Implementing the Statewide Greenway Trails Plan

New York State is a national leader in trail initiatives. A well-connected network of greenways linking smaller communities to popular destinations enhances outdoor recreation, community vitality, and tourism development. The first Statewide Greenway Trails Plan, released in 2021, provides a framework to expand and enhance New York’s network of greenway trails by identifying and prioritizing new connections while providing information and resources for effective future development.

Resources for Planning Greenway Trails

Trails Across New York: A Grassroots Guide to Developing Greenway Trails

PTNY and the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation have published a new handbook to guide grassroots advocates through the steps to take the vision for a new multi-use path from concept to reality. This resource provides detailed information to support Greenway trails development in communities around the state. The steps outlined in the guide provide a high-level overview of the various aspects of trail development from initial concept to construction, as well as how participation from a broad range of individuals, agencies, organizations, and landowners will factor in throughout the process.

Download the guide.

NEW: Greenways Guides

Got a question about a specific part of the trail planning process? The easy-to-use, one- or two-page handouts provide an overview of specific topics, ranging from designing conceptual maps to working with landowners to identifying funding opportunities.

Explore the Greenways Guides

Trail Planning & Development Process Overview & Timeline - Graphic overview of the steps you might expect to take to bring an idea for a new trail from vision to construction.
Developing Compelling Conceptual Maps - Tips for creating maps that will help communicate an initial vision for a trail and identify and opportunities or challenges early on.
Understanding Easements & Addressing Concerns of Landowners - Securing the right-of-way for a potential trail and addressing concerns with landowners and neighboring property owners early on is critical to the successful development of a greenway trail.
Planning for Management & Maintenance - Guidance on how to address future management and maintenance during the trail planning process.
Contact Information for Key Greenway Trail Stakeholders - List with links to key state agencies, non-profits, Metropolitan Planning Organizations, and County Planning Departments who will be able to provide planning guidance for a trail in their respective geographies.
State Funding Opportunities for Greenway Trails - Funding opportunities for every step of the greenway trail development process, from planning to construction, organized by grants within the Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) and non-CFA grants.

Tracking Greenway Trail Progress

Greenway Trails Progress Reports

NEW REPORT: A new report published by Parks & Trails New York (PTNY) and New York State Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation (OPRHP) finds statewide greenway trail expansion continues to lead the nation, with 45.2 new miles of trail completed between January 2023 and June 2024. In coming years, New York will see further trail expansion as 39.4 miles of trail are under construction and an additional 583.2 miles are in various stages of development. Download the report.

Want to dive in? Check out the recording of Parks & Trails New York's webinar, Greenways Across New York: Growth and Updates. This session provided an exciting update on the latest developments in New York’s greenway trail network, highlighting greenway projects completed and advanced between January 2023 and June 2024. Perfect for inspiration for your next ride or to see what trails could be coming soon to your area! Watch the webinar.

This document builds on previous plans and reports, including the 2021 Statewide Greenway Trails Plan, which outlined a vision and goals for the statewide greenway trail network. In early 2023, PTNY and OPRHP published the first Greenway Trails Progress Report, covering the progress made since the publishing of the Plan through December 2022. This new report picks up where the last left off, documenting trail projects that were completed or have advanced, progress made on collaboration and sharing of best practices, and funding opportunities made available for trails projects.

Greenway Trails Plan Stakeholder Meetings

As part of the Greenway Trails Plan, PTNY and OPRHP are hosting quarterly meetings with stakeholders and partners involved in the ownership, planning, development, and maintenance of greenway trails across the state. These meetings serve to cultivate connections, solicit information and data, and review and prioritize the goals and recommendations of the Greenway Trails Plan. The stakeholders involved in these meetings will also provide input on the annual greenway trails progress report.

If you are interested in participating in these stakeholder meetings, please contact Dylan Carey at dcarey@ptny.org.

Statewide Greenway Trails Plan

The Statewide Greenways Plan represents a culmination of a year-long effort to develop a comprehensive document addressing New York's statewide system of non-motorized multi-use trails (Greenway Trails). The plan also includes a GIS inventory of existing, planned, and proposed greenway trails across the state.

READ THE PLAN

VIEW THE INTERACTIVE TRAILS INVENTORY MAP

The Statewide Greenway Trails Plan identifies seven key goals:

Prioritize the development and expansion of greenway trails in underserved communities.
Collect and publish information to aid in the planning, development, and management of greenway trails.
Expand the Greenway Trails System to reach more New Yorkers in more areas.
Provide funding opportunities for the acquisition, planning, development, and maintenance of greenway trails.
Foster greater collaboration between agency & stakeholder partners to advance greenway trails in New York.
Promote the Greenway Trails System as a destination for tourism, healthy recreation, and active lifestyles.
Enhance bicycle and pedestrian transportation options by connecting greenway trails and communities.

User Survey Results and Analysis

In Spring 2020, Parks & Trails New York (PTNY) and the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) partnered to create a survey for the general public about current use of and preferences for greenway trails, as part of the 2021 Statewide Greenway Trails Plan. The survey included 15 questions about general greenway trail activities and five demographic questions.

READ THE SURVEY RESULTS AND ANALYSIS

The more than 2,400 survey responses make it evident that greenway trails are a highly valued and well-used resource for residents in all parts of the state. The full survey analysis is included as an appendix in the Statewide Greenway Trails Plan, and can also be found here.

PTNY's Role in the Statewide Greenway Trails Plan

PTNY was instrumental in leading the charge to pass the legislation that required the state to complete the plan. Read more about PTNY's advocacy efforts here.

On April 23, May 12, and June 4, PTNY hosted three webinars with statewide stakeholders, including county-level planning staff, MPO staff, and trail managers, to introduce the plan, request information to inform plan components, provide the opportunity for feedback and recommendations, and to solicit the sharing of GIS data for inclusion in the plan. From this webinar series, PTNY drafted a summary document to help inform the goals, vision, and recommendations in the plan.

In addition to the webinars, PTNY solicited participation in an online survey from April 30 to July 2, 2020 intended to form a cohesive narrative about what kind of activities greenway trail users engage in, why, how often, and what aspect of trail development and maintenance they would like to see prioritized in the future.