Bellone, Kennedy, Call For Hike-Bike Path Along Robert Moses

SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY — A 5.5-mile hiking and biking path along the Robert Moses Causeway, dubbed the "Great South Bay Greenway," was proposed to the New York State Department of Transportation on Wednesday by Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone and State Senator Tim Kennedy (D—Buffalo).

The project would extend the recently completed Ocean Parkway Coastal Greenway over the Robert Moses Causeway and connect the path to Gardiner County Park. Bellone and Kennedy, who serves as chairman of the New York State Senate Committee on Transportation, were joined by members of Suffolk's biking community.

"With all the progress we have made to make Suffolk County bike-friendly, how is it that nearly 30 years after it was first proposed, Suffolk County residents still do not have a path to bike to the beaches along Ocean Parkway?" Bellone stated.

Bellone called for the Ocean Parkway Coastal Greenway to be extended 5.5 miles across Captree Island and the Robert Moses Causeway to Gardiner County Park.

"This extension would afford Suffolk residents the same opportunities as their counterparts in Nassau — a safe, scenic bike path to the beach," Bellone said.

Unlike Nassau County residents, Suffolk residents do not have the option to bike to the beaches along Ocean Parkway. Instead, Suffolk residents must currently drive their bikes to the beach and pay a parking fee.

The path's creation was first proposed in the 1990s and is a key component of the county’s Hike and Bike Master Plan. It would provide residents with an easy and convenient bike path to the beach, connect a number of regional assets, support tourism, promote green transportation, and bolster safety for cyclists.

Traffic congestion would be reduced as a result of the project going through, said Lauren Bailey, director of climate policy of the Tri-State Transportation Campaign.

"Long Island's beaches are hidden behind roadways, making outdoor recreation inaccessible without a vehicle," Bailey said. "Improving bicycle access is a critical first step to modernizing how we get around Suffolk."

The extension would complement Connect Long Island; Bellone's regional transportation and development plan. Bellone first launched his Connect Long Island Initiative in 2015 as a regional transportation and development plan that promotes long-term economic growth in Suffolk through a model of increased access and mobility by alternative modes of transportation.

The plan supports investments in regional mass transit systems, such as the Long Island Railroad, the implementation of new transit modes, the creation of transit-oriented developments and the connection of these developments and downtown areas to major research and educational institutions.

Over the last few years, the county has aimed to become a more bike-friendly community. In March 2020, the county completed a Hike Bike Master Plan, which proposed more than 1,200 miles of bike infrastructure. At full buildout, this new bike network would put 84 percent of Suffolk residents within a half-mile of a bike facility.

In September 2019, a first-of-its-kind regional bike-sharing program on Long Island, Bethpage Ride, was launched. The program operates 200 bikes at 40 stations throughout the county.

Bellone also recently signed legislation that helps ensure the safety of bicyclists while out on the roadways. The new law, which is the first-of-its-kind in New York State, requires drivers to pass on the left and provide bicyclists with at least three feet of space when passing them on the same side of the road.