Empire State Trail Town Program Drives Bike Friendly Investments
Being a trail town is about more than location. Being a trail town is about creating unforgettable experiences for visitors and residents alike through trail-oriented services & amenities, high quality bike & pedestrian infrastructure, wayfinding & informational resources, and so much more.
Since 2021, PTNY, in partnership with the NYS Canal Corporation, has recognized and supported New York’s exceptional trailside communities through the Empire State Trail Town program. Through technical planning and promotional assistance, PTNY is elevating the Empire State Trail and the communities along it as a world-class bike touring destination. Now four years into the program, we’re really starting to see the difference that this program is starting to have.
A Community-Driven Process
In 2024, PTNY inducted four new communities into the Empire State Trail Town program, doubling the number of participating communities to eight. Throughout the year, PTNY worked with the City of Little Falls, City of Amsterdam, Village of Schuylerville, and Town of Fort Edward to identify opportunities and develop tools to transform the towns into trail-friendly destinations.
The Trail Town program is marked by a nine-month planning process of network building, research, and planning process facilitated by PTNY but driven by each of the Trail Towns. The program kicks off by establishing a Trail Town steering committee in each community, drawing on a diverse range of backgrounds including representatives from the municipalities, volunteer organizations and nonprofits, local businesses, chambers of commerce, interested individuals, and many others. These groups dedicate themselves to carrying out the Trail Town program requirements, undertaking activities such as gathering to complete the Trail Town self-assessment, going door-to-door to educate businesses about Bike Friendly best practices and organizing events on the trail.
Making it Happen
Each of the 2024 Trail Towns hit the ground running, looking for ways they could start enhancing the experience for trail users immediately.
In Little Falls, charming trailhead signage and the opening of a new Self-Service Bike Shop at Canal Place are raising the visibility of the trail and giving trail users a reason to hop off the trail and check out the city’s good eats, brews, and shops.
Amsterdam also really upped its game, with City DPW repainting key crosswalks on the trail and Montgomery County opening a new visitor center right off the trail, offering free multi-tools, water, and restrooms to cyclists passing through.
In Schuylerville, the Trail Town Committee and business community came together to procure and install 25 bike racks in the downtown business district, adding much-needed bike parking and creating a welcoming atmosphere for visitors coming off the Champlain Canalway Trail.
Fort Edward, a charming Champlain Canal Town with a welcoming small town atmosphere, hosted a full season of Tuesdays on the Hudson events with live music and food trucks. Not to mention, they installed a new adaptive kayak launch at the Yacht Basin!
But these Trail Towns aren’t done yet! Through on the ground assessment, trail user counts, and community input, PTNY is helping these Trail Towns develop Action Agendas with short and long term priorities to continue to work toward a future where the trail is seamlessly integrated and celebrated as a key part of the community.
Driving Investment in Bike Friendliness
These four Trail Towns joined a cohort of four other communities that had already gone through the Trail Town process and had officially adopted their Action Agendas. These plans helped provide guidance for pursuing funing to make the recommendations happen.
Just a few days ago, Brockport was announced as a winner of $4.5 million through the NY Forward program. The village was able to leverage their Trail Town planning work to successfully demonstrate the need for funding to make it happen!
The City of Lockport secured a competitive League of American Bicyclists Community Sparks grant to establish bike routes with temporary signage to the Farmers Market, as well as provide temporary bike parking for events.
The Village of Newark received a NYS Canal System Tourism Infrastructure grant to enrich the Canal experience for visitors with a new kiosk, wayfinding signage, landscaping, bike racks, a mounted air pump, park benches, and a drinking fountain.
The City of Rome also secured funds through the same Canals grant to install wayfinding signage to highlight amenities, educate visitors about the canal's history, and connect users to downtown businesses and points of interest.
Explore the Empire State Trail Towns
Want to know what makes all these towns so special? We’ve put together Trail Town pages and interactive maps for each of the communities with all the information that you’ll need to plan a great visit!
https://www.ptny.org/cycle-the-erie-canal/plan-a-trip/empire-state-trail-towns
Learn more about the Empire State Trail Town program and get info about the next round of applications - due March 2! ptny.org/estt