More Great News for Trails

Coming off a major bump in trail construction news thanks to a $200 million investment to create the Empire State Trail, New Yorkers have another reason to celebrate. Last month, Governor Cuomo announced more than $112 million in funding for projects that are aimed at reducing congestion and improving air quality. A significant amount of this money will go towards bicycle and pedestrian enhancement projects, including $16 million alone for multi-use trail projects.

The funds are part of the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP), which is a federal funding source that New York State DOT administers. In 2014, $70 million was announced as part of the last round of TAP awards. In 2016, NYSDOT expanded the eligibility of TAP projects to take advantage of funding that historically addressed air quality and traffic congestion improvements in areas outside of New York City.

We’ve highlighted some multi-use trail projects that will receive part of the $85.5 million investment in trails and active transportation included in this most recent round of TAP awards below. Communities can receive up to 80% of overall project costs from the TAP funds, with a local match of at least 20% required. This round of funding will leverage more than $230 million in local contributions, and will help link or complete hundreds of miles of multi-use trails in dozens of communities, both large and small, home to the millions of New Yorkers who use them annually.

Capital Region
  • $1.5 million to complete the Greenbelt Trail Downtown Connector in Saratoga Springs.
  • $1.2 million to construct the Rensselaer Riverfront Multiuse Trail in Rensselaer.
  • $0.9 million for a multi-use trail in Clifton Park built to accommodate users with disabilities.
Central New York
  • $1.0 million to create a complete streets corridor in North Syracuse.
  • $0.8 million for a two-mile multi-use trail in Lenox.
  • $0.3 million to construct the Brutus Trolley Connection Trail in Brutus.
Finger Lakes
  • $1.9 for wayfinding signage and pedestrian enhancements in Rochester.
Long Island
  • $1.6 million to construct sidewalks in Brookhaven.
  • $0.3 million for trail construction in Amityville.
Mid-Hudson
  • $3.3 million to construct a 2.2-mile multi-use trail along an abandoned spur of the Old Hudson Railroad in Yonkers.
  • $2.8 million to construct a multi-use trails in Ulster County, which leverages $1 million recently included in the State Environmental Protection Fund’s Municipal Parks Program.
Mohawk Valley
  • $1.4 million to construct the second phase of the Mohawk River Trail in Rome.
New York City
  • $2.9 million to construct a ramp to the Roosevelt Island Bridge that accommodates cyclists.
North Country
  • $1.6 million to extend the Maple City Rail Trail in Ogdensburg.
  • $1.2 million to construct the third phase of the Saranac River Trail in Plattsburgh.
  • $0.8 million to construct a 0.5-mile extension of the Black River Trail in Watertown.
Southern Tier
  • $3.1 million to add bicycle and pedestrian accommodations to the Lake Street Bridge in Elmira.
Western New York
  • $1.4 million to begin implementation of Buffalo’s Bicycle Master Plan.
  • $0.5 million to enhance bicycle and pedestrian connections in Springville.

For a full list of awardees, click here.



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