Requires the office of parks, recreation and historic preservation to create a plan regarding non-motorized multi-use trails in consultation with the department of environmental conservation, the department of health and the department of transportation.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A5035B
SPONSOR: Fahy TITLE OF BILL:
An act to require the office of parks, recreation and historic preserva-
tion to create a plan regarding non-motorized multi-use trails
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
AN ACT to require the New York State Department of Parks and Recreation
and Historic Preservation to create a plan regarding multi-use trails
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1:
(a) Defines a multi-use trail as "an off-street linear facility for
recreation and transportation, paved or unpaved, designated to serve
multiple types of users, including, but not limited to, bicyclists,
pedestrians, in-line skaters, joggers, cross-country skiers or equestri-
ans"
(b) Directs the NYS Department of Parks and Recreation and Historic
Preservation to create a plan for a comprehensive statewide system of
multiuse trails. Describes drafting, review and agency input. Identi-
fies specific parameters of the plan.
(c) Describes the role of other agency stakeholders.
JUSTIFICATION:
Multi-use trails have been observed to have an important economic impact
on the communities around them, with the Erie Canalway Trail alone
having an estimated impact of $253 million in sales, 3,440 jobs, $78
million in labor income, and $28.5 million in tax revenue. This effect
stands to be multiplied in New York State, with the impending
construction of the new Empire State Trail. Additionally, New York has
more than 1,000 miles of regional and local trails networks found all
across the state. While these trails enhance their communities, their
economic impact is stymied by a lack of long term planning.
In order to advance trail development to their full potential, and maxi-
mize the various benefits of trails, New York needs a coordinated strat-
egy for linking existing and potential individual trail corridors to
create a statewide, interconnected system. With thousands of miles of
scenic rivers and streams, lakeshores, canals, historic roadways, and
abandoned railroad corridors, plus hundreds of appealing cities, towns
and villages, opportunities to create additional trails and connections
between existing trails abound in every region of the state.
A 10-year plan to build out the connectivity of regional trail networks
will enhance the economic impact of existing trails and the new Empire
State Trail and will create more opportunities for outdoor recreation,
tourism and health benefits in every corner of New York.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
None
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
To be determined
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
5035--B
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 6, 2019
___________
Introduced by M. of A. FAHY, McDONALD, ENGLEBRIGHT, STECK, BURKE --
Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. GRIFFIN -- read once and referred to
the Committee on Economic Development -- committee discharged, bill
amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said commit-
tee -- reported and referred to the Committee on Ways and Means --
committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and
recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to require the office of parks, recreation and historic preserva-
tion to create a plan regarding non-motorized multi-use trails
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. (a) For the purposes of this act, the term "non-motorized
2 multi-use trail" shall mean an off-street linear facility for recreation
3 and transportation, paved or unpaved, designated to serve multiple types
4 of non-motorized users, including, but not limited to, bicyclists,
5 pedestrians, in-line skaters, joggers, cross-country skiers or equestri-
6 ans.
7 (b) The office of parks, recreation and historic preservation, or for
8 purposes of this act, the "office", shall create a plan for a comprehen-
9 sive statewide system of non-motorized multi-use trails consisting of a
10 network of non-motorized primary corridors linked to and enhanced by
11 regional and local non-motorized multi-use trails. The draft plan shall
12 be completed one year after this act becomes a law. The office shall
13 consult concurrently with representatives from the department of envi-
14 ronmental conservation, the department of health and the department of
15 transportation to create such plan. A representative of each agency
16 shall be appointed by the commissioner of their respective agency. The
17 office shall meet with the representatives of such agencies at least
18 quarterly. There shall be a sixty-day public comment period on such
19 draft plan and there shall be at least one public hearing on the draft
20 plan during such sixty-day public comment period. The final plan shall
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09167-04-9
A. 5035--B 2
1 be completed and adopted one hundred eighty days after submission of the
2 draft plan. The plan shall be updated no less than every five years.
3 Such plan shall include five major components:
4 (i) A vision for a statewide network of non-motorized primary corri-
5 dors linked to and enhanced by regional and local non-motorized multi-
6 use trails, which will include trail uses to be addressed in the plan;
7 goals for geographic distribution; goals for universal accessibility;
8 and general goals for new trail acquisition and development.
9 (ii) A Geographic Information System (GIS) inventory of existing non-
10 motorized multi-use trails across the state, as well as planned non-mo-
11 torized multi-use trails, or undeveloped corridors under consideration
12 for future non-motorized multi-use trails.
13 (iii) Identification of new non-motorized multi-use trail opportu-
14 nities including, but not limited to, transportation (rail, canal, trol-
15 ley) corridors - existing, abandoned or under consideration to be aban-
16 doned; under-utilized or closed roads; utility corridors and natural
17 corridors such as waterways and waterfronts.
18 (iv) A comprehensive set of non-motorized multi-use trail recommenda-
19 tions, including but not limited to acquisition and development priori-
20 ties; guidelines for design and maintenance of different "tier" (prima-
21 ry, regional, local) non-motorized multi-use trails; guidelines for
22 wayfinding, marketing and interpretive signs and informational
23 resources, such as statewide and regional maps of existing non-motorized
24 multi-use trails, to promote the use of such trails and their coordi-
25 nation with other tourism opportunities in New York state.
26 (v) Recommendations for funding the acquisition, construction, mainte-
27 nance, and promotion of non-motorized multi-use trails as well as imple-
28 mentation.
29 (c) The department of environmental conservation, the department of
30 health, the department of transportation and any other state agencies,
31 departments, public authorities or programs with relevant expertise or
32 resources shall provide the office with such facilities, assistance, and
33 data as will enable the office to carry out its powers and duties. The
34 office will have primary responsibility for implementation of the plan
35 created pursuant to the provisions of this act, provided the costs of
36 implementation have been appropriated or identified by the commissioner
37 of the office.
38 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
