State grant to help enhance Port Jefferson walkways

Port Jefferson Village has received a state grant to improve two pedestrian walkways, part of its goal to make it easier to stroll around the downtown area.

The $106,530 grant from the state’s Regional Economic Development Council was awarded in December.

The walkways will connect the downtown district on West Broadway to the historic district on East Main Street and West Broadway, and restore the Baker Alley easement on East Main. They will provide a way for drivers who park behind the stores at the northern end of Main Street better pedestrian access to the downtown district.

“It’s going to be landscaped and lit, with a lantern on East Main,” village Mayor Margot Garant said. “It’s taking a blighted back parking lot and creating a pedestrian walkway making it safe for people to walk.”

The whole cost of the project is about $200,000, with the rest to be paid for by the village’s parking fund, Garant said.

“It’s the goal of the state to create more pedestrian-friendly areas, especially in downtown areas,” she said.