Oct 15 Street Closure, Oct 22 Book Launch
IMPORTANT STREET CLOSURE NOTICE
WEST 68th STREET Central Park West to Columbus Avenue
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2026
6:00 AM – 6:00 PM
STREET CLOSED TO ALL TRAFFIC
COMPLETE ROADWAY RESURFACING
NO PARKING — TOWING IN EFFECT
THE LONG-AWAITED DAY IS FINALLY ARRIVING!
After months of disruption, inconvenience, and considerable patience on the part of our residents, West 68th Street is finally getting a completely resurfaced roadway! This is the final milling and resurfacing left undone from last week.
Since April, everyone on our street has endured the hardships associated with Con Edison's gas main replacement project. Sidewalks and roadways were excavated, unevenly patched, and repeatedly reopened. Street closures became a regular part of our workday routine.
We are especially thankful that our seniors and residents with mobility challenges were able to navigate these difficult conditions without reported accidents.
And who will forget the seemingly endless clanking of steel plates, frequently displaced by passing vehicles, disturbing the peace and quiet of our neighborhood?
WHY DID THIS PROJECT TAKE SO LONG?
The replacement of the deteriorating underground gas main was essential to maintaining safe and reliable gas service. Replacing the main also required installing new connections to every building served by it, considerably extending the project.
Additionally, because we have a school on the street, NYC Department of Transportation work restrictions limited daily construction hours, further prolonging completion.
YOUR BLOCK ASSOCIATION ADVOCATED — AND WE SUCCEEDED !
Con Edison's original restoration plan called for spot repairs only—patching individual openings in both the sidewalks and roadway. That would have left our street with a patchwork roadway resembling the patched sidewalk you now see.
We believed West 68th Street deserved better!
Through persistent advocacy, repeated discussions, and continually reaching higher levels of Con Edison management, your Block Association leadership successfully pressed for a much better outcome:
A COMPLETELY NEWLY RESURFACED ROADWAY — FROM CENTRAL PARK WEST TO COLUMBUS AVENUE!
This is a significant improvement over the original plan and an important achievement for our entire street. During Thursday's resurfacing, we will also endeavor to have existing roadway depressions identified and filled wherever feasible, helping prevent future water accumulation, ponding, and puddling.
Value of a strong block association
Perhaps, if you have not already recognized the value of a strong and active Block Association, this accomplishment will encourage you to reconsider. Our collective voice makes a difference, and our success depends on the involvement and support of our neighbors.
As your Block Association leadership plans new activities and opportunities to bring our community together, we hope you will find time to participate, become more involved, and help us continue making West 68th Street a better place for everyone.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE, PARTICIPATION, AND SUPPORT !
Together, we make West 68th Street a stronger, more vibrant community!
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Our street partner Stephen Wise Free Synagogue offers you this New York Book Launch :
Thursday, October 22
6:00-8:00 p.m.
At SWFS, 30 West 68th Street
Join SWFS for the New York book launch of “Fearless Philanthropy: Edith Rosenwald Stern's Campaigns to Transform Lives in New Orleans,” in which Roberta Brandes Gratz chronicles the transformative impact of Edith Rosenwald Stern and her husband, Edgar after moving to New Orleans in 1921.
Challenging local racism and antisemitism, the couple revolutionized the city’s social landscape. Their pioneering efforts advanced civil rights, funded key desegregation initiatives, established progressive educational institutions, founded Dillard University, developed Pontchartrain Park—the nation’s first FHA-backed Black middle-class housing development—and spearheaded the revitalization of the French Quarter.
Ms. Gratz will speak, and her book will be sold and signed onsite. A Q&A and reception with light refreshments will follow.
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