New bike, pedestrian path opens in Nassau

A 3.6-mile bike and pedestrian path connecting Jones Beach State Park and Tobay Beach has opened to the public.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said in a statement that the $3.8 million Ocean Parkway Coastal Greenway "provides a scenic ocean side path between the beach communities in Nassau County."

Cuomo said cyclists and pedestrians "are now able to take in the stunning scenery along miles of accessible pathway between two of Long Island's best beaches."

The Greenway, which opened this week, according to Department of Transportation officials, will stretch from the recently completed Jones Beach access bike path at the southern end of the Wantagh State Parkway in Parking Field 5 to the Tobay Beach parking field, parallel to the northern edge of Ocean Parkway.

The 13-foot-wide path will be wheelchair-accessible, and includes a cable guide rail to protect users from Ocean Parkway traffic. There will be educational signs, informational kiosks, benches and storage for 24 bicycles at Tobay Beach.

Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano said the project will enhance "all that Nassau County has to offer residents and visitors alike."

With the Greenway's opening, cyclists can now travel from Cedar Creek Park at the start of the Wantagh path, through Jones Beach to Tobay Beach for 8.8 miles.

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