Later this week, the Niagara River Greenway Commission is expected to approve a $900,000 grant for the conversion of Grand Island's West River Parkway into a bike path and pedestrian trail.
Advocates insist the project will expand recreation opportunities, promote good health and improve quality of life.
As state officials move forward with plans to eventually shut down the island's highway-speed road, opponents continue to raise traffic and safety concerns for other roadways.
West River Parkway runs for several miles along Grand Island and is a highway-speed roadway, maintained six months of the year. Motorists may use the road in the winter months, but at their own risk. Running parallel to the parkway is West River Road, a residential stretch with a speed limit of 30 miles per hour.
State officials have opted to close the parkway to auto traffic and repave the surface for bicycles and pedestrians, connecting it to trails at Buckhorn State Park at the north end of the island and Beaver Island State Park at the southern tip. The Buffalo News reported last week that the parkway will be closed to auto traffic permanently at the end of this summer.
Grand Island Town Supervisor Nate McMurray is among the project's supporters. He says the bike path and greenspace will give residents of his town something that is remarkably rare for the island, available waterfront for public use.
"I'm the supervisor of a town that is 27 miles around and we have virtually no waterfront access for our people, unless they pay to get into a state park," McMurray said. "This is a great opportunity."
Most of Grand Island's waterfront is privately held. There are two parking areas overlooking the Niagara River, facing Canada and a small bridge over an inlet which serves as a boat marina off Whitehaven Road. But there are no dedicated paths for cyclists or walkers.
McMurray and other supporters of the parkway conversion say the highway is also badly underutilized, arguably a "dead road." Project opponents including Town Councilman Mike Madigan dispute that claim.
Rival sides in the debate over converting the parkway offer conflicting reports about traffic volume. Madigan suggests about 1,500 autos may use the parkway on a given day. He adds that while it's a faster lane, it's also been a safer option that traveling along the "service" road running next to it.
"There's a third less traffic on the service road, which is the 30-mile-an-hour road that is not going to be closed," Madigan said. "A third less traffic, over a 68-month period there were 17 accidents. There was only six on the parkway."
Opponents are concerned that traffic, upon shifting to West River Road, will raise the risk of accidents. McMurray says town and state officials are working on a plan to enforce safety on the slower road.
Madigan recommends leaving both roadways alone and inserting a bike path between them, on the median. The state prefers the current plan, which closes the parkway. McMurray, citing examples including Canalside, said he wants to give "landlocked" island residents a family-friendly space closer to the water.
"For too long in Western New York, we've been shortsighted about use of our waterfront and our future," McMurray said. "We're starting to turn the corner. Concepts like this are important because when you increase recreation and health opportunities for families, it increases the quality of life for all of us."
The Niagara River Greenway Commission's standing committee meets Friday to vote on a grant for the project. That meeting is at 1 p.m. at DeVeaux Woods State Park in Niagara Falls and is open to the public.
