Bellone: County will go out to bid on north shore ‘Rails to Trails’ project this fall

The long-anticipated north shore “Rails to Trails” project is back on track again, according to Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone.

Bellone on Friday announced that he signed a bond resolution appropriating the county’s $500,000 share of the nearly $9 million cost of the 10-mile recreational trail along what was once the Long Island Railroad’s Wading River branch. The track was decommissioned by the LIRR in 1938. It is now owned by the Long Island Power Authority.

The balance of the funding for the construction of the paved, multi-use trail is slated to come from the federal and state governments. State Senator Ken LaValle had previously secured $2 million for the project. Rep. Lee Zeldin in August 2016 announced that federal funding for was now in place.

The trail is in its final design phase and the county plans to release a bid for construction in the fall of 2018, Bellone said at a press conference Friday. A a contract expected to be awarded by the end of the year he said. Construction will get underway this winter or spring, depending on the weather, he said.

The planned double-lane, 10-foot wide paved path will begin at Crystal Brook Hollow Road in Mt. Sinai and will extend eastward for approximately 10 miles to Wading River-Manor Road in Wading River. Its features will include kiosks at trailheads, quarter-mile markers and railing when the trail meets an incline, according to a press release issued by Bellone’s office. Where the path intersects with high-traffic roads, there will also be flashing yellow signs to signal those using the trails to stop, and warnings on the street side for drivers to use caution, according to the release.

The historic trail will allow for an improvement in recreational options for residents as well as promote local tourism throughout Suffolk County, said Bellone. The county executive said he envisions having an “interconnected hiking and biking trail network throughout the county… connecting more Long Island neighborhoods to coastal areas and parks.”

“Suffolk County is home to some amazing recreational attractions like our world class beaches, natural parks and countless outdoor activities that attract people from all over the world,” Bellone said. “As an individual with a genuine passion for nature, I look forward to seeing the completion of this project and hope that it encourages more people to explore all of the exciting recreational activities Suffolk County has to offer.”

The Rails to Trails program was authorized by the National Trails Act, passed by Congress in 1983 allowing the preservation of decommissioned railroad tracks for the creation of recreational trails for bicycling and hiking, and allowing railroads to donate or sell unprofitable rail lines for the purpose of preservation to local governments or nonprofits for the creation of a trail. Since the law was passed, there have been more than 21,000 miles of rail-to-trails conversions.

A Port Jefferson-to-Wading River recreational trail along the abandoned LIRR track has been in discussion since at least 2001.