Village considers plan to reconfigure traffic leading into North Ferry terminal
The North Ferry terminal and surrounding area could be in line for a $3 million makeover.
Village administrator Paul Pallas on Thursday pitched a $400,000 grant administered by the state to hire a local engineering firm that would reconfigure traffic and make road improvements near Wiggins and Third streets.
The dock area, home to the North Ferry terminal and Long Island Rail Road station, is frequently congested with traffic, Trustee Mary Bess Phillips said. The grant would inspect how to resolve traffic issues in the area.
Heights Property Owners Corporation General Manager Stella Lagudis said it has been “a perfect public/private partnership” so far.
“We think we came up with something that could work,” she said.
The Wiggins Street renovations are part of a roughly $3 million renovation project that would modify the surrounding ferry dock area. The project would enhance parking and pedestrian access by adding new sidewalks and upgrading lighting, Mr. Pallas said, and provide access to the LIRR station and a commercials bus drop-off location by replacing the current single-lane access to the ferry — intended to reduce the number of cars on residential streets.
In a phone interview Monday, Mr. Pallas said 80% of the project is funded through the state. The village has to pay 20% total.
The North Ferry Company has offered to pay half of that amount, Mr. Pallas said, and the other three entities — the Village, the Maritime Museum and the Railroad Museum — would need to come up with the other 10%.
This Thursday, the board will vote to approve a resolution that would grant the Village authorization to take out roughly $3 million in a bond from a bank. Mr. Pallas said that bond is intended to show the state that Greenport has the capability to pay for the construction before it tackles the project.
Since a preliminary design for the project has not been completed, the total cost may fluctuate, Mr. Pallas said.
WITH JULIE LANE
