Finance committee approves $334,330 transfer for Route 1 (Wall Street) bikeway design

The PVD City Council Finance Committee approved a transfer of $334,330 to fund the design phase and related pre-construction work for the Route 1 section, known as the Wall Street connector, of the city bikeway.

Councilor McGann, chair of the Finance Committee, said the committee voted 5-0 to move the funds. City staff described the transfer as covering the design phase and work needed to secure easements and permits and to prepare a bid package for construction.

The funding will come from the CPC open space fund balance. According to the motion offered by Councilor Gould, the transfer moves $334,330 from account number 27000033021 to account number 2701811585622025000350 for the “CPC bikeway independence greenway extension project.” Councilor Gould made the motion on the record; no second was recorded in the transcript. The committee then took a roll-call vote that passed the motion 5 to 0.

City staff member Mr. Gingras said the transfer “will fund the design phase of the Route 1 section, Wall Street connector portion of the bike path, and will help with easements, permitting and a bid package,” describing the payment as intended for pre-construction tasks rather than construction itself. He and committee members said the actual construction work will be carried out by the state and will be funded separately.

Committee members and staff noted the local contribution has helped leverage substantial outside funding for the project. A staff summary included in the meeting packet reported the city’s commitment of just over $1.5 million has helped leverage roughly $30,800,000 in outside funds for the overall project.

After the vote the committee moved to adjourn.