Even before founding the Eastern Queens Greenway, Joby Jacob has been fighting to extend the Vanderbilt Motor Parkway Greenway to the Long Island border. Yesterday was a major win toward that dream.

Come celebrate the win with us on Friday the 21st at 2:00 as we gather with many of the politicians, organizations, and activists who made this win a reality. We’ll be meeting at the (current) end of the Greenway, next to the intersection of Winchester Boulevard and Union Turnpike.

When part of the Motor Parkway was turned over to New York City, it was stipulated to be used as parkland. Most of the land has been turned into the nicest greenway in all of New York City, but the easternmost section was not, causing a major gap. There is no safe way to get to the Greenway from Bellerose, Floral Park, or Glen Oaks, let alone Long Island. The Greenway stops abruptly at Winchester and Union Turnpike, which is functionally a highway without even a sidewalk on the north side.

In addition to connecting these communities to the Greenway, this extension will also reach closer to Nassau County’s planned 14-mile extension of the remains of the Motor Parkway. Extending the Motor Parkway path in the other direction, our Kissena Way plan will fill in the gaps all the way to Flushing Meadows. But we could never have a continuous system with a large gap in the middle of it.

Joby saw that we could do better, using the old Motor Parkway land as the link it was meant to be. He spent years working with politicians, community groups, and neighbors to rally support around upgrading this land (still held by the City and State). He and his activist friends gathered 1,016 signatures from neighbors and 25 co-sponsoring politicians and 19 multi-sponsors.

After getting his bill through the New York Senate, it got stuck at a committee in the New York Assembly last year. Undeterred, he led an even bigger push this year, finally bringing it to the floor on the second to last day of the session, where it unanimously passed. David Weprin and John Liu were the sponsors of the final bill.

Writing about the activism needed to pass this bill, Streetsblog quoted Queens Assembly Member Catherine Nolan,

I don’t think I’ve received more comments and requests from the public on this bill than any other this year. So many people in Queens are really excited about this

Next, the bill will be brought in front of Governor Cuomo, where it is expected to be signed. After that, a study investigating the viability of the Greenway extension must be completed. Then the government will decide if the Greenway link will be built. We’re going to be there, pushing forward every step of the way. We hope you’ll be with us all the way to the official opening. Make sure you’ve signed the petition to be part of this history and keep the pressure on our elected officials.

Here is the all the information as of the passing of this bill:

Bill No.: A06413

SAME AS S04492

SPONSOR Weprin (MS)

COSPNSR Braunstein, Rozic, Simon, Rosenthal D, Cook, Pheffer Amato, Vanel, D’Urso, Steck, Titus, Aubry, Miller MG, McDonough, Hyndman, Solages, Cruz, Carroll, Fahy, Griffin, Jean-Pierre, Miller ML, Mosley, Frontus, Raynor, Ra

MLTSPNSR Barnwell, DenDekker, Englebright, Epstein, Hevesi, Kim, Lentol, Simotas, Zebrowski

Authorizes the commissioner of transportation to conduct a study pertaining to a proposed expansion of the Long Island Motor Parkway trail.

A06413 Actions:
BILL NO A06413

03/07/2019 referred to transportation
06/05/2019 reported referred to ways and means
06/14/2019 reported referred to rules
06/17/2019 reported
06/17/2019 rules report cal.366
06/17/2019 ordered to third reading rules cal.366
06/18/2019 substituted by s4492
S04492 AMEND= LIU
03/13/2019 REFERRED TO CULTURAL AFFAIRS, TOURISM, PARKS AND RECREATION
04/09/2019 1ST REPORT CAL.443
04/10/2019 2ND REPORT CAL.
04/29/2019 ADVANCED TO THIRD READING
05/01/2019 PASSED SENATE
05/01/2019 DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY
05/01/2019 referred to transportation
06/18/2019 substituted for a6413
06/18/2019 ordered to third reading rules cal.366
06/18/2019 passed assembly
06/18/2019 returned to senate
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A06413 Memo:

NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY
MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION
submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)

BILL NUMBER: A6413

SPONSOR: Weprin (MS)

TITLE OF BILL: An act in relation to ordering a study and report on a
proposed extension of the Long Island Motor Parkway trail, a part of the
Brooklyn Queens Greenway, east from Winchester Boulevard to Little Neck Parkway in the county of Queens to the trailhead of the planned Motor Parkway trail in the county of Nassau; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 of this bill directs The office of parks, recreation and historic preservation and the office of mental health are hereby authorized and directed to conduct a study on a proposed extension of the Long
Island Motor Parkway trail, a part of the Brooklyn Queens Greenway, east
from Winchester Boulevard to Little Neck Parkway in the county of Queens to the trailhead of the planned Motor Parkway trail in the county of Nassau. The study shall find the estimated cost of the project, the
duration of the project, the impact to local traffic patterns, the environmental impact, an assessment on whether the project can provide a connection to the Empire State Trail and the counties of Kings, Queens,
Nassau and Suffolk, and identify areas of cooperation between agencies for the review of this project. Findings must be reported to the Governor, Legislature within one year of the effective date of this act.

Section 2 provides that this act will take effect immediately and shall
expire one year after enactment into law upon such provisions of this
act shall be repealed

JUSTIFICATION:

The purpose of this bill is study and report on a proposed extension of
the Long Island Motor Parkway trail, a part of the Brooklyn Queens
Greenway, east from Winchester Boulevard to Little Neck Parkway in the county of Queens to the trailhead of the planned Motor Parkway trail in
the county of Nassau in order to allow Queens, Brooklyn and Nassau resi-
dents access to the Empire State Trailway. The study will also help
improve safety around Union Turnpike in Queens, considered one of the most dangerous areas in Queens for bicyclists and pedestrians. By extending the existing bike and walking path nearby contained within the Long Island Motor Parkway, public safety can be greatly improved. This bill seeks to order a study concerning the plausibility of this project.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2017- 2018:A5103- referred to transportation/S1566 -passed Senate
2015- 2016:A2089- referred to transportation S1133- referred to Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks and Recreation

2014: A9094 – referred to transportation 56902 – referred to Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks and Recreation.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None

EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act will take effect immediately and shall expire one year after
enactment into law upon which such provisions of this act shall be
repealed.

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A06413 Text:

STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________

6413

2019-2020 Regular Sessions

IN ASSEMBLY

March 7, 2019
___________

Introduced by M. of A. WEPRIN, BRAUNSTEIN, ROZIC, SIMON, D. ROSENTHAL,
COOK, PHEFFER AMATO, VANEL, D’URSO, STECK, TITUS, AUBRY, M. G. MILLER,
McDONOUGH, HYNDMAN — Multi-Sponsored by — M. of A. BARNWELL,
DenDEKKER, EPSTEIN, HEVESI, KIM, SIMOTAS, ZEBROWSKI — read once and referred to the Committee on Transportation

AN ACT in relation to ordering a study and report on a proposed exten-
sion of the Long Island Motor Parkway trail, a part of the Brooklyn
Queens Greenway, east from Winchester Boulevard to Little Neck Parkway in the county of Queens to the trailhead of the planned Motor Parkway trail in the county of Nassau; and providing for the repeal of such
provisions upon expiration thereof

The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
bly, do enact as follows:

1 Section 1. The office of parks, recreation and historic preservation
2 and the office of mental health are hereby authorized and directed to
3 jointly conduct a study on a proposed extension of the Long Island Motor
4 Parkway trail, a part of the Brooklyn Queens Greenway, east from
5 Winchester Boulevard to Little Neck Parkway in the county of Queens to
6 the trailhead of the planned Motor Parkway trail in the county of
7 Nassau.
8 1. Such study shall address no less than the following issues:
9 (a) The estimated total cost of the project.
10 (b) The estimated duration of the project.
11 (c) The impact construction will have on local traffic patterns.
12 (d) The environmental impact of the project, represented in an envi-
13 ronmental impact statement, if such statement is required by law, or is
14 deemed warranted according to the discretion of the office of parks,
15 recreation and historic preservation.
16 (e) Assess if the project could provide a connection between the
17 Empire State Trail and the counties of Kings, Queens, Nassau and
18 Suffolk.

A. 6413 2

1 (f) Identify areas for cooperation between agencies who have purview
2 over this project and/or relevant properties and solicit and incorporate
3 input from such agencies.
4 2. The office of parks, recreation and historic preservation and the
5 office of mental health shall report such findings to the governor and
6 the legislature within one year after the effective date of this act.
7 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire one year
8 after it shall have become a law when upon such date the provisions of
9 this act shall be deemed repealed.