Long Island Motor Parkway

The Long Island Motor Parkway runs from Queens to Lake Ronkonkoma, passing through several parks and wooded areas. The roadway consists of concrete pavement, some sections still crossed by original bridges.

Vanderbilt opened the route in 1908 as the first American road built solely for automobiles. After public roads expanded, it closed in 1938 and later became a bike path in sections.

The name comes from William Vanderbilt, who wanted to build a toll route for wealthy drivers. Families from New York drove its full length on weekends, with driving itself seen as a leisure activity.

The Queens section works well for walking and cycling, with resurfaced pavement in some areas. You can reach the route through Alley Pond Park or Cunningham Park, where parking and access points exist.

The route originally had bridge tenders who monitored every crossing and made sure no horse-drawn vehicles entered the highway. Some concrete sections still show grooves from the narrow tires of early automobiles.