STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- With the sun shining brightly and the wind at his back, Westerleigh resident Mark Hermann became the first Staten Islander to bike across the Goethals Bridge.

On Wednesday morning, just after 10 a.m., Hermann made his way to the grand opening of the span’s new shared-use path -- a 10-foot-wide, 7,300-foot-long path for pedestrians and cyclists stretching from Staten Island to Elizabeth, N.J.

“I’ve been anticipating the opening of the bike path for a couple of years now,” said Hermann. “I’m so excited to do this ride here on the Goethals Bridge, and I truly appreciate that the Port Authority has given us the opportunity to bike ride here on the bridge."

Hermann said he also regularly uses the shared-use path on the Bayonne Bridge -- which opened last May -- saying that he “just loves it.”

The shared-use paths on both the Goethals and Bayonne bridges are open daily from 6 a.m. to midnight and do not require toll payment.

Robin Bramwell-Stewart, deputy director of Tunnels, Bridges and Terminals for the Port Authority, said that the opening of the shared-use path concludes the vast majority of construction on the new Goethals Bridge, though some work remains to improve the connection points on both sides of the span.

“We are, however, still working with the city of Elizabeth and New York City to improve connections. One of the things we’ve been talking about with New York City is putting in additional sidewalks and working on some of the pedestrian crossings to make it easier for people to access," she said.

DELAYED OPENING

The new path, which the Port Authority had originally said would be ready by the end of summer 2018, officially opened on Wednesday at 10 a.m, following nearly a year and a half of delays related to developing safe access routes in both New York and New Jersey.

This past October, Port Authority officials claimed that the shared-use path itself had been completed since the opening of the new bridge, but issues surrounding safe connections have held up the process.

“It became clear that allowing cyclists over the bridge and into Staten Island would put them in an unsafe condition, since as soon as they exited the Goethals path, they would be on Goethals Road North, which is the main entryway for trucks accessing the New York Container Terminal,” Port Authority spokesman Steve Coleman said at the time.

The agency has since worked collaboratively with the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT), the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJ DOT) and the City of Elizabeth to develop safe connections on both sides of the bridge to ensure smooth transitions for pedestrians and cyclists alike.

STATEN ISLAND ACCESS

The new Staten Island access path, outlined by the DOT in October, allows access to Forest Avenue without requiring cyclists and pedestrians to dangerously travel into oncoming, heavy truck traffic.

Those exiting the bridge’s shared-use path will turn left onto Goethals Road North, circling around Western Avenue to Gulf Avenue, and then turning left onto Forest Avenue.

The same route is used in the reverse direction for those accessing the bridge in the New Jersey-bound direction.

A combination of on-street and off-street paths are used to provide cyclists and pedestrians a safe and efficient route, separated from motor vehicle traffic.

Click here for a detailed breakdown of the Staten Island access path.