The Villager is reporting the tenants of Masaryk Towers have voted to gate off a section of Rivington Street used by a lot of people to walk between Pitt and Columbia Streets. The large cooperative just to the north of the Williamsburg Bridge owns the walkway. Right now, the path serves as a convenient link for many residents, especially elderly tenants of the Baruch and Gompers public housing developments.
The closure was apparently prompted by concerns about security. According to the article, City Councilmember Rosie Mendez is concerned about the situation and has asked for a meeting with Bernice McCallum, head of Masaryk’s board of directors.
Resudents believe the decision is especially problematic since the NEST School closed off a section of Stanton Street, meaning pedestrians must walk up to Houston or down to Delancey.
Last month, we reported about neighborhood activists’ campaign to get Masaryk to repair a crumbling sidewalk on Columbia Street.
