The Wednesday forecast calls for clear skies and car-free bike lanes in Blauvelt and Pearl River. It’s a great day for kids of all ages to get on their bicycles to join National Bike-To-School Day.
Orangetown welcomes students and residents to try the first protected bike lanes in Rockland County during this one day only event. Temporary “pop-up” bike lanes will be placed near Franklin Avenue Elementary in Pearl River and South Orangetown Middle School in Blauvelt giving residents, parents and students an opportunity to experience bicycling in a safe and protected space.
This demonstration project is part of the Orangetown Bike Study, which is proposing improvements across the town. Residents have been invited to use the facilities as they bike to school, work, or other destinations. Those not on bike are also invited to view the facilities and learn more about the project at Orangetown.com/bikestudy.
Children of all ages tried out the temporary bike lanes in Nyack on Earth Day, April 21, 2018.
Parks & Trails NY (PTNY) is the conducting the bike study for Orangetown, with a particular focus on offering cyclists of all ages and abilities safe connections to schools, parks, Orangetown’s various business districts, the existing trail network, and the shared use path on the new Mario M. Cuomo Tappan Zee Bridge. The temporary nature of the bike lane demonstration means residents and visitors will be able to experience innovative bicycle treatments without a large investment of time and money. The Bike-to-School Day demonstration will also give PTNY additional public feedback as it drafts the final plan for the Orangetown Bike Study, due to be released in June.
“This is a great opportunity for Orangetown residents to see in person, and to experience, the types of options being considered by the Bike Study,” said Orangetown Supervisor Chris Day, “I encourage residents to stop by, try it out and have their kids try it out, and then give their thoughts on the experience to they can be incorporated going forward.”
The Orangetown Bike Study
The Orangetown Bike Study is a collaborative community planning process for Orangetown’s cycling network, lead by the Town of Orangetown and Parks & Trails New York (PTNY), a non-profit park and trail advocate. It’s funded by the New NY Bridge Community Benefits Fund.
Since September 2017, PTNY and Orangetown have conducted a wide-reaching community engagement process to establish a better understanding of where residents’ and visitors’ priorities are as they relate to the future development of a more bike-friendly Orangetown. A large share of the almost 500 people who completed surveys said improved connections between the hamlets and villages and enhancements to the JB Clarke and Esposito Rail Trails were important.
The Orangetown bike Study proposes creating a mix of protected, striped and shared bicycle facilities to create a proposed network of bike routes to connect Orangetown’s villages, provide safe access to parks and schools, and to provide links to neighboring communities.
Greater Nyack Bike Walk Master Plan (GNBWMP)
The Greater Nyack Bike Walk Master Plan, funded by a grant from the New NY Bridge Community Benefits fund, complements the Orangetown Bike Study, with similar goals but covering an adjacent geography. The Village of Nyack is acting as the lead agency on behalf of stakeholders in the Village of South Nyack, the Village of Upper Nyack and the Nyack School District. for more information on the GNBWMP, visit BikeWalkGreaterNyack.com.
