Eight towns are participating in a new Monroe County program that incentivizes towns to add sidewalks along county roads. The Bello Administration’s program will pay for half of the installation cost of the new walkways. The program is funded with $10 million from the county’s unassigned fund balance. The County Legislature approved the plan in June.
“Sidewalks play a pivotal role in creating a walkable environment, encouraging physical activity, ensuring pedestrian safety and fostering a sense of community,” said County Executive Bello. “One of the goals of our Active Transportation Plan is to increase the number of sidewalk miles in Monroe County. This initiative makes sidewalk installations more affordable and attainable for towns by providing up to 50% of the installation cost. I urge every town to take part in this program and invest in these infrastructure improvements for the benefit of their residents.”
In the past, towns were responsible for fully funding the addition of sidewalks along county roads by requesting the walkways be included in a capital project. As the county Department of Transportation identifies road projects appropriate for sidewalk installations, the cost of the installation will now be incorporated into the overall cost of the capital project. The town will receive an inter-municipal agreement that offers a partial county subsidy for the sidewalk expenses.
More than six miles of new sidewalks are now underway in eight communities through ongoing sidewalk initiatives. Locations in our readership area include:
•Brockport – West Avenue, south side, from Briar Rose Lane to Carolin Drive
•Chili – Paul Road, north side, from Hunt Hollow to Chili Avenue
•Riga – Gilman Road, south side, from North Main Street to Spotts Circle.
The remaining sidewalks are located in Brighton, Mendon, Penfield, Perinton and Pittsford.
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