Where the sidewalk begins Brookhaven seeking state DOT funds to 'fill in the blanks' along busy Old Town Road
By Lee Lutz	write the author
July 25, 2008 | 12:17 PM It may soon be safer to stroll along Old Town Road, from Route 347 in Port Jefferson Station to Route 112 in Coram. Brookhaven Town has submitted a grant application to the state Department of Transportation seeking funds to create a continuous sidewalk along the historic and busy town-owned road. After a recent repaving project that included the installation of bicycle lanes, town officials have "noticed more recreational walkers," according to Brookhaven Traffic Safety Director Lynn Weyant, and are now looking to "fill in the blanks" along Old Town Road by installing some 2.2 miles of additional sidewalks. Weyant said the sidewalk effort will focus on one side of the road — probably the east side, she noted — and will cost about $960,000. The project is outlined in a resolution sponsored by Town Board member Kathy Walsh (R-Centereach), whose Third Council District would benefit the most from the sidewalk project. Walsh's resolution was unanimously approved at the June 17 Town Board meeting. The councilwoman said this was, above all else, a safety issue. "We've gotten quite a few calls" requesting sidewalks, she said. "People tend to go pretty quickly down [Old Town Road]." The councilwoman noted that some residents living along Old Town Road have also asked if large trucks could be banned from the roadway, but Weyant cited a "major town arterial" that should remain a truck route, since truckers would otherwise seek alternatives "on residential or minor roads." Walsh, who said she sympathized with those living, biking or walking along Old Town Road, agreed the road is a "main travel corridor" and it would be unrealistic to stop trucks from utilizing it. The proposed sidewalks would be partially within the town's First and Fourth council districts. If the grant request is approved as-is, state money will cover all but about $211,000 of the project. The remaining costs could be mitigated by locating efficiencies within the town, Weyant added. For instance, "the Highway Department could do clearing or grading," she said, instead of hiring a private contractor. Weyant said a DOT decision is expected in the fall, and if all goes as planned installation could begin next spring.