Thursday, October 1, 2026
Come this fall, the City of Long Beach will start looking a little more green.
The City Council Tuesday night voted to complete an agreement with the New York State Department of Transportation by naming John Mirando, Long Beach's Commissioner of Public Works and a former City Manager, to be a "responsible local official" to oversee a $1,063,851 project to transform Edwards Boulevard - a gateway to the beach and the downtown area - into a more pedestrian and bicycle-friendly thoroughfare. The State DOT had requested the council name a local official to the post.
Mirando, who a few months ago stepped aside as city manager but remains public works commissioner, said he has "stepped up' to volunteer for the position to oversee what is called the "Downtown to the Boardwalk: Resilient Connectivity." He was replaced by Donna Gayden, a municipal financial expert.
Long Beach received the state DOT grant several years ago. Mirando said all paperwork should be completed over the summer, and work could begin in October "if not sooner."
The project involves building green infrastructure, improving traffic safety and enhancing the city's downtown.
The projects receiving awards throughout the State were chosen through a competitive solicitation process and rated on established criteria that included public benefit and community support for the project; connectivity to an existing transportation system; how well the proposed improvements benefit walking and bicycling; impact on local or regional economies; availability of matching funds; and ability to deliver the project within federally required timeframes. The funds are made available to the State through the Federal Highway Administration and are administered by the State Department of Transportation.
In other action, City Council President John Bendo said that some restaurants and bars in the busy West End had not been complying with New York State's guidelines on social distancing, and Long Beach has received complaints from West End residents.
"We are sensitive to the impact" the coronavirus has had on local businesses, Bendo said. "But the city is not going to risk our beach and our boardwalk." Gov. Andrew Cuomo has warned that bars and restaurants and other businesses could be ordered shut down if local officials do not see to it that Covid-19 regulations are enforced.
Bendo said city officials had a conference call Tuesday with members of the governor's staff and the New York State Liquor Authority. The state officials reiterated that restaurants and bars must adhere to the guidelines or face fines of $1,000 per day per violation.
"If we see businesses not adhering, we will be issuing summonses," Bendo said.
