Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone today announced the launch of a brand newwebsite that highlights Connect Long Island, the County Executive’s signature regional transportation and development plan. The website touts the nearly $6 billion in investments planned for Suffolk County under the Connect Long Island initiative, illustrating the significant public and private investments made to date and providing progress updates onmajor projects throughout the County.
“Our future is dependent on adapting to the needs and desires of our diverse communities,” said Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone. “The Connect Long Island website brings together all the pieces of the puzzle in a cohesive and convenient way for our residents to explore, providing updates on critical projects and resources for them to learn more.”
The website, which was designed and developed in-house by the Suffolk County Department of Economic Development and Planning, in collaboration with the Suffolk County Department of Information Technology, highlights Transit Oriented Developments (TODs), the Long Island Innovation Zone (I-Zone), various modes of transportation, and North-South connectivity by bus rapid transit.
This new website gives users the ability to explore various reports on mobility, train to plane connectivity, economic development, and bus rapid transit, along with the ability to connect to resources that elaborate on the main components of Connect Long Island – TODs, mass transit, the I-Zone, and connecting recreational assets and downtown hubs.
Theresa Ward, Deputy County Executive and Commissioner of Suffolk County Department of Economic Development and Planning said: “We developed this website to showcase all of the progress that has happened with Connect Long Island, as it is a groundbreaking initiative of national significance. Many communities around the country are just beginning to look at transportation and mobility as the key ingredients for economic development. Here in Suffolk County we are setting the bar on a national level.”
In 2015, County Executive Bellone first launched his Connect Long Island Initiative, a regional transportation and development plan that promotes long-term economic growth in Suffolk County through a model of increased access and mobility by alternative modes of transportation. The plan supports investments in regional mass transit systems, such as the Long Island Rail Road, the implementation of new transit modes, the creation of transit-oriented developments and the connection of these transit-oriented developments and downtown areas to major research and educational institutions.
###