Recently the Town of Lloyd received a grant for $673,000 for sidewalk work in the hamlet area of town. The town will add $50,000 to this that was previously earmarked for this work.

Last August the town submitted a grant application, stating that they wanted to construct ADA-compliant sidewalks and crosswalks, to update their existing sidewalks and crosswalks and to add way-finding signage between the Hamlet and the Hudson Valley Rail Trail.

The grant application states that, “These improvements will increase the safety and accessibility for all residents and visitors and will spur economic development in the Hamlet’s downtown.” A total of 1,600 feet of sidewalks is planned and they will be five feet wide in order to meet ADA requirements. “The project will also include the installation of 25 ADA compliant ramps with detachable warming pads, which will provide for safe transitioning from the roadway to the curbed sidewalks. There are 17 existing signalized crosswalks that will be improved with slip-resistant brick pavers to assist people with impaired vision. The aesthetics of the brick pavers will add to the charm of the Hamlet and improve the visual quality of the streetscapes. These improvements are slated for Elting Place, Main Street, Church Street, Vineyard Avenue, Milton Avenue and Commercial Avenue.”

Supervisor Paul Hansut said the money came from a state grant through the Transportation Alternative Program and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program.

“It was part of the Governor’s $24 million that he invested to increase more pedestrian and bike usage,” Hansut said. “We had basically gone for replacing the sidewalks in the Hamlet and adding a sidewalk from Main Street to the library to provide a safe route for the kids to go after school. Right now if they want to go over to the Library they have to walk on the road at Elting Place.”

Hansut said he is hoping to do something at Commercial Avenue to Vineyard Avenue.

“We’ve got to figure out which side we’re going to go on but it is also for replacing and repairing all the crosswalks in the Hamlet,” he said.

Hansut pointed out that Keith Liebolt, the developer of the Highbridge project, promised to build a sidewalk from the Rail Trail to Commercial Avenue and connect with Vineyard Avenue.

“God only knows where that is at; your guess is as good as mine,” Hansut said. “I don’t know what’s going on with that whole project anymore.”

Hansut said they are planning to install some benches and more bike racks in the Hamlet as part of this project.

“The sidewalks in the Hamlet are shot and this seems like a good opportunity to get some state money to do it,” he said.

Hansut said the money for this project will be administered through the Department of Transportation.

“I think that we will probably be breaking ground this time next year,” he said. “You have to go through the follow-up paperwork process with DOT and that will take four or five months to get that done.”

Hansut said he would like to see a sidewalk on Elting Place done first for safety reasons and he will have the town’s attorney start the legal work on easements with several property owners to be ready next year for a new sidewalk.

“I want to get that in place so when the money starts flowing we can get going,” he said.

Hansut said he was excited to receive the approval for the funding and thanked his secretary Kate Jonietz for shepherding the application through the process.

“The grant was written out of my office, we didn’t hire anyone to do it and Kate [Jonietz] pretty much wrote the grant,” he said. “I think it’s a really positive grant and Kate was happy as it was her first one and we were able to get it.”