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I grew up in the Herrick's area in the 60's and we would walk the "parkway" which was more of a trail. As kids we thought it went to the end of the island but in reality it was long but way short of "Montauk". Why didn't it become a walking trail or a bike path in later years? Who owned the land?
I grew up in the Herrick's area in the 60's and we would walk the "parkway" which was more of a trail. As kids we thought it went to the end of the island but in reality it was long but way short of "Montauk". Why didn't it become a walking trail or a bike path in later years? Who owned the land?
It actually did become a park/walking trail in Queens.
"Vanderbilt reduced the toll to forty cents to remain competitive, but by 1937 the parkway was no longer solvent. Vanderbilt shut down the parkway in April of 1938. The components of the parkway were deeded back to the respective counties through which it ran. Within three months, NYC Parks’ Commissioner Moses obtained portions of the parkway’s right-of-way for park purposes. He transformed the Queens section of the parkway into the “Queens Bicycle Path” before an audience of hundreds. This stretch of road is now used by walkers and joggers as well as bicyclists."
When built is was one of the first highways designed/engineered for motorized vehicles. Vanderbilt used to organize races. When the racing caused some fatalities, racing was outlawed outside of race tracks. Vanderbilt opened the road to the public as a toll road. The tolls were very high and only the Vanderbilt's and their friends could afford to use the road (as was the intent). When Robert Moses started to design the LI parkway system, Vanderbilt tried to sell Motor Parkway to Moses for inclusion in the project. Moses turned him down as it did not fit into his "design" philosophy. As noted in the article, Vanderbilt lowered the toll in an effort to compete, but between public projects such as Moses', along with the great depression, Motor Parkway eventually went bust.
Motor Parkway stopped well short of Montauk. It ran from Flushing to Ronkonkoma and was 40-45 miles long. Most of the Nassau sections have become right-of-way for the electric company (so i am told). My understanding is the LIJ medical center is built over a section of the road. In Suffolk, several miles (10-15?) of the original motor parkway are still in use as a public roadway (thankfully, no toll).
There is a section of Motor Parkway inside of Old Bethpage Village Restoration. A small section of road and one of the overpasses can be found in the south section of the village (there is a sign, but you have to look for it).
Motor Parkway stopped well short of Montauk. It ran from Flushing to Ronkonkoma and was 40-45 miles long. Most of the Nassau sections have become right-of-way for the electric company (so i am told). My understanding is the LIJ medical center is built over a section of the road. In Suffolk, several miles (10-15?) of the original motor parkway are still in use as a public roadway (thankfully, no toll).
There is a section of Motor Parkway inside of Old Bethpage Village Restoration. A small section of road and one of the overpasses can be found in the south section of the village (there is a sign, but you have to look for it).
4-5 years ago the Model A Ford Club of Long Island and the Long Island Motor Parkway Preservation Society joined together to clear that bridge and the area around it. It was not an easy task. As a reward, we were given the greenlight to drive our cars on that stretch of parkway and over the bridge. (OBH is somewhere in the video...seen, not heard.)
We were lucky enough to have been given permission to drive our Model A's on the bike path portion of the LIMP in Cunningham Park several years in a row, most recently this this past spring as we retraced (as best as possible) the full route of the original Motor Parkway ending at the site of the Petit Trianon. While I don't have this year's video, here's the club a couple of years ago in Cunningham park. There's about a minute or so before things get going: https://youtu.be/F1NeUG0MIO0
The following map link details the bridges, toll houses, and remnants of the Motor Parkway. Whoever took the time to create it used pictures wherever possible. It is a fine starting point to delve in Motor Parkway history.
4-5 years ago the Model A Ford Club of Long Island and the Long Island Motor Parkway Preservation Society joined together to clear that bridge and the area around it. It was not an easy task. As a reward, we were given the greenlight to drive our cars on that stretch of parkway and over the bridge. (OBH is somewhere in the video...seen, not heard.)
I recall being at OBVR some years ago and that area was an overgrown mess. This year at the LI Fair we rode our horses back there and I was impressed at how much work was done to clear the area.
Thank you for you efforts. It is great to learn about a group active in trying to preserve LI Heritage.
This is a good site on OMP and includes the area you are probably speaking about in pictures.
I grew up near you and there are still remnants of OMP seen going east on I.U. Willets Road. IF you were to cross over the RR tracks and immediately make a right a little in are additional indications of the road.http://www.city-data.com/forum/long-...r-parkway.html
This is a good site on OMP and includes the area you are probably speaking about in pictures.
I grew up near you and there are still remnants of OMP seen going east on I.U. Willets Road. IF you were to cross over the RR tracks and immediately make a right a little in are additional indications of the road.
Part of the actual MP is paved over as parking lot and as access road in the Willis Ave area. If you start on Willis Ave at the highway dept driveway (backs Caemmerer Park) and head east across Willis into the parking lot for the American Legion, continue straight back to the pool. This is a small segment the MP, just south of Foxcroft. Crossing the LIRR and in the wooded area behind Croyden and Bengeyfield you might find some traces of asphalt. Continuing further east crossing Roslyn Road (staying under the power lines) is more MP -- which I believe is the segment you're referring to. (I believe this would be the 2nd right after the LIRR tracks coming from IU Willets). It continues onto the golf course where some of the paths are actually on the MP.
It's neat to retrace and people are fairly easy going as long as you're respectful.
There are remnants of the original roadway visible alongside the Bethpage Bikeway extension heading north from the Bethpage Park picnic area.
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