Senator Cooney, Supervisor Moehle 'Cut the Ribbon' on East Ave Sidewalk Project, Creating Safe Option for Students Walking to School

(BRIGHTON, NY) - Today, Senator Jeremy Cooney (D-Rochester) and Brighton Town Supervisor Bill Moehle officially cut the ribbon on the completion of a new portion of sidewalk along East Avenue, from the town line to Knollwood Drive. This route leads directly to Allen Creek Elementary and was necessary to ensure the safety of students walking to school. 

Senator Cooney, Chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, delivered $750,000 in state funding for this project. The portion of the sidewalk in Pittsford was completed years ago; however, the absence of a sidewalk in Brighton meant that students were walking on the side of the road to get to school. This new sidewalk allows these students to have a safe pedestrian path and allows parents to have peace of mind when sending their children off to class. 

“When I saw our young kids walking on the side of a busy state road to get to school, I knew I had to do something. Allowing our youngest learners to succeed starts by making sure they can get safely to-and-from school,” said Senator Cooney. “Supervisor Moehle and I heard concerns from parents and students and we went to work to improve access and keep our students out of harm’s way.”

Supervisor Bill Moehle said, “The Town of Brighton continues to build out our sidewalk network to improve walkability, and I appreciate Senator Cooney’s continued support in making that happen. Bridging the sidewalk gap on East Ave., from the town line to Knollwood Dr., was especially important for the safety of Pittsford and Brighton school children walking to Allen Creek Elementary School.”

Councilmember Christine Corrado said, “Thanks to the persistence of nearby neighbors and the creative thinking of Town and State engineers, with the steadfast support of Senator Cooney, we at last have the final segment of sidewalk that makes this stretch of East Avenue a truly complete street—not just for the Allen Creek Elementary students who now can walk safely to their school, but for walkers of all ages and ability who enjoy strolling this historic avenue. With each closure of a gap like this in our growing sidewalk network, Brighton comes ever closer to being the fully accessible community that we strive to be.”

Jim Hondorf, homeowner on Landing Road South said, “For well over 100 years Allen Creek Elementary school has been here on East Avenue. In all that time, students have never had a safe passage to walk to school. This project would not have been possible without Jeremy Cooney’s leadership. Not only did he secure state funding, he coordinated with the Town of Brighton and the State DOT to come up with a creative solution to fit the sidewalk with minimal impact on private property. The students, parents and neighborhood are thankful for his support.”  

Beverly Howe, local homeowner and member of the Greater Rochester Association of Realtors said, “We are so grateful to Senator Cooney and Supervisor Moehle for helping to get the sidewalk installed. As a mother on the street, we wanted that sidewalk so badly when my daughter was at Allen Creek Elementary. We wanted her to walk instead of ride the bus because we are so close. During COVID we gave up our bus spot but then had to walk through neighbors back yards to get to school. As a realtor, I know there were buyers who decided not to buy on our street since their children could not walk to school.”  

Ravi Engineers served as project manager on the sidewalk and work was done by Keeler Construction. Pedestrian lights and a crosswalk were also included as a part of the project. 

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