On Wednesday evening the Greenburgh Town Board will take the next steps needed -preparing for new sidewalks in Edgemont. . Over the years many parents of young children who live in Old Edgemont, Cotswold and Southern Greenville have requested that the town construct sidewalks on Seely Place so students could walk to school safely. Parents who reside in the Southern Greenville neighborhood have asked the town to build a sidewalk on Fort Hill Road from Jackson Ave to Ardsley Road. If a sidewalk is built at this location children from the Southern Greenville section of town would be able to safely walk to and from the Greenville Elementary school.
The Commissioner of Public Works has advised that the next step would be to hire an engineer to provide engineering design services for both potential sidewalks. The Town Board will vote on Wednesday evening to authorize the request for proposals.
As you will note from the memo written to me by Diane L. Kenneally, P.E. Director, Office of Integrated Modal Services the United States Congress has not yet approved a transportation alternatives bill for 2015-2016, meaning that federal funds for sidewalks to schools may not be available. I have reached out to our federal representatives requesting that the funding be approved. If the United States Congress does not authorize funding my intention is to include funding for sidewalks in the upcoming capital budget. In 2015 we will have built 1.6 miles of sidewalks around town. These sidewalks have been paid for by developers as part of the approval process. There is a great need for new sidewalks to be built around town--especially near schools.
You inquired on the availability of funding for bicycle and pedestrian facilities. Currently, your municipality may use funding made available through your allocation from the Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS) through State budget.
As discussed, at this time MAP-21 has been extended to December 2015. While a number of surface transportation bills have been drafted by the Houses of Congress, a long term bill has not been implemented. Due to this, uncertainty, NYSDOT does not have a clear picture of the intentions for the Transportation Alternatives Program. If the program continues, there will be funding available for pedestrian and bicycle facilities through a competitive solicitation process.
Another opportunity is through the Recreational Trails Program (RTP) administered by the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Additional information may be found at the following link.
http://nysparks.com/grants/recreational-trails/default.aspx
We would be happy to notify you if a future round of funding becomes available through the Transportation Alternatives Program. Thank you for your interest in advancing pedestrian and bicycle facilities in your community.
Diane L. Kenneally, P.E.
Director, Office of Integrated Modal Services
New York State Department of Transportation
50 Wolf Rd, 6th Floor, Albany, NY 12232
Diane.Kenneally@dot.ny.gov
www.dot.ny.gov