How much of the Long Island Motor Parkway still exists?
Steve, I agree with you- the Long Island Motor Parkway is a historic treasure. I am working with Al Velocci on a book focusing on the Parkway as a follow-up to “Vanderbilt Cup Races of Long Island”. It should be available sometime in late 2008.
FYI, the 73rd Bridge is an authentic Parkway Bridge. However, the Francis Lewis Parkway Bridge was built after the Parkway closed in 1938.
Of the original 48 miles, approximately 16 miles are still used as active roads (2 miles in Nassau County and 14 miles in Suffolk County). As you know, about 3 miles of the Parkway are used as a bike path in Queens. There are many locations along the Parkway right-of-way where the concrete ruins of the road and boundary posts still exist.
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Hey Howard, read the article in tomorrow’s Times. I am a musician, long time college professor (music, not auto-related) and life-long auto fan. In my high school days (‘48-‘49 ) my car-friends and I searched out as much of the motor parkway as we could get onto. Much of the Nassau area around Glen cove road - just north of Jericho tpk was still around, but not by car, so it was a real joy to ride it on our bikes. We also roared our hot-rods along the motor parkway from around Farmingdale all the way to the Lake! I’ve re-lived that often at a more reasonable rate of speed!! I’ve seen “old 16” when, for a time, it was in an auto museum in Southampton. Look forward to your book, and the videos on the site are cool.
Herb, it is great to see The New York Times give some credit to a piece of Long Island history that seems to have been lost over time.
I have also walked and driven the length of Long Island Motor Parkway from Fresh Meadows to Lake Ronkonkoma.
There are still pieces of the road, ruins and concrete posts of this 48-mile parkway along the LIMP right-of-way. In Nassau and Suffolk Counties, the ROW can be easily identified by the tall LIPA electrical utility towers.
My favorite Long Island Motor Parkway locations are:
-the bike paths, concrete posts, and bridges of Queens County
-the Great Neck South High School athletic fields
-the LIMP Bridge and concrete posts at Old Courthouse Road in Manhasset Hills
-the Willis Avenue path and historical marker
-the Roslyn Toll House (now private home) off Roslyn Road
-the bridge abutments and concrete posts near Clinton Road in Garden City
-the restored Garden City Lodge relocated in the heart of Garden City
-the site of the Vanderbilt Cup Race grandstand (1908-1910)near Orchid Road and Crocus Road in Levittown.
-Deadman’s Curve near Sophia Street in Bethpage
-Battlerow in Bethpage
-a LIMP Bridge in Old Bethpage Village Restoration
-the remains of a farmway Bridge on Maxess Road in Melville
-rows of concrete posts in Lakeland in Suffolk County.
-the Lake Ronkonkoma Toll Lodge (now a private home)
-the site of Petit Trianon and the western terminus at Lake Ronkonkoma
FYI, “Old 16” now resides at The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. Every Labor Day, Malcolm Cullum, a museum senior conservator, takes the car out for a run through Greenfield Village!
Thanks again for the feedback on the website.