SCHUMER ANNOUNCES OVER $1 MILLION COMING TO NEW YORK STATE FOR SCENIC BYWAYS PROJECT; INVESTMENT WILL HELP DEVELOP LAKE PLACID MULTIMODAL PATH
Schumer Announces Over $1 Million To NYSDOT For Development of Lake Placid MultiModal Path, Improvement and Maintenance of Olympic Byway
Schumer: NY's Beautiful Paths and Trails Must Be Preserved For Recreation, Tourism
On Friday, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced that $1,208,708 has been awarded to the New York Department of Transportation for projects by the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) Federal Highway Administration under the National Scenic Byways Program. The federal funds will be used for projects that improve, maintain and increase access to information about the state's scenic byways, and will specifically develop a multimodal recreational path in Lake Placid.
"New York State is full of beautiful paths and trails that require some serious preservation efforts," said Schumer. "This investment will ensure that these scenic routes are improved and preserved, all while establishing a new multimodal path between Lake Placid and Ray Brook. This means that thousands of tourists who come to visit each year can safely enjoy those well-preserved trails, and access plenty of information on their rich histories."
Lake Placid Multimodal Path is the first phase of the Lake Placid Recreation Path project which will create a 6.1-mile, 8-10 foot wide stone dust surfaced path between the Village of Lake Placid and the community of Ray Brook, along a railroad right-of-way that runs between the two communities. The plans include a trail head in Lake Placid on Old Military road, and a signed bicycle route that will connect the route to Lake Placid village and Route 86, the Olympic Byway. As the most heavily traveled State road in the Adirondack Park, Route 86 between Lake Placid and Saranac Lake poses many challenges since it is typically a high speed route with narrow shoulders. It is currently a challenge for motorists and cyclists to share these roads safely, and the development of this path will improve those circumstances and attract increased tourism and recreation.
The National Scenic Byways Program provides funding to States and Indian tribes to implement projects on highways designated as National Scenic Byways; All-American Roads; America's Byways®; State scenic byways; or Indian tribe scenic byways; and to plan, design, and develop a State or Indian tribe scenic byway program. Funding supports projects that manage and protect outstanding scenic, historic, cultural, natural, recreational, and archaeological qualities along these byways; interpret these qualities for visitors; and improve visitor facilities.