Mount Sinai NY
8-27-2026 9:45pm

Major Long Island Greenway Project Moves Forward in Suffolk County

By Samantha Vogel

Editor Long Island Daily News

SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY — A plan that could dramatically expand walking and bicycling options across Long Island is moving forward as Suffolk County prepares for a new multi-use trail that would eventually become part of a much larger route stretching from New York City to Montauk.

County officials are advancing plans for approximately 12.3 miles of new greenway between the Bethpage State Park area and Brentwood State Park.

The Suffolk County section represents an important early piece of the proposed Long Island Greenway, an ambitious project envisioned as a roughly 175-mile network of connected trails and routes extending from Manhattan across Nassau and Suffolk counties to Montauk.

Once completed, the larger system could give Long Islanders a new way to travel between communities while creating safer spaces for bicycling, walking, running and other forms of recreation.

More Than a Recreational Trail

Although the Greenway could become a major destination for cyclists and outdoor enthusiasts, the project is also being designed as a transportation network.

The Suffolk portion would connect neighborhoods with parks, businesses, schools, public transportation and employment centers.

Much of the approximately 12-mile route between the Nassau-Suffolk border and Brentwood is expected to be separated from regular vehicle traffic.

Plans include miles of shared-use paths as well as portions using bicycle lanes, local roadways, sidewalks and improved crossings.

Some sections would follow utility corridors, allowing the county to create trail connections away from Long Island’s heavily traveled roads.

That separation could be particularly important for cyclists and pedestrians who currently have few safe alternatives when traveling between communities.

Federal Funding Helps Push Project Forward

Suffolk County received $16.4 million in federal transportation funding to help develop the Bethpage-to-Brentwood portion of the Greenway.

The federal investment is intended to support construction of a safer and more accessible transportation route, including improvements for pedestrians and cyclists.

The project would also connect residents with existing public transportation.

The planned corridor could provide access to numerous bus stops and the Deer Park Long Island Rail Road station while creating connections to major employment and educational areas.

For residents who do not drive — or those looking for alternatives to driving — those connections could make the Greenway useful for everyday transportation rather than recreation alone.

Connecting Long Island’s Existing Trails

Long Island already has several popular walking and bicycling trails, but many operate independently from one another.

The larger Greenway proposal seeks to change that by connecting existing trails with newly constructed sections and creating a more continuous route across the Island.

The ultimate vision would extend from New York City through Nassau County, across Suffolk County and eventually reach Montauk.

If completed as envisioned, the project would provide Long Island with an extensive east-west pedestrian and bicycle corridor and connect the region more closely with New York’s broader trail network.

Eastern Suffolk Is Part of the Plan

Planning is not limited to western Suffolk.

County officials have also been working on additional Greenway sections farther east, including more than 50 miles of proposed routes through eastern Suffolk County.

Those future sections could connect communities with parks, Long Island Rail Road stations, bus routes and other destinations before ultimately continuing toward the East End.

Developing such an extensive trail will not happen all at once.

Different portions of the route will require engineering, environmental reviews, government approvals, property agreements, funding and construction.

That means the full Manhattan-to-Montauk vision will likely develop section by section.

Creating Safer Ways to Travel

For many Long Islanders, one of the most significant benefits could be safety.

Cyclists and pedestrians frequently find themselves sharing roads designed primarily for automobiles. Busy intersections, narrow shoulders and stretches without sidewalks can make traveling without a vehicle difficult and sometimes dangerous.

A connected Greenway with significant portions separated from traffic could provide another option.

Families could use it for recreation. Cyclists could travel longer distances without spending an entire trip alongside vehicles. Runners and walkers could move between communities, and some residents could potentially use sections of the trail to reach work, school or public transportation.

The project could also encourage residents and visitors to explore communities they might otherwise simply drive through.

From an Idea to a Long Island Network

Building a continuous route from Manhattan to Montauk is an enormous undertaking, and significant work remains before someone could actually bicycle or walk the entire proposed Greenway.

But the approximately 12.3-mile Suffolk County project is another indication that the larger vision is progressing.

Each completed section would bring Long Island closer to having a connected trail network spanning much of the region.

For an Island where transportation conversations have traditionally centered on highways, traffic and cars, the Long Island Greenway represents a very different possibility.

One day, traveling across Long Island may not necessarily mean getting behind the wheel.

It could mean getting on a bicycle, putting on a pair of walking shoes and following a trail east.

Potentially, all the way to Montauk.

Long Island Daily News will continue following the Long Island Greenway project as plans move forward across Suffolk and Nassau counties.

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