Study for Maple Ridge sidewalks, bike access may help Medina land bigger state grant
File photo by Tom Rivers: Village officials worry about pedestrian safety along Maple Ridge Road, which has seen several new businesses open in recent years.
MEDINA – The village has been approved for a $50,000 grant to study pedestrian and bicycle accommodations on Maple Ridge Road, from Bates Road to the former Ames Plaza.
Mayor Mike Sidari said the study should help Medina make its case for a state grant to help pay for sidewalks on that stretch of Maple Ridge and a pedestrian bridge over Oak Orchard Creek on Maple Ridge.
The $50,000 grant from GTC includes a $5,000 local match from the village for the “Maple Ridge Road Corridor Pedestrian and Bicycle Accommodations Feasibility Study.”
Medina applied for a TAP – Transportation Alternatives Grant – but was denied last year. 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 would cost $1.3 million, according to initial cost estimates from Labella Associates in Rochester. To improve its chances for the next time funding is available, Medina will develop a plan for sidewalks on Maple Ridge Road. Medina intends to work with Wendel, a professional firm, on the study.
The mayor said he wants sidewalks on what has become a busy commercial strip with many residences nearby. There are currently sidewalks near the Route 63 intersection on Maple Ridge Road, but most of the road lacks sidewalks from Bates Road to the former Ames plaza.
Many people walk along Maple Ridge Road or use motorized wheelchairs. 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 Economic Development Agency also is working to develop a hotel on Maple Ridge next to the Pride Pak vegetable processing plant.
