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| HEALTHY TRAILS, HEALTHY PEOPLE |
Free training workshop - Accessible Parks
and Trails
Training will
focus on the Universal Trail Assessment Process,
which “objectively documents the actual conditions in outdoor, natural
environments.” The process was developed by Beneficial Designs, Inc.,
as
a system to assess trails for visitors of all abilities. The Federal
Highway Administration, the NYS Department of Health, and the NYS
Department of Environmental Conservation endorse UTAP.
If
you, or someone in your organization, would like to be trained to
evaluate the level of accessibility of trails, please download an application form
for
this training. The completed form must be returned no later than April
14, 2006. After successful completion of the UTAP workshop, and
in
return for this free training, each participant will work with Parks
& Trails New York staff to select at least 3 miles of trails to
assess during the next 12 months. These trails will be chosen from
among the 90 displayed in the Parks & Trails New York web-based Trail Finder Maps .
Parks & Trails New York will also help participants to organize
others to assist with these trail assessments. The accessibility
information will then be added to the Trail Finder maps. For more
information, contact Terry Conway
at 518-434-1583.
Improving
safety at road and trail intersections
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Parks &
Trails New York has launched an exciting study designed to improve the
safety at road and trail intersections across the State. The Safety
Standards for Intersections of Roads and Trails Study is supported
in
part by the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee with funding from the
National Highway Traffic Safety Committee with funding from the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Surveys have been
mailed to bike/ped coordinators, trail maintenance groups and highway superintendents to gather
information on accidents, road and
trail intersection design and perceived
safety
of New York’s
trails. The
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information provided by the survey
will help
Parks & Trails to develop best practice recommendations for road
and trail intersections throughout New York State. As a result, Parks
& Trails New York will be one of few organizations in the nation,
and first in New York, to publish a guide for trail managers and
maintenance groups on improving road and trail intersection design for
a safer and more enjoyable trail experience for everyone.
Road and trail
intersections present unique hazards to both trail users
and motor vehicles and are the most likely location for injury to users
of the trail. Guidelines and recommendations for road and trail
intersections do already exist but have not been universally accepted
across New York or by different levels of government. Parks &
Trails New York’s goal is to highlight the importance of the issue and
advocate for a more uniform approach to designing road and trail
intersections in order to keep all trail users safe, while promoting
the continued growth of trails in New York.
Parks
& Trails New York invites all trail
managers and maintainers, safety and highway personnel, and anyone with
knowledge of New York’s trails to download a survey form and
participate in the study. Deadline for return of surveys to Parks &
Trails New York is March 10, 2006. Results of the survey and
information on design and practices from other nations and states will
be summarized in the final report. For more information on the Safety
Standards for Intersections of Roads and Trails Study, contact Jennifer Ceponis
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3.3-mile Chittenango Creek
Walk to
link schools,neighborhoods and downtowns
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In January,
Parks & Trails New York staff met with members of the Chittenango
Creek
Walk sub-committee to hike all three phases of a proposed 3.3-mile
trail that will
serve as an important link between the community's schools,
neighborhoods, and
business center. The trail will also intersect with the Erie Canalway
Trail at the Chittenango
Landing Canal Boat Museum within Old
Erie Canal State Park.
The
Village of Chittenango Board of Trustees
adopted an Action Plan for the trail in August 2004. After much
planning and development of a power point presentation and brochure to
promote and inform residents about the project, the Creek Walk sub
–committee began trail clearing and debris
removal in
June 2005. The sub-committee is continuing with efforts to
acquire
easements and right of way; identify
neighborhood trail connections;
raiseFunds; and seek
contributions of volunteer labor, equipment,
supplies and professional services in order to make construction of the
trail a reality.
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Parks
& Trails New York will work with the sub-committee to present
a workshop to demonstrate how the trail will be both an economic benefit to the
community and add to the quality of life and
health of its residents.
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New
York's Trails in the News
Turning Rails To
Trails
Project Gets Boost From State Group
By Jennifer Manley, Queens Chronicle, February
16, 2006
A
3.5-mile biker- and hiker-friendly greenway extending from Rego Park to
Ozone Park inched closer to reality this month, with an endorsement
from Parks & Trails NY. But the path to a Central Queens greenway
is still as obstacle-ridden as the stretch of overgrown railroad it
would replace. Read
on....
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| TRAIL
SPOTLIGHT |
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The Pat McGee Tail
- A tribute to strong
community support
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The Pat
McGee Trail is a 12-mile
rail trail in southwestern New York that extends from the Village of
Cattaraugus through Little Valley to the City of Salamanca in
Cattaraugus County. The North Country Scenic Trail, Finger Lakes Trail
and Bicentennial Bicycle Trail all intersect the McGee Trail. The McGee
Trail is open to hikers, bicyclists, equestrians, snowshoers, cross
country skiers, geocaches, and snowmobiles. Interpretive signage along
the trail explains the area’s plant and animal life as well as its
geological features, including a continental divide.
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In the 1990s, when the
Erie Railroad was finally abandoned, grass roots community members,
recreation enthusiasts (primarily the snowmobile community) and the
Town of New Albion Planning Board saw the railbed as an opportunity to
implement a rails-to-trails project. In 1999, the not-for-profit
Cattaraugus Local Development Corporation (CLDC) became involved as the
trail fit within its mission of community and economic
development.
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CLDC created a volunteer
steering committee called Southern Tier Association for Rails-to-Trails
or START. START initiated the trail’s construction as CDLC applied for
and received a TEA-21 award of $1,481,600 with the Village of Little
Valley acting as sponsor. They also arranged transferal of ownership of
the corridor from Cattaraugus County IDA to CLDC for $1 and used the
$500,000 appraised value of the corridor as the TEA-21 award match.
Additional funding from a $59,500 Recreational Trail Program Grant
awarded by OPRHP was used to build a trailhead community park in Little
Valley.
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Forty-six organizations,
municipalities, agencies,
businesses, community leaders and the Seneca Nation of Indians
supported the many aspects of the project. The CLDC hired the
Cattaraugus County Department of Public Works to administer the
TEA-21 award, which saved time, effort and headaches as County
engineers were well versed in every step of the construction process.
At a critical point, the CLDC even borrowed $400,000 to jump-start
construction, using the grants as collateral. The CLDC met its
target of completing construction within five years and were
under budget.
According to
CLDC Executive |
Director Rick LeFeber,
"The
Pat McGee Trail is a sterling example of what can be accomplished by
private citizens and small rural communities." One of the trail’s
greatest supporters was
Senator Patricia McGee, who helped move the planning and funding
requests through the maze of local and state requirements. When
Senator McGee unexpectedly passed away in early 2005, it was
unanimous among the many organizations and groups associated with the
trail to name the trail in her honor.
Calling
all
graphic artists -
logo design
contest!
The Canalway
Trails Association New
York (CTANY) is seeking a logo and slogan suitable for reproduction
on brochures and letterhead to identify and promote its mission.
Entries should be submitted by April 10, 2006 to ctanylogo@ptny.org,
or mailed to Parks and Trails NY, 29 Elk st. Albany,
NY 12207. Entries should be drafted on white, 8 and 1/2 by 11-inch
paper and
may be in black
and white or color. CTANY is an all-volunteer group working to
create, maintain and promote the Canalway Trail along the Erie,
Cayuga-Seneca, Champlain, and Oswego Canals.
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FUNDING
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Kodak
American
Greenways Awards
Program
The
Kodak American Greenways Awards
Program a
partnership project
of the Eastman Kodak Company, The Conservation Fund, and the National
Geographic Society, is providing awards up to $2500 to stimulate the
planning and design of greenways in communities throughout the U.S. Applications
must
be submitted online by June 1, 2006.
Preserve
New York Grants for
preservation of
historic
transportation corridors
The Preservation
League of New York
State and the New York State Council
on the Arts announce the 2006 Preserve
New York Grant Program for municipalities and
not-for-profit organizations to fund historic structure reports,
historic landscape reports, and cultural resource surveys. Grants
generally range between $3,000 and $10,000. Applications must be
postmarked no later than Monday, May 1, 2006. Contact Tania
G. Werbizky, Director, Technical and Grant Programs, at (607)
272-6510 or Lorraine E. Weiss
Program Manager, at (518) 462-5658, ext. 12, to discuss a
potential application and receive an application form.
Grants
for parks, trails,
and other environmental
programs
Grant
applications
are available for the Parks,
Historic Preservation and Heritage Areas, Local Waterfront
Revitalization, Hudson
River Estuary and Environmental Restoration, and Quality
Communities programs. Due date for completed
applications is May 26, 2006.
Public workshops will be
held across
the state from March 27 to April 11 to present information on
application requirements and procedures for the Parks, Historic
Preservation and Heritage Areas Programs, Local Waterfront
Revitalization Program, Brownfield Opportunity Areas and
Environmental Restoration Programs.
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| TRAIL
AND HEALTH RESOURCES |
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Safe
Routes to
School Program
The Safe Routes to
School Program
(SRTS) was established in August 2005 as part of the most recent
federal transportation re-authorization legislation - SAFETEA-LU .
The Federal Highway Administration regularly
updates its website
with useful information on this new program including
current SRTS program guidance and funding tables for states, FAQs,
and a list of State Coordinators and other resources. Eric L.
Ophardt, P.E. NYS Department of Transportation Bike-Ped
Coordinator, has been named the Interim Point of Contact for New York
State.
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Safe
Routes To School
National Partnership
More
than 135
organizations and individuals have
already joined
the Safe Routes to School National Partnership, a consortium
of individuals, governments, and not for profit organizations that
are working to advance the SRTS movement nationwide. (Parks &
Trails New York is a
member of the
Partnership.) The Safe Routes to School National Partnership has
created a number of resources
to help advance the national Safe Routes to School
movement as well as a SRTS listserve
and a
monthly email
newsletter. According to the Partnership, the best resource
for getting started locally is the Safe Routes to School Tool
Kit published
by the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which includes surveys, check
lists, sample press releases, resolutions of support, fact sheets,
curriculum, success stories, statistics, and more.
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Walkable
Community Workshops Applications
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be used for Safe Routes
to Schools introductory
workshops, bike-friendly community workshops, and Phase II more
specialized and focused workshops. For more information contact Mark
Plotz at 301-656-4220 or Bob Chauncey at 410-570-5765.
FHWA position paper
on equestrian
and other
nonmotorized
use on bicycle and pedestrian
facilities
The Federal
Highway Administration
(FHWA) has published a position
paper "Equestrian and Other
Nonmotorized Use on Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities" that clarifies
existing policy regarding paths
and trails that use Federal-aid transportation funds. According to
the document, federal transportation laws and regulations do not
prohibit the use of shared use paths or trails by equestrians,
in-line skaters, cross country skiers, snowshoe users, or other
nonmotorized users, but individual states may make a determination to
prohibit such use. Also, only bicycle
projects must demonstrate
that they will be used principally for transportation rather than
recreation to be eligible for funding, but this requirement does not
prohibit these trails and shared used paths from being used by
equestrians or other nonmotorized recreational users.
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As
a result of SAFETEA-LU, the Recreational Trails Program (RTP) has
been amended to allow RTP funds to be used as a
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federal highway funds. FHWA has published a fact
sheet that explains this change and reviews
program
features and eligible activities. |
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| EVENTS
CALENDAR |
| MARCH |
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•1 to 3 - National Bike Summit
Washington, DC. Seminars, workshops and
panels exploring how to ensure the $3.5 billion allocated for
bicyclists and pedestrians in the new transportation bill will be spent
as Congress intended.
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•10 - Parks
and Trails New YorkSafety
Standards for Intersections of Roads and Trails Study survey deadline |
April
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•10 - CTANY logo
and slogan competition - deadline for submissions
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•14 - Accessible
Parks & Trails New York UTAP workshop application deadline
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16-30 - First
Annual Canal Clean Sweep
A
two-week event to
highlight the significance of the Erie Canal System as a recreational
land tourism destination in New York. Communities, not-for-profit
organizations and volunteers are encouraged to engage in cleanup and
beautification activities in Canal parks, along public promenades, and
on the Canalway Trail. For more information about organizing an
event, email Ted
Westerling or call 518-471-5016.
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•26 - Quality
Canals for Quality Communities Conference Burgundy
Basin Inn, Perinton, NY Learn more about the Erie Canal
Greenway,
state grants, and how canal communities can maximize their potential. |
May
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•20 - 7th Annual Chemung Basin River
Trail Partnership Float on the Canisteo River
from Rathbone to Addison, NY. |
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•26 - Application
submission deadline for Parks,
Historic Preservation
and Heritage Areas, Local Waterfront
Revitalization , Hudson
River Estuary and Environmental Restoration, and Quality Communities
grant programs.
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•31 - National Trails Awards – Deadline for nominations
to recognize the
contributions of volunteers, professionals,
businesses, and other leaders working to create a national system of
trails for all Americans. Awards will be presented by American
Trails at the 18th National Trails
Symposium .
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| JUNE |
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•3 - Experience Your Canalway Trail
- Third
Annual Canalway Trail Celebration Events across the
state – festivals, guided walks, trail clean ups – will celebrate the
Canalway Trail. Contact Canalway Trails Association New York at Parks
& Trails New York
to register an event. |
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•3 - National
Trails Day - "Experience Your Outdoors"
Register your trail celebration or volunteer workday
event, submit nominations for the 2006 Volunteers of the Year, and
order National Trails Day planning kits and promotional items. |
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16-17 - Universal Trail Assessment Process
(UTAP) Training Workshop
Parks
& Trails New York Accesible Parks and Trails Program, Gilbert Lake
State Park,
Laurens, NY. |
| JULY |
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•9 to 16 - 8th
Annual Cycling the Erie Canal
Parks & Trails New York's eight-day, 400-mile
bicycle tour from Buffalo to Albany along the historic and scenic Erie
Canal. Go here
for registration information and updates. |
| AUGUST |
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•1 - Deadline
for letters requesting technical assistance from National Park
Service Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program |
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•15 to 20 - 2nd Annual Great
Hudson Valley Pedal
Parks & Trails New York's six-day bike ride through
the historic Hudson Valley from Albany to New York City using trails
and local roads and visiting parks and historic sites along the way. Go
here
for registration information and updates. |
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•31 - Deadline
for submission of entries for National Recreation Trails (NRT) Photo Contest |
| SEPTEMBER |
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•24 to 26 - The New York State Canal
Conference "Many
Waterways...One Current"
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Email
your events related to
multi-use
trails, greenways and parks for the next edition of Parks & Trails
E-
NEWS. Entries should include: 1) Name and date of event, 2) Brief
description, 3) Where to go for more information. Submit items to: ptny@ptny.org. All listings are at the
discretion of the editors and as space allows.
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| SUPPORT
PARKS AND TRAILS |
 Parks
& Trails New York is the only statewide
organization dedicated to making New York's parks and trails bigger,
better, and more accessible to all. For more than 20 years, Parks &
Trails New York has been ensuring that all New Yorkers - in cities,
suburbs, and rural areas - enjoy the outdoors close-to-home. Become
a member today or visit
our website to learn more about our services.
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Previous
Issues of Parks & Trails E-NEWS are available in the archive.
© 2006
Parks & Trails New York, all rights reserved.
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