I believe that people in New York should have access to more public swimming locations on the Hudson River and the waters around New York City. Data show that much of the Hudson has water quality that is safe to swim in much of the time, and yet the estuary has only 4 public swimming areas along its 150-mile stretch. This is woefully insufficient to meet the needs of the millions of people who rely on the river as their only waterfront.

As climate change makes the need to cool off more pressing, we need to make plans and investments now to reopen shuttered beaches and establish new beaches and riverpools that can be managed to give swimmers safe access. And we must continue to eliminate water pollution sources that make some stretches of the river unsafe for swimming.