NEW YORK — A report from Parks & Trails New York (PTNY) and the New York Office of State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) shared the statewide greenway trail expansion continues to lead the nation, with 45.2 new miles of trail completed between January 2023 and June 2024.
In the next few years, the state will feature nearly 40 more miles of trail. An additional 583.2 miles are currently in various stages of development.
“New York residents and visitors greatly benefit from the trail improvements documented in this report – improvements that we know expand recreational and economic opportunities throughout the state," State Parks Commissioner Pro Tempore Randy Simons said.
"State Parks is grateful to PTNY and all of the partners involved in these projects, and we encourage everyone to get out there and explore New York’s breathtaking scenery and the variety of communities made more accessible by these trail expansions.”
New York State has over 2,000 miles of multi-use paths across the state, including the 750-mile Empire State Trail, which is the longest statewide shared-use trail network in the United States.
The report references nearly 200 projects total, including 36 completed trail projects (new construction, trail renovation, and new amenities), 26 construction projects nearing completion, and 133 projects that have advanced during the last eighteen months (plans and feasibility studies completed or in progress, or grants awarded for planning or construction).
This expansion of New York’s greenway trail network covers every corner of the state, including the Adirondacks, North Country, Western New York, Capital Region, Central New York, Hudson Valley, Long Island, and New York City.
Notable expansion include the following projects:
- Design progress on 25 miles of the Long Island Greenway and funding for the design of 50 additional miles.
- Six key trail corridors to advance with implementation planning in New York City’s outer boroughs, expanding the network with 40 new miles of trail.
- Completion of the first 10 miles of the Adirondack Rail Trail from Lake Placid to Saranac Lake and major progress on phases 2 and 3.
- Initiation of a feasibility study for the 57-mile O&W Rail Trail from Kingston to Port.
- Jervis. Completion of nearly five miles of the O&W Rail Trail in the Hudson Valley, and a 1.8-mile O&W Connector to Kingston.
- 3.2 miles of the Harlem Valley Rail Trail resurfaced, with design in progress for an 8-mile extension.
- Plan for extension of the Black Diamond Rail Trail in Ithaca north to Trumansburg, south to Buttermilk Falls State Park, and on to Robert Treman State Park.
- A major federal planning grant for 52 miles of the Southern Tier Trail in Cattaraugus County.
For more details on each project, view the full report here.
