$808K Grant Will Add Trails And Install Sidewalk In Long Valley

LONG VALLEY, NJ — Long Valley's hiking trails and sidewalks are getting an upgrade.

The New Jersey Transportation Planning Authority awarded the township an $808,000 grant, according to Matt Murello, mayor of Washington Township, to expand and upgrade the township's 4.1 miles of trails and add a sidewalk along Flocktown Road.

The proposed project consists of approximately nine separate trail and sidewalk segments.

“Thank you to the NJTPA for approving this grant and to the Morris County Park Commission and the Washington Township Board of Education for supporting our application,” Murello said.

There is currently no sidewalk in front of Flocktown Road Elementary School connecting it to nearby Pheasant Road, Quail Run and Nestling Wood Road, nor ADA-compliant crosswalks crossing Flocktown Road.

According to Murello, these issues have rendered Rock Road, Partridge Lane and Falcon Lane unsafe for pedestrians.

Over 460 children in grades Pre-K-5 attend Flocktown-Kossmann School, which is supported by over 90 professional faculty and staff. The seven-acre 'campus' is home to two facilities: the Walter J. Kossmann building for grades Pre-K-2 and the intermediate elementary Flocktown Road building for grades 3-5.

The proposed improvements, which include curb bump-outs and new crosswalks, will extend a sidewalk into those nearby neighborhoods.

Another improvement will be adding additional connections to Harrington Park. The existing Patriot's Path alignment between Falcon and Partridge Lanes, according to Murello, is the only current pedestrian-friendly connection to Harrington Park.

Along with resurfacing this alignment with gravel and clearing the site, two ADA-compliant paths will be added to Falcon Lane and Partridge Lane, both of which currently have cul-de-sacs before entering the park.

Existing paths between these neighborhoods and Harrington Park will serve as a logical and safe connection, Murello said.

Harrington Park is a local recreation destination that is currently home to four all-purpose fields and a walking path.

"It is still early in this process to estimate when the work on this project will start, but this will be a great addition to the community around the Flocktown/Kossman Schools, the surrounding parks and for everyone in that area," Murello said.