Miles SmithNew York is awarding $97.7 million to 30 communities for projects that promote environmentally friendly modes of travel such as walking, biking or riding mass transit.
Projects include building sidewalks, shared-use paths and other infrastructure that facilitate non-motorized modes of travel.
The funds were made available through the Federal Highway Administration’s Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) and is being administered by the New York State Department of Transportation.
TAP focuses on transportation-related projects that provide infrastructure to improve sidewalks, pedestrian and bicycle safety, enhancements in access to public transportation, safe routes to schools for students and their parents, and the creation of trailway networks.
The TAP awards were distributed throughout the state to 13 separate towns, 10 villages, five cities and two counties, among others.
The bulk of the funds, $57.8 million, will improve sidewalks, pedestrian and bicycle safety projects such as ADA compliant sidewalks, connecting activity centers and communities for pedestrians, and improving bicycle safety on local roads.
- $5 million will be awarded to the city of Yonkers to completely rehabilitate South Broadway, replacing sidewalks, paving roads, installing new lights and trees and creating new bike lanes.
- $4.6 million to the city of Utica – Engineering Department to build seven blocks of pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure, reducing Broad Street from four to two lanes to accommodate bike lanes, center medians and multi-use sidewalks.
- $2.3 million to the town of Greenburgh for sidewalk construction on State Route 100A between Knollwood Shopping Center and Greenburgh Health Center.
Another $21.2 million will be used to create and expand trailway networks, including constructing shared-use paths and improving trail connections and infrastructure for pedestrians and bicycles as well as the overall safety of trailway options.
- $5 million to the New York State Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation to construct and improve culverts in key drainage locations parallel to State Route 19/19A and construct a continuous trial in sections previously lost.
- $1.9 million to the Clinton County Planning Department for rehabilitation and refurbishment of the Keeseville Swing Bridge to preserve a historic transportation structure that provides a pedestrian path over the AuSable River.
- $1.5 million to the town of Kirkland to construct a pedestrian bridge, two trailheads with parking, and a 10-goot wide, 4,600-foot section of the proposed Phase 2 of the Kirkland Trail.
The state will allocate $17.3 million to provide safe routes to schools, including expanding the number of safe routes to schools
- $4.1 million to the village of Dryden to construct sidewalks along Mott Road, North Road, State Route 13, Enterprise Drive, Ellis Drive, Freeville Road near the Dryden Middle and High Schools and Union Street near the Elementary School.
- $2.6 million to the village of Trumansburg to construct a sidewalk system along Main Street near the Trumansburg Central School District
- $1.1 million to the city of Batavia to install sidewalk connecting the Jackson Street elementary school with Batavia Middle School.
Another $1.3 million will be used for bus shelters and related enhancements that will improve transit access.
Photo by Raúl Nájera on Unsplash
