Expansion Of Long Island Greenway Trail Planned For East End

EAST END, NY — In a win for environmentalists and residents, Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine announced this week that plans are in place for the expansion of the eastern portion of the Long Island Greenway trail.

The goal is to extend the trail to connect seven train stations, 14 bus station and 73 parks with a safe cycling and pedestrian route, he said.

The Greenway Trail is a collaborative effort between multiple public entities to create a trail from Battery Park in Manhattan to Montauk, Romaine said.

The new trail expansion is slated to run between Riverhead, Riverside, Flanders, Hampton Bays, Southampton, Bridgehampton, East Hampton, Amagansett and Montauk, a map of the plan indicates.

According to the Trust for Public Land, the Long Island Greenway is slated to be developed in five sections, with Section 1 running from Eisenhower Park to Brentwood State Park, or 25 miles; Section 2, on the South Fork, from Riverhead to Montauk, or 50 miles; Section 3, from Riverhead to Brentwood, or 40 miles; Section 4, from Riverhead to Orient Point, or 35 miles; and Section 5, the Manhattan Connection, 38 miles.

"This engineering contract brings us one step closer to a continuous trail from Long Island’s East End to the heart of New York City," said Romaine. "Such a trail will be a win for Suffolk residents on the East End and for nature conservation."

Once complete, nearly 36,000 New Yorkers will live within one mile of this trail, all of whom will be connected to green spaces and 21 nodes of public transportation. The eastern portion of the trail will also connect four historically disadvantaged neighborhoods on Long Island’s East End, Romaine said.

“The Long Island Greenway’s more than 50 miles in eastern Suffolk will be a wonderful link to the Empire State Trail and will help residents get off the roads and connect with our beautiful parks, green spaces, and communities along the way,” said Suffolk County Legislature Presiding Officer Kevin J. McCaffrey.