City Of Fulton Creates “Lakefront Weekends:” Barrett Drive In Fulton To Be Closed On Weekends To Allow Safer Lakeside Walking, Biking And Rollerblading

FULTON – The city of Fulton announces Lakefront Weekends, which aims to fill Cpl. C. W. Barrett Drive with walkers, joggers, families and others enjoying safe activities along the beautiful Lake Neatahwanta shoreline. Lakefront Weekends begin Friday, June 28. The short stretch along Barrett Drive will be closed to vehicles from Friday evenings to Monday mornings for 6 weeks. Barrett Drive is the only part of the 2.2 mile lakeshore trail that is open to vehicles.

“As we’ve all seen with the recreational closing of Onondaga Lake Parkway in Liverpool, this can add to the quality of life in our community. Our situation is somewhat different, however, in that Barrett drive connects two long ends of the lakefront trail system. Removing vehicles from that one short stretch makes the trail a safer option. Also, there hasn’t been a safe place to rollerblade or roller skate since the Bilou closed. I’m excited about this and can’t wait to see how people make use of Lakefront Weekends,” said Fulton Mayor Jim Rice.

“The closing of C.W. Barrett Drive on weekends creates a safe, activity-friendly route to connect residents to local destinations along Lake Neatahwanta. It’s a great space for families to get out and engage in physical activity together, whether it’s riding bikes, going for a jog, or walking to the playground,” stated Diane Oldenburg, Associate Public Health Educator with the Oswego County Health Department.

To accommodate the closing, the accessible kayak launch has been moved near the south parking lot to provide easy access for kayakers. Parking will remain available near Teen Park. Those seeking to enjoy a sunset can use the elevated parking lot between Barrett Drive and the softball fields or at Bullhead Point. Boaters may use free of charge the boat launch at the city-owned North Bay Campground.

“This trial run is also intended to help us with the long term plan to redevelop Recreation Park and the waterfront by helping us attract grants. We hope to hear feedback from residents about this experiment that we can use to make decisions about next year,” said Chris Waldron, Fulton Parks and Recreation Commissioner.

Lakefront Weekends will kick off Friday, June 28th with a ribbon cutting with the Greater Oswego-Fulton Chamber of Commerce. Fulton Youth Basketball will have lemonade and snacks for sale at the event. On Saturday, June 29th, Lakefront Weekend will host the Salt City Roller Derby event inside the Ice Arena.

Feedback on this or any other city-related issue can be sent to [email protected].

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