Open the reservoir path

In the borough of parks and universities, it is ludicrous for as gorgeous an amenity as the Jerome Park Reservoir to be fenced off from the public.

But that has been the status quo for years. To the anger of residents around the reservoir and activists who have monitored the related Croton Filtration Plant, the Department of Environmental Protection long indicated it wouldn’t budge on access to the reservoir.

It was a welcome surprise when DEP Commissioner Emily Lloyd announced the first step toward opening up the reservoir last month. She and Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration deserve credit for trying to serve the community instead of stonewalling it.

A task force is being convened to work on a trial version of access to the reservoir later this year. Their first meeting will be on Monday, July 13 at 5 p.m. at the Van Cortlandt Jewish Center. Anyone who cares about getting access to the reservoir should attend.

There are many reasons to do so.

Access to the roughly two-mile-long path around the reservoir would improve quality of life in the neighborhood. Imagine being able to stroll or jog around a glorious body of water just like people do at Central Park. As a local activist recently pointed out, it could be a great boon in a borough struggling in every measure of health.

As those who live in a high-rise overlooking the site can tell you, the reservoir offers stunning views. It is a shame to keep them hidden behind hundreds of feet of ugly fence.

The DEP long contended the reservoir should be shut off on grounds of security. But common sense tells us anyone who really wants to poison the water — which is an untapped back-up supply for the city —  is not going to be stopped by a fence. 

In fact, opening up the reservoir could improve public safety. Nearby Lehman College is an emergency site in the event of a disaster in the Bronx, and being able to traverse the walkway through the reservoir would make it easier to reach the campus.

While Manhattanites enjoy Central Park’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir, Bronxites have wondered if the city has deprived them of a similar landscape due to some sort of double standard. Now is the time for the DEP and Mr. de Blasio to show that all New Yorkers deserve the kind of amenities that make this city great.