Lt. Governor Mary O. Donohue today announced $2.9 million in funding for five projects in communities throughout the Southern Tier aimed at improving outdoor recreational opportunities, tourism and enhancing the quality of life for residents and visitors. The announcement was made during a press conference in Elmira. Chemung and Schuyler Counties will share $1 million in funding to help develop the Catharine Valley Trail.
"These projects will provide additional recreational opportunities and improve the potential for tourism and economic development within the Southern Tier," said Lt. Governor Donohue, who chairs Governor Pataki's Task Force on Quality Communities. "Governor Pataki and I believe that we must preserve the natural resources and beauty of the Southern Tier for both residents and visitors."
The 12-mile trail project will develop a bicycle and pedestrian transportation link between the communities of Horseheads, Pine Valley, Millport, Montour Falls and Watkins Glen. It will provide a link between Watkins Glen and Mark Twain State Parks and will connect with the Finger Lakes Trail.
Senator John R. (Randy) Kuhl said, "This region is richly defined by the quality of our recreational and tourism opportunities, and the development and completion of the Catharine Valley Trail will enhance our reputation. I continue to be grateful to Governor Pataki and Lt. Governor Donohue for recognizing the strengths of our region and for helping us build our future upon these strengths. I'm also extremely excited about the Main Street corridor enhancement for the village of Trumansburg in my district. It's an exciting project to recapture Trumansburg's cultural, natural and pedestrian quality."
Chemung County Executive Tom Tranter said, "The Catharine Valley Trail project will give us another dynamite attraction for residents and visitors and will enhance our tourism efforts in the Southern Tier, which already boasts NASCAR racing, the Finger Lakes wine country, Corning Glass and many other attractions."
Assemblyman George H. Winner, Jr., said, "The Catharine Valley Trail is a diamond in the rough in Chemung County. I'm very pleased that significant funding has made available to allow us to polish it for the enjoyment of both local pedestrians and bicyclists, as well as the tourists who will visit the area."
Assemblyman Jim Bacalles said, "As the representative of Schuyler County, I applaud the decision to invest $1 million in Schuyler and Chemung Counties for the development of the Catharine Valley Trail. It will be a great asset to the area."
The trail corridor includes remnants of the Chemung Canal and the railroad, which will be restored and preserved as part of this project. The rich cultural history of the area, including that of the Native American population, will be highlighted by the trail.
Funding has been received from the Appalachian Regional Commission to complete a Trail Master Plan and a Tourism Development Plan. Both plans will be finished this fall. Construction of the trail project should begin later this year and should be finished by next summer.
The main component of this project is construction of a *-mile long, ten-foot wide, off-road paved bicycle/pedestrian path connecting a neighborhood park in a dense residential area with an existing network of off-road paths. A series of walkways will be built to connect the trailhead with existing sidewalks and paths. Also included in the proposal are traffic calming and pedestrian safety intersection treatments. A pedestrian plaza is planned for transit users, as three existing bus routes serve the proposed trail.
The project has two goals: 1) reclaim the pedestrian quality of Main Street and 2) create a shared -history signage project. Implementation of the first goal involves both the rehabilitation and creation of curbs and sidewalks along Main Street ( Route 96) extending across most of the village. In addition, new sidewalks and tree lawns will be built along streets connecting neighborhoods to Main Street. The project includes landscaping and streetscape enhancement such as lights, benches, specialty plants and new bike racks. Implementation of the second goal involves designing and siting approximately 20 historical markers designed to tell Trumansburg's cultural and natural history.
The project will provide streetscape improvements along Main Street in the Village of Andover. Work includes landscaping with the planting of trees which will benefit Main Street by defining the sidewalks from the parking areas. This will add to the beauty of Main Street and encourage commerce and interest in the downtown area. The streetscape will include improvements to the sidewalks by the installation of pavers which will be constructed to eliminate the existing two-tier sidewalk design and increase safety. This will be developed to be ADA compliant. The project will also include the replacement of existing street lights with decorative period lighting. Additional lighting will be included to increase visibility and safety. Decorative wood benches, planters and bicycle racks will be placed to make Main Street more attractive to travelers and potential customers.
The Genesee Valley Greenway project will complete the development of a 90-mile multiple use trail and greenway that begins in the Rochester area and extends south to the Village of Cuba in Allegany County. Previously 90 miles of right-of-way was purchased along the abandoned Genesee Valley Canal and its successor, the Pennsylvania Railroad. With previous funding, the northern most 50 miles of the corridor were developed as a multi-use trail. Funding at this time will be used to complete work on the southern section so that it is fully operational.
The project will complete a multi-modal transportation system that stretches 90 miles from Allegany County to the Rochester area. It will enhance tourism and boost the local economy. It is expected by the year 2010 that this section of the trail will have user demands of 10,000 activity days per year. It will provide opportunities for walking, hiking, jogging, bicycling, horseback riding, nature observation, snow shoeing, cross country skiing, and snowmobiling along the abandoned canal towpath and trail bed. Also, increase access to and encourage recreational use of the Genesee River.