New York state has selected Sullivan County to receive a $100,000 grant to help with funding of a plan to expand the use and safety of walking and biking in the county while making the experiences more pleasant. The Climate Smart Communities Grant was awarded by the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation. The program provides 50/50 matching grants. The grant to Sullivan is one of 25 that were awarded.
Sullivan County Planning Commissioner Freda Eisen pointed out that in addition to helping promote health and fitness by encouraging walking and use of bicycles, the county can make it easier for people to get around, especially those who do not have cars.
“For example, 18% of Monticello households don”™t have a car, meaning they need safe and convenient places to walk and bike,” Eisen said. “Sullivan County”™s motor vehicle-related mortality rate is nearly triple that of the entire state, and our health rankings are already near the bottom for all counties in New York.”
The county had put out a survey in 2019 looking at some of its walking, hiking and biking trails. Among the communities studied was Hurleyville, home to the Sullivan County Historical Society and Museum, a few local restaurants, and a completed portion of the Sullivan O&W Rail Trail also known as the Milk Train Rail Trail. The completed portion of the trail using the old New York, Ontario & Western Railway right-of-way runs 1.5 miles from Hurleyville to Fallsburg and 1.5 miles from Hurleyville toward Route 17, a total of 3 miles of asphalt trail. The survey noted that at the time the asphalt portion of the trail equaled the distance that an electric wheelchair could travel on a single charge.
Eisen told the Business Journals that the O&W Trail is one of the trails in the county that already are suitable for walking, biking and access by those using mobility devices.
The plan to be developed is expected to focus on improving the safety, comfort and convenience of walking and biking paths in local downtowns and along major transportation corridors in Sullivan. Particular attention will be paid to:
- Connecting people to work, school, shopping and essential services destinations;
- Ensuring access for people with disabilities;
- Seeking guidance from underserved and disadvantaged communities;
- Creating alternative modes of transportation that can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Once the state provides Sullivan with a contract for the $100,000, the county plans to issue a request for proposals seeking firms interested in working on the plan”™s creation. County officials anticipate that the project could be completed in a year or two even though the state allows up to five years for completion of projects funded by the grants.
Established in 2016, The Climate Smart Communities Grant Program focuses on funding efforts to adapt to climate change and reduce the effects of greenhouse gasses.
