News for the ‘Exploring the Region’ Category
This photo taken by Phil Gallos shows the kick-off of the “On Track to Saranac” campaign, Nov. 5 in Tupper Lake. The group Next Stop! Tupper Lake has launched a grass roots effort to restore the rail line between Tupper Lake and Saranac Lake, which will pave the way for restored rail service between Tupper Lake and Lake Placid.
According to ANCA’s 2009 Scenic Byway Market Trend Assessment, the No. 1 reason visitors come to our area is to view our natural assets.
ANCA is committed to improving access for those who have physical challenges that limit their ability to get outdoors while touring our Scenic Byways.
Here are a few examples of projects that support that goal:
Railside Recreation Path: Allowing broader access to open space was a key factor in winning the $1.2 million grant that was recently awarded from the federal government to complete Phase I of the new recreation path to be built alongside the tracks within the Remsen-Lake Placid Travel Corridor.
Having a working railroad along with a trail will serve the interests of all and does not neglect those with limited access to wilderness: including people with mobility challenges, as well as senior citizens and families with small children.
As currently planned and funded, the recreational path will connect Saranac Lake and Lake Placid, two communities along the 170-mile Olympic Scenic Byway. The town of North Elba, with ANCA’s assistance, will be constructing a path for walkers, hikers, cross-country skiers and bicyclists while maintaining a corridor for snowmobilers. Of importance, this trail will work in conjunction with the Adirondack Scenic Railroad, which has been using its open-air car to provide a safe and up-close view of nature for those with mobility issues. One coach car with lifts at both ends and wide doors is also available on every summer run. It has been adapted as the dedicated “Access Car” and holds up to six wheelchairs.
Accessibility Guide: The Adirondack North Country Scenic Byways Accessibility Assessment and Public Awareness Guide is about to launch.
Working in partnership with the Tri Lakes Center for Independent Living (TLCIL) on research and project development, the guide will include communities and landmarks throughout 12 counties along the Adirondack Trail, the Central Adirondack Trail and the Olympic Scenic Byways.
A survey of facilities, sites, and current interpretive practices will result in an educational guide with specific strategies on accommodating all Byway users. Recommendations to raise awareness of the needs of today’s diverse travel market and to lay a foundation to better accommodate visitors’ needs will be distributed to community and tourism leaders across the three byways.
Site reports and a Public Awareness Guide will be used to improve conditions for travelers touring the region.
TLCIL will assemble a project team and work with ANCA to create a list of priority resource sites and interpretive facilities. The list could cover as many as 200 places such as tourist info centers, Chamber of Commerce offices, heritage sites, museums and cultural attractions.
Adirondack Architectural Heritage supports the preservation of the contributing historic features, including the railroad tracks themselves, of the New York Central Railroad, Adirondack Division, corridor, which is listed on the State and National Register of Historic Places. AARCH also supports the multiple public and nonprofit use concept for the corridor as envisioned and outlined in its management plan.
By Sharon O’Brien, ANCA’s Scenic Byways Program Coordinator
The new recreation path that will be built alongside the tracks within the Remsen-Lake Placid Travel Corridor will retain access to nature observation for key groups of people typically underserved: people with mobility challenges, as well as families with small children and senior citizens. As currently planned and funded, the recreational path will connect Saranac Lake and Lake Placid, two communities along the 170-mile Olympic Scenic Byway. This exciting project allows us to begin implementing local and regional goals from three adopted management plans for Adirondack North Country Scenic Byways, including improved accessibility.
The project will serve the interests of all and does not neglect those with limited access to wilderness due to mobility challenges. The town of North Elba, with ANCA’s assistance, will be constructing a path for walkers, hikers, cross-country skiers and bicyclists while maintaining a corridor for snowmobilers. Of importance, this trail will work in conjunction with the Adirondack Scenic Railroad, which has been using its open-air car to provide a safe and up-close view of nature for those with mobility issues. One coach car with lifts at both ends and wide doors is also available on every summer run. It has been adapted as the dedicated “Access Car” and holds up to six wheelchairs.
Our goal is to raise $100,000 from individuals and businesses by the end of 2011. We are well on our way – but we need your help to get us over the top.
Join our network by giving online here or by printing and mailing this form
With our networks of partners across the region, ANCA has identified four project areas to help transform our region and localize our economies:
- Food: Uniting the emerging local food economy through mapping the key players and identifying gaps in the system
- Energy: Expanding the region’s capacity to meet its own energy needs by bringing thermal biomass resources and programs to pilot communities
- Work: Creating a dynamic support network for entrepreneurs
- Identity: Launching an Adirondack Branding Initiative
Read about our work in the region and our goals for the upcoming year in the newsletter here
We invite you to join us as we begin this exciting work throughout the region.
ANCA’s Bike the Byways website is featured in New York State Department of Transportation’s Fall online magazine: https://www.nysdot.gov/e-zine/fall2011/scenic-byway
 Seeing the fall foliage from New York State’s scenic roads is easy, thanks to a new map that brings them together for the first time.
The Adirondack North Country Association and the New York State Department of Transportation have teamed up to produce the map, which gives visitors a chance to see all 21 designated Scenic Byways spanning more than 2,000 miles of roads in one convenient, folded map. One side highlights the 14 routes in Northern New York, the other side shows all the Byways statewide. The 93 million people who live within a day’s drive of the Adirondack region can find their way to communities that serve as a gateway to the area’s majestic mountains, countless waterways, and other natural wonders. Ronald Ofner, Executive Director of the Adirondack Regional Tourism Council, which assisted with the project, believes having the statewide locations of scenic drives on one handy map will allow travelers to plan extended trips that encompass various themes or geographic areas. The project was funded by a grant to the NYS Scenic Byways Program, at the New York State Department of Transportation, through the Federal Highway Administration and the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century. |
| Copies available!
Those that wish to receive a quantity of maps to share with visitors can contact Mark Woods, NYSDOT Scenic Byways Coordinator, at ScenicByways@dot.state.ny.us and (518) 457-6277.
More information on the Adirondacks’ Byways can be found |