Car Free Day In Southampton

Leave the car at home September 20 because Southampton Town has voted to join more than 2800 other municipalities in worldwide Car Free Day.

The town board members are strong advocates of the use of alternative transportation, and this year, launched the South Fork Commuter Connection with the Town of East Hampton and the Long Island Rail Road to help reduce traffic.

“We encourage everyone to take the train to work on September 20 and hop on one of the buses that meet passengers at the railroad station,” Councilman Tommy John Schiavoni said.

“Give the South Fork Commuter Connection a try for just that one day,” Councilman John Bouvier added. “I think you might find it is a convenient alternative to sitting in traffic.”

Southampton is also becoming more bicycle friendly, installing bike routes on select roads and bike racks across the town. It also recently partnered with Zagster Inc. in Suffolk County’s Bethpage Ride program, which is sponsored by Bethpage Federal Credit Union. In 2020, Southampton plans to build a multi-use trail connecting Red Creek Park to Good Ground Park and Main Street in Hampton Bays.

Car Free Day options to travel via public transportation, carpooling, walking, and biking can be found on the town’s website at www.southamptontownny.gov.

Town Grants Available

Southampton Town offers human services and cultural arts and recreational grants annually to certified nonprofit organizations that provide such services to town residents.

Human service grants assist social services organizations that provide mental and financial aid such as counseling and psychotherapy services, health care services, child care, or educational services.

Cultural arts and recreation grants assist organizations that present visual or performing arts and recreational programs.

The 2020 Southampton Town grant applications are now available online at www.southamptontownny.gov/community-services-grants. And printed copies will be available in the Citizens Response Center in Southampton Town Hall at 116 Hampton Road in Southampton.

Completed applications may be mailed to the address included on the application, dropped at the Citizens Response Center, or scanned and emailed to Virginia Bennett at vbennett@southamptontownny.gov. The submission deadline is November 15 at 4 PM.

The town board approves all grant awards by a resolution. Recipients are notified by mail following the board meeting in which the resolution is passed, usually the second town board meeting in January.

Call Bennett with any additional questions Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM at 631-702-2423.

Pier At Ponquogue

The town’s Parks and Recreation Department has temporarily closed the fishing and dive piers at the old Ponquogue Bridge while paving work is done on the approach to the south pier.

The goal is to raise and reconstruct the approximately 400 feet of deteriorated pedestrian path that connects the parking lot area to the recently-renovated south pier of the Old Ponquogue Bridge. The work will include removing existing asphalt, elevating the pathway 10 to 12 inches, installing new large stone, and constructing a large concrete curb edging to stabilize and protect the asphalt roadway from unraveling during storm conditions.

The work began September 11 and is anticipated to take one month to complete. Access to the fishing piers and diving platform will be closed to the public during that time, but the boat launch area and north pier will remain open.

desiree@indyeastend.com