. 19, 20] …and a lane reduction on Division Street.

[Fig. 21] I-95 on-ramp from Memorial Highway, with luxury apartments in the distance. The overturned signs are (were?) “Do Not Enter” signs.

[Fig. 22] Division Street, looking south. The sidewalk was apparently redone recently, but is still criminally narrow.

[Figs. 23, 24] New ADA curbs on Division Street and Memorial Highway.

[Fig. 25] Intersection of Memorial Highway and Burling Lane, looking north. The future Linc will take over at least half of this road. Note the redone sidewalk on the left.

[Fig. 26] Montefiore Hospital in New Rochelle, located on Memorial Highway.

[Fig. 27] Burnt-out church. I hope it gets fixed…

[Fig. 28] Memorial Highway, looking north toward the traffic circle. This dead space will soon come to life with The Linc!

[Fig. 29] The eastern portion of the traffic circle – future home of The Linc.

[Fig. 30] The western half of the traffic circle. Not sure if this will remain open to car traffic or not.

[Fig. 31] Memorial Highway from the traffic circle, looking south. Note the ages-old traffic-calming measure on both sides. It’s still mostly empty.

[Fig. 32] Light car traffic at the traffic circle.

[Fig. 33] Memorial Highway, looking east toward North Avenue. Did you know that this stretch of road was originally a railroad right-of-way? That’s right – the old New York, Westchester, and Boston (NYW&B) railroad once ran through here!

[Figs. 34, 35] North Avenue, looking south from Memorial Highway. There was once an NYW&B rail station here.

[Fig. 36] Memorial Highway, looking west toward the traffic circle. If I’m not mistaken, The Linc will take over the entire road here. Bring it on!

[Fig. 37] Memorial Highway on the NYW&B right-of-way, with Trump Tower in the distance (yes, New Rochelle has a Trump Tower).

[Fig. 38] North Avenue, looking north (heh).

[Fig. 39] Fenced-off area on North Avenue, which was likely a former entrance to the North Avenue NYW&B rail station.

[Fig. 40] North Avenue. The street’s extra width probably allowed for railroad parking.

[Fig. 41] On the north side of the Memorial Highway viaduct over North Avenue, remnants of the original railroad embankment survive to this day.

[Fig. 42] Yield ahead. Soon, the whole highway will yield to The Linc.

[Figs. 43, 44] I-95, looking east from Memorial Highway. This stretch is one of several that New Rochelle should deck over to create a more livable city.

[Fig. 45] We finish where we started – at New Rochelle station! A northbound Amtrak train departs.