Riverhead gets a $3 million shot of stimulus for bike path
A path running from the Enterprise Park at Calverton to the Tanger outlets is among the proposed routes.
10 comments below
Twin Fork Bicycles owner Nick Attisano adjusts the air in a bike tire in his Polish Town shop Friday morning. Mr. Attisano said Riverhead's new bike path could result in a spike in business.
"The $3.1 million award to the Town of Riverhead was the largest of three awards made for Long Island projects and I believe this indicates the merit of the project," said Supervisor Phil Cardinale.
Only 59 such awards were made statewide.
The project plans also call for widening and resurfacing the roads expected to host the path, Mr. Cardinale added.
"Those are things we would have had to do anyway," he said.
Bikers welcomed the news.
He said the bike lane also will make it safer for bikers. Last year, when gas hit $4 per gallon, Mr. Attisano said, more people started riding bikes.
Funding will come through the state's Transportation Enhancement Program, which reimburses expenses for projects like bike paths that are not eligible for conventional funding normally earmarked for work like highway construction and bridge repair, state officials said.
"The purpose of the program is to encourage alternative forms of transportation," said town community development director Christine Kempner, who coordinated the application for the funds. "We were trying to connect some of the existing bike paths with activity centers that are not already on a bike path."
A path that would run from the Enterprise Park at Calverton, or EPCAL, to the Tanger outlets is among the proposed routes because Sound Avenue, currently a popular bike route, is difficult to bike on, Ms. Kempner said.
"We've looked into putting a bike path there but it's so windy and dangerous," she said.
The plans also call for a nine-mile loop around EPCAL on what was previously a security path. That path would connect River Road and run down to West Main Street, before heading up through Mill Road and Pulaski Street and tapping into the existing state bike route along Elton Street, Ms. Kempner said.
Herricks Lane, Manor Lane and Peconic Bay Boulevard in Jamesport would also be striped for bike paths under the plan.
Once awarded, projects are expected to begin promptly in compliance with federal and state regulations.
Councilwoman Barbara Blass noted that the town has wanted such a path for some six years.
"The award supports the 2003 Town of Riverhead Comprehensive Plan vision goals to encourage walking, biking and transit use in downtown and the hamlet centers and a more walkable and bike-able Riverhead in general," she said.
tgannon@timesreview.com
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10 comments found
: 11/29/2009
going to save or create a couple of minimun wage "yobs" for a couple of illegal aliens no doubt for a couple of weeks, and put alot of money into one guy's pocket (whoever owns the company that gets it) - like to see who he's going to be related to.
One more thing, spandex ain't kevlar - riding three abreast into traffic thinking you have the right of way is not a long term survival technique.
bike path : 10/20/2009
Every town should have bike paths.
bike path is exciting : 6/17/2009
This is an exciting development, so happy to hear about it.
bike path : 5/18/2009
Some of your readers seem to have missed the fact that the $3.1 million will be used for widening and repaving the entire road as well as incorporating the bike path. Cyclists pay taxes too, and I'd like to see more of my tax money go towards improving our cycling transportation infrastructure on Long Island. Kudos to Riverhead Town Supervisor Phil Cardinale and the Riverhead Town Board for securing the grant!
Bike path?? : 4/13/2009
Why not just throw the $3 million in some of the potholes in Riverhead's streets?
Bike Path : 4/13/2009
Here's a conservative suggestion... Give Obama, Pelosi,Reid, Frank, etc. the money back... Bike paths to cure our country's woes...yeah, RIGHT!!!
Bike Path : 4/11/2009
Oh, so biking is a liberal activity? Firstly, a bike path is an infra-structure improvement--and forward thinking as well. What might a conservative suggest--a pistol range? Temporary funding for a service that will eventually disappear anyway? Why always so negative, Riverhead? Get on your bikes and RIDE!
fluff : 4/10/2009
Agree. w/ 4/9 comment. With all that is fixable in Riverhead, this is the best our town board could come up with?
Wasteful : 4/9/2009
3 million would go a long way to keeping the 911 operators in place. This is the most disgusting display of wastefull spending in Riverhead since the skatepark
Say What??? : 4/9/2009
Are you kidding me!! 3.1 million for a bike path... another liberal progressive waste of our money...
