The Town of Southampton will soon build a new bike lane and multi-use path that will connect Good Ground Park and Red Creek Park in Hampton Bays. The State of New York has pledged 80 percent of the funding, $756,000.00, to help the Town pave the way for a more sustainable future.
The new bikeway, was identified by members of the community, bike enthusiasts and Town planners as a way to create a user friendly recreational connection between the two parks and downtown Hampton Bays.
With a focused effort to kick start the revitalization of the Hamlet Center, the Town Board has made significant economic investment and leveraged grant monies to realize the initial phases of construction within Good Ground Park to provide the catalyst for reinvestment. The Board funded a pattern book to provide certainty for the development process, soon a new zoning overlay district that lays out a form-based code to guide future development will be approved. “This grant is another piece of the puzzle that creates connectivity between the Hamlet Center-Good Ground Park and Red Creek Park, which is critical to our shared goals with the community to make this Hamlet Center user-friendly and accessible for pedestrians and bicyclists,” said Assistant Town Planning Director, Janice Scherer.
The State funding is part of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s $144.6 million dollar investment to improve bike and pedestrian travel and ADA accessible sidewalks throughout the state. “These investments in bike and pedestrian enhancements across the state will help revitalize communities, reduce our carbon footprint and demonstrate once again New York is building for the future,” said Governor Cuomo.
“Members of the community, biking advocates and Town planning staff worked together to identify this opportunity to connect important recreational locations in Hampton Bays with the main street area, said Thomas Neely, Southampton Town Transportation and Traffic Safety Director. “This biking connection has both a recreational and functional purpose.”
As part of the agreement, the Town will provide a 20% funding match to the amount of the grant for the project, almost $189,000.00.
The Bikeway is expected to be completed in the fall of 2020.
