Long Beach awarded $775K for complete streets project

In what officials called a major win, Long Beach was awarded $775,000 in state economic development funds last week to move ahead with a complete streets initiative in the city’s central business district and create a more resilient downtown.

The award is part of $700 million in statewide economic and community development funding announced by Governor Cuomo on Dec. 8 as part of the sixth round of the Regional Economic Development Council initiative.

In 2011, Cuomo established 10 regional councils to develop long-term plans for economic growth throughout the state. To date, $4.6 billion has been awarded for 5,200 projects that are projected to create more than 210,000 jobs statewide.

This year, $62 million was awarded for 101 projects in Nassau and Suffolk counties. The award for Long Beach will go toward the second phase of a complete streets initiative that the City Council adopted in 2013 in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, a move that allowed the city to pursue state funding for the plan. The initiative is aimed at revitalizing the downtown area and generating economic activity.

“It’s a big win for the city,” City Manager Jack Schnirman said. “We created a department of economic development and planning so we could participate in the regional economic development process and compete for money and resources that Long Beach had never previously engaged in at this level.”

Complete streets are roads planned and designed to consider the safe, convenient access and mobility of roadway users of all ages and abilities, from pedestrians and cyclists to motorists and those who use public transportation, according to the state Department of Transportation.

City officials say that in a community that has a higher percentage of pedestrians, cyclists and users of public transportation than the national average, the plan would address pedestrian and bicycle safety issues as well as traffic congestion. It would also create a more walkable downtown that has created social and economic benefits in other communities.

“Our team did a phenomenal job,” Schnirman said. “We spoke to the regional economic council and gave several presentations on this, and in a year where Long Island wasn’t the star recipient, we’re proud that this project got funded.”

“The city’s department of Economic Development and Planning has again done a phenomenal job to secure these sought after funds,” City Council Vice President Anthony Eramo added in a statement. “This grant will assist with creating a more resilient downtown and achieving our complete streets goals.”

Last year, the city received a $500,000 grant for the first phase of the project to construct bike lanes, improved crosswalks, curb extensions and other upgrades to connect the commercial corridor along Park Avenue from Long Beach to Grand boulevards.

“When we in the Legislature appropriate money in the budget for the REDC to dole out, we trust that they will make good decisions for our local economy,” said State Sen. Todd Kaminsky, who helped secure funding for the first phase of the project. “I am pleased to see funds going to further boost the Long Beach economic engine. It is a good investment that I am thrilled to see come to fruition.”

A separate project calls for bike lanes on Edwards Boulevard. City officials said that the public would be asked for feedback before work begins on the complete streets project, which has yet to receive final approval. Overall, the plan is expected to take several years to complete, Schnirman said, and officials may pursue additional funding for the project.

“I think it will take several years — the state process is detailed and approval-intensive,” he said, adding that the city would issue a request for proposals for the design and construction of the project’s second phase.

Long Beach resident Allison Blanchette, coordinator of the Long Island chapter of the New York Bicycling Coalition, an Albany-based nonprofit that promotes pro-bicycle policies and has been calling for bike lanes in Long Beach, said she hopes the city conducts a thorough public participation process. She also said residents have yet to see any progress on the first phase of the project or the planned reconstruction on Edwards Boulevard.

“I’m excited that the city has gotten funding for something that will be earmarked for better streets and sidewalks,” she said. “However, I don’t want this to be about just checking off another box. The areas that they’re focusing on — around the central business district and transportation HUB — are a high pedestrian and bike area, and it’s also a high crash area. I’d love to see something meaningful happen.”