Ocean Parkway Shared-use Path Set For August 12th
 

PUBLIC HEARING FOR OCEAN PARKWAY AUGUST 12
Today at 12:47pm PUBLIC HEARING FOR OCEAN PARKWAY SHARED-USE PATH SET FOR AUGUST 12TH

New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) Regional Director Subi Chakraborti today announced that a public hearing for the proposed 14.4 mile Ocean Parkway Shared-Use Path will held on Tuesday, August 12 between 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. at the Theodore Roosevelt Nature Center at Jones Beach State Park. Residents, businesses, and all interested parties are encouraged to attend this open public forum to review NYSDOT’s preliminary plans and provide input on this proposal that seeks to provide a safe and environmentally sensitive shared-use path on the north side of Ocean Parkway.

"The provision of facilities to encourage non-motorized transportation is an important part of NYSDOT’s Smart Growth Policy," Regional Director Chakraborti said. "Ocean Parkway is one of Long Island’s most scenic roadways, yet it is only accessible by automobile. NYSDOT initiated this project to provide safe, enhanced access to recreational and employment opportunities for bicyclists, pedestrians and joggers and to help transform some motorized traffic into non-motorized transportation."

The proposed 14.4 -mile, approximately $12.6 million Ocean Parkway Shared-Use Path would be built entirely on State property between the existing Wantagh State Parkway Path and Captree State Park, just east of Robert Moses Causeway. The path, which would be approximately 13-feet wide, would be buffered from and would not provide direct access to the local Ocean Parkway residential communities. Environmental and economical enhancements, such as new bird nesting boxes, plantings and wetland protections are important proposed project features. All construction materials and designs would be sensitive to the historic character of Jones Beach State Park and in accordance with current historical architectural guidelines.

NYSDOT’s preliminary design plans and other related project information will be available for review at the August 12 meeting. NYSDOT engineers and representatives will be present to answer questions and receive comments and suggestions regarding economic, safety, environmental and community aspects of the proposed project. The formal comment session is being conducted between 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., but all comments, written or oral, will be reviewed and considered for the project’s final design. The facility is handicapped accessible.

Any person who has questions about the proposed Ocean Parkway Shared-Use Path but is unable to attend the Public Information Center should mail their comments to:

The Ocean Parkway Shared-Use Path Project Team

NYS Department of Transportation

Region 10 Long Island

250 Veterans Memorial Highway

Hauppauge, New York 11788

Project Identification Number: 0006.11

This public information meeting is part of the DOT’s continuing efforts to actively seek and encourage the public’s input in the development of transportation projects in order to ensure that the completed project meets the DOT’s transportation improvement and safety goals as well as the needs of the local community.

Source:

https://www.nysdot.gov/portal/page/p...008/2008-08-05



PLEASE FORWARD THIS TO YOUR FRIENDS AND OTHER FORUMS!!!!

I really hope they do this. I do the Jones Beach path all the time and this sounds way better. I assume you would be able to get to it from the other path somehow? 13 feet wide and 14.4 miles long will blow away the approximately 6 foot wide and 4.5 mle long trail they currently have to Jones Beach.

Unfortunately it is going to be years before its even done.

I usually drive through there on my way home from Robert Moses and I've often wondered if it were legal for bikes. I can hear the homeowners:NIMBY,NIMBY,NIMBY

A great addition to the plan would be access to Robert Moses over the bridge, but I doubt that's going to happen anytime soon. There isn't room on that bridge, unless they build a walkway on the outside of the span.

There is a long term plan for replacing the bridge to Robert Moses, that will have a bike path. The path will also connect with the mainland over the northbound bridge when that is replaced. The idea is for people to park at Gardiner park. That said all these ideas were shelved after 9/11, and with the current budget crisis I expect that to happen again. But we need to support this and keep it going forward for our granchildren's sake.