Neighborhood Residents Await Binghamton Greenway Decision

People who oppose a proposed greenway access point on Binghamton's South Side have yet to learn whether state officials will change the project plans.

Construction on the $20 million pedestrian and bicycle link between Binghamton and Murray Hill Road in Vestal is scheduled to start in the fall.

Binghamton city councilman Joe Burns, who represents the neighborhood, says he doesn't know when state planners will announce a decision about the controversial access point. The path would start near Vestal Avenue and Ivanhoe Road and run down an embankment to the greenway along Route 434.

Burns said he expects the Department of Transportation will reveal its intentions at some point after the coronavirus pandemic shutdown ends in the region.

During an interview on WNBF Radio's Binghamton Now program, Burns wondered whether the money earmarked for the greenway might ultimately be allocated for a higher-priority need in the cash-strapped state.

If the project goes forward, Burns said he believes it's likely that the state ultimately will proceed with its original plan.

A Vestal Avenue resident said there appeared to be some surveying work underway for the project recently.

A DOT spokeswoman could not immediately say when the agency is expected to announce its decision about the access point.

Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com

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