Medina seeks input on Maple Ridge Corridor study
MEDINA – The village is seeking the community’s input about the Maple Ridge Corridor, including ways to make the busy road safer for pedestrians and cyclists.
A 13-question survey asks community members how frequently they use Maple Ridge, for what purposes and if they would use the road more often if there were designated spots for pedestrians and cyclists.
Click here to see the survey. The survey will be available online until March 29.
The village was approved for a $50,000 grant to study pedestrian and bicycle accommodations on Maple Ridge Road, from Bates Road to the former Ames Plaza.
The study may help Medina make its case for a state grant to help pay for sidewalks on that stretch of Maple Ridge. The $50,000 grant from the Genesee Transportation Council includes a $5,000 local match from the village.
Medina previously has applied for a TAP – Transportation Alternatives Program – grant for sidewalks and a pedestrian bridge over Oak Orchard Creek. The village has been denied TAP funding so far.
The TAP is 80 percent federally funded with a 20 percent local share. The funding is from the federal government, but awarded by the state.
The sidewalk project with a small bridge was estimated to cost $1.3 million, according to initial cost estimates from Labella Associates in Rochester. Medina has found other funds for the bridge, using money from a revolving-loan fund that was managed by the Orleans Economic Development Agency. That fund is being closed out, with the remaining money going to projects in Orleans County that increase handicapped accessibility or serve low-income residents.
Many people walk along Maple Ridge Road or use motorized wheelchairs. Mayor Mike Sidari said the sidewalks would improve safety for many local residents.
Maple Ridge has become busier with GCC, manufacturing plants, chain stores and a residential community. The Orleans EDA also expects construction to start soon for a hotel on Maple Ridge next to the Pride Pak vegetable processing plant.
