Hanover Square.
Chemung County may soon connect Elmira and Horseheads with a new bicycle 6.15-mile corridor that would give bicycle riders a safer path to travel from the Chemung River in Elmira to Hanover Square in Horseheads.
The bike corridor will take cyclists past Horigan’s at West Second and Davis streets. It is currently closed and for sale
Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced last week that NY State is investing $144.6 million in projects across the state that aim to provide safer access for cyclists, walkers, and runners.
The local plan calls for the corridor to start at Davis and West Water Streets, then proceed north on Davis into Oakwood Avenue in Elmira Heights. Eventually, the corridor will take cyclists east to Grand Central Avenue, then the corridor will continue to the end of Grand Central in Horseheads at Hanover Square.
Planning continues on the final path of the corridor.
Chemung County will receive $850,000 from the state, county Planning Commissioner Nicolette Wagoner told the Star-Gazette, and the county will provide about $212,000 for the $1 million project.
She also said the county has been planning for the corridor since 2016. Unlike other bike and walking routes in the county which focus on recreational use, like the Lackawanna Rail Trail on the city’s Eastside, this project aims for better mobility in urban areas, she said.
“This would be more like a transportation route instead of a recreational route,” she told the newspaper.
The project will likely include pavement markings for shared lanes, wider shoulders, and new signs, instead of a separate bike lane, she said.
As I told the Star-Gazette, anything that makes it safer for cyclists to ride is a great development. My experience, and studies show, that if people have a safe space to ride, they will ride more frequently.
My thanks to our state and county governments for taking the time to plan the corridor and pursue the funding. I look forward to riding it one day soon!
Thanks for reading,
Jim