Three Adirondack North Country Scenic Byway routes travel along the Canadian border: the Seaway Trail and the Military Trail, while three travel to the border: the Champlain Trail, Adirondack Trail, and Black River Trail.

Bicycle planning is occurring in at least three locations along the border:

In addition, the Seaway Trail bicycle maps and maps produced by the Ontario-based Cycle Rideau Lanark group feature bicycle routes on both sides of the St. Lawrence River.

The 1000 Islands International Council's recently published tourism map features the western North Country region and southeastern Ontario. This map is of interest to bicycle promotion because its layout and production illustrate the possibilities in cross-border cooperative ventures. The border, consisting primarily of the St. Lawrence River, runs through the middle of the map on the diagonal, so that equal portions of New York and Ontario are shown. The key features on the map are roads, communities, lakes, rivers, and recreational sites, with both sides of the border being equally well represented. These same features are of interest to bicyclists.

There appears to be a large latent demand for cross-border bicycle travel. The large urban populations in Montreal and Ottawa, as well as in Albany and New York City areas, point to the potential success of an effort to promote international bicycle tourism. In addition, European and Asian tourism professionals indicate that there is strong interest in Canadian/U.S. bicycle tourism opportunities.

The St. Lawrence Parks Commission is beginning to develop planning and promotion for the "Frontenac Axis," an ecological area connecting Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario to the Adirondack Park in New York. The center of the ecosystem, the St. Lawrence Islands National Park, is recognized as an important, connecting ecosystem -- a filter -- allowing the free movement of flora and fauna between the two protected, park habitats. Thus, a new ecosystem management approach is being applied to the area by land managers in Ontario. This type of recognition and management will have great appeal to bicyclist tourists from around the world.

All the presently, ongoing international cooperative efforts at bicycle planning can be expanded and built upon, through cooperative efforts among national, state, regional, and local governments, and among business interests, on both sides of the border.

This chapter of the plan offers recommendations for achieving the goals of the Adirondack North Country Region bicycle planning effort. The primary recommendations are organized under the four major bicycle planning objectives. The four objectives comprise the actions that are integral to achieving the status of a nationally recognized bicycling area. These "next steps" will lead the region towards recognition as a premier bicycling area, if carried out through the cooperative efforts of interested citizens, local businesses, tourism offices, regional planning organizations, state and local highway departments, and New York State agencies.

A North Country Region Bicycle/Pedestrian Review Committee must be established to coordinate bicycle planning and promotion of the region as a premier bicycle destination. NYSDEC, NYSDOT, and other State agencies must lend support to the regional effort by supporting ANCA, the Tug Hill Commission, the St. Lawrence-Eastern Ontario Commission (SLEOC), Lake Champlain Bikeways Committee, Seaway Trail, Inc., and others in the establishment and maintenance of the committee. It is suggested that the committee will be composed of two individuals from each of the 14 counties in the region, or 28 people.

ANCA needs to continue promoting the development of a regional bicycle map illustrating the Scenic Byway bicycle routes through the region. The preliminary regional and county bicycle route maps developed for this project and distributed with the Master Plan are working, draft maps, to be reviewed and refined by planners, highway officials, bicycle clubs, bicycle shop owners, and other interested individuals in each county.

A statewide, inter-agency set of standards and procedures needs to be established for ensuring that the GIS data produced by all New York State agencies is accurate, current, and interchangeable. GIS is quickly becoming a necessary regional planning tool.

Bicycle route signage a high priority in the region and along the Scenic Byways. NYSDOT regions in the North Country can work with local organizations in establishing uniform bicycle signage along the Scenic Byways and other bicycle routes. Coordination of NYSDOT Regions 1, 2, 3, and 7 will ensure that signage appearance and location are standardized throughout the region. NYSDOT officials can coordinate with ANCA to ensure bicycle signage is consistent with existing Scenic Byway signage. Coordination also can include bicycle signage and bicycle mapping activities in Ontario and Quebec, since international bicycle loops are being actively explored that link into the Scenic Byways. Also in terms of signage, mile markers can be consistently used throughout the region so that future bicycle mapping might be keyed to mile marker location. The location of lodging, attractions, and points of interest could all be linked to mile markers through the GIS regional database.

Each county within the region needs to quickly assess all potential rail-to-trails projects within their borders. NYSDOT and NYS Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation (NYSOPRHP) can assist in this effort by providing the funds and expertise necessary for developing a GIS database of all current, planned, and potential rails-to-trails projects in the region. Dedicated trail systems are proven to be valuable tourist attractions, as well as providing safe, bicycle recreation opportunities for local residents. Railroad rights-of-way are the most cost-effective way of developing off-road bicycle trail systems, and can provide alternative routes to Scenic Byway routes experiencing heavy traffic flow. However, once the right-of-way has passed into private hands, it is a very difficult, time-consuming, and sometimes cost-prohibitive process to bring those areas back into the public domain.

Each local community needs to assess the bicycle friendliness of their roads and streets, and begin incorporating safe bicycle facilities into their community plans and projects. The Bicycle Master Plan lists many, relatively easy and inexpensive steps towards bicycle friendliness, including: bicycle racks, off-street parking, repaving shoulders, sweeping shoulders, adding bicycle signs, using bicycle friendly storm drains, reduced speed limits, etc. Additional bicycle friendly recommendations include the following:

NYSDOT must provide leadership in improving cooperative bicycle planning between NYSDOT regions, and especially between NYSDOT and the county and other local highway departments. Education and outreach are needed for educating and encouraging local highway departments on the importance of bicycle friendly improvements on the Scenic Byways System, and throughout the region in general. In the vicinity of communities, local roads and streets provide alternate routes to the Scenic Byways, especially for families and inexperienced bicyclists because of relatively lower traffic volumes. Local highway officials must be familiar with the importance of shoulder width, shoulder repair, and shoulder sweeping in developing the region's reputation as a premier bicycling destination.

NYSDOT must work with the various St. Lawrence River Bridge Authorities to address necessary bicycle friendly improvements on the bridge crossings. One limit to international bicycling promotion between the region and Canada are the real bicycle hazards represented by the difficulty in bicycling across the St. Lawrence River bridges. If bridge reconstruction will not be occurring soon, temporary measures to be explored by the bridge authorities include additional ferries, busing bicyclists, and other innovations.

The NYS Department of Health continues to develop additional public outreach materials that encourage bicycle safety training in local communities. Informative advertising on the availability of bicycle safety materials appearing each spring in every local newspaper in the region would get the word out.

Regional tourism officials need to continue to encourage the public carriers to accommodate travelers with bicycles. A missing link in the bicycle facility infrastructure in the North Country is public transportation in and out of the region: airplanes, buses, and trains. Canadian rail lines are setting the example by accommodating bicycles on trains.

The development and publishing of more local county and sub-regional bicycle maps is necessary to successfully promoting the area and link bicycle tourism to local economies. Local maps will be able to note more clearly the location of points of interest, historic sites, bicycle facilities, and businesses along the Scenic Byways of interest to bicyclists. Counties also need to work with neighboring counties in designating, signing, and maintaining shared bicycle routes and loops, using the Scenic Byways as the basis of such routes. Innovative approaches need to be explored that allow bicycle planning and promotion to ignore political boundaries. Cooperative efforts will cut costs and save taxpayer dollars.

Additional collaborative planning and promotion activities (i.e., public/private partnerships) need to be established in order for the region to become a premier bicycling area. The State's active presence in the region (e.g., NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA), Adirondack Park Agency (APA), NYSOPRHP) and extensive land holdings have tended to limit what the private sector can accomplish alone in the way of bicycle planning and promotion. The recent establishment and promotion of Mount Van Hoevenberg as a mountain biking center during 1994 is an excellent example of what a public/private partnership can accomplish. The State ski facilities of Whiteface and Gore Mountains could offer a similar opportunity for mountain biking.

The most effective public message about bicycling in the region would be a collaborative effort among state agencies and the tourism industry. State land and resource management agencies, such as NYSDEC and the APA can provide the "wise use" public education message for inclusion in private promotions, while the private sector can help NYSDEC and other agencies better represent the region's tourism infrastructure in their many recreational brochures. The goal is a unified message that serves the needs of both land managers and the tourism industry, rather than a mixed message that can lead to confusion and disappointment for visitors.

French translation needs to be incorporated into most bicycle maps and promotions. As much as one-third of the visitation to the northern part of the region is composed of visitors from Canada. While not all Canadian visitors are French speaking, the proximity of Quebec, and especially Montreal, indicates that a large potential market exists there. Quebec tourism officials are planning to reciprocate with English translation in their bicycle promotions.

Day trips and loops need be developed off the Scenic Byways linking to the New York Canal System, enhancing the impacts of bicycling beyond the canal tow path and immediate vicinity. The North Shore Loop around Oneida Lake in Oswego and Oneida counties is one example that is under development.

NYSDEC, must act aggressively in developing and implementing a recreation trail management plan on the Lake Placid-Remsen trail corridor in a collaborative manner. NYSDEC can work with NYSDOT, NYSOPRHP, regional and local planners, ANCA, the Adirondack Railroad Preservation Society, and with the tourism industry in developing the corridor as a bicycle/hiking trail, as well as an excursion/passenger train line in specific locations. There are likely few other recreation trails in the country that would offer the diversity of environments, views of wilderness, history, and access to diverse recreational pursuits as would the Lake Placid-Remsen recreation trail. Bicycle transportation use of the trail would be significant in the Lake Placid - Saranac Lake - Tupper Lake area, where bicycle routes are confined primarily to high traffic volume roads. Scenic Byways intersect the rail line in at least four locations, providing significant tourism promotion potential.

Local and regional tourism promotion groups, and state agencies serving the region can develop a coordinated and ongoing advertising campaign. Establishment of the region as a premier bicycle tourism area requires name and region recognition. Non-traditional partners in tourism planning (e.g., bicyclists, bicycle shops, bicycle clubs, local highway departments) need to play a role in planning the campaign due to their familiarity with the targeted market.

Activities for the next three years from this cooperative and ongoing promotional effort include the following:

Local and regional tourism organizations need to pool resources in enabling a vision for an Adirondack North Country Region Traveler Information System. The Bicycle Master Plan lays out a logical path for continuing the development of a GIS-based traveler information system. The actual accomplishment of the goal will require the commitment to a vision of the future that is not here now, but with persistence will happen. This GIS system also makes sound economic sense for many other regional economic development activities as well. The initial effort can focus on adding the locations of all tourism facilities of interest, building on the bicycle facilities database established for this project. Issues of maintaining, up-dating, and distributing the information all need to be addressed.

Local banks and other lending institutions need to support and encourage further development of bicycle shops and bicycle rental services throughout the region, especially along the Scenic Byways. In addition, lending policies need to recognize and accommodate the seasonal nature of bicycle businesses. There are presently economic opportunities for additional bicycle shops and bicycle touring companies in the region. Lenders can encourage bicycle business establishment by local residents, and the expansion by existing bicycle businesses, through innovative lending programs that result in local job creation that strengthen local economies.

There is need for more cooperative business ventures among bicycle shops, lodging owners, and guide services. Cooperative efforts make sense because they provide an additional margin of profit to small businesses that are limited by the seasonal nature of bicycling in the North Country. Cooperative efforts also serve to strengthen the competitive edge of local businesses over outside businesses that temporarily set up shop in the region. There are currently bicycle shops in the region that have bicycle sale and rental agreements with lodging establishments, who then offer bicycles for use by their guests. There appears to be economic opportunity for many more such cooperative ventures. Tour group leaders and bicycle shop owners need to work with lodging owners to offer bicycle vacation packages that fit with the lodgings' current occupancy rates. Vacation recreation packages are very popular with the active visitor who wants to have a full vacation experience in a short time period.

The remaining discussion is organized by geographic area, beginning with New York State agency recommendations, followed by county and Scenic Byway recommendations, and concluding with recommendations on international cooperation.

The Lake Champlain bicycle route, linking to bicycle routes to the south in New York, to the east in Vermont, and to the north in Quebec should be NYSDOT's next priority bicycle route for signing and striping. Officials should coordinate bicycle signage with existing Champlain Trails Scenic Byway signage.

In recognition of the importance of Canadian tourism to the North Country economy, NYSDOT should sign and stripe additional north/south bicycle routes in the region, specifically through Malone, Ogdensburg, and Cape Vincent. Signage should be coordinated with appropriate officials in Ontario and Quebec.

NYSDOT designated bicycle routes on State roads throughout the North Country should be signed and striped as quickly as possible. This visible commitment of the state towards bicycle friendly facilities is a major step in educating the public on the program and in demonstrating state support to local highway departments.

NYSDOT should embark on an inventory of railroad lines in the North Country, including active lines, inactive lines, and lines that have been converted to other uses, such as bicycle/pedestrian trails. This research can be compiled on a GIS system so that bicycle planners throughout the region can begin to see how rails-to-trails projects in their counties might link to trails in adjacent counties. The GIS information should be public information that can then be used for developing bicycle trail maps for the North Country.

NYSDOT should assess the bicycle needs of the Seaway Trail bicycle routes in Oswego County, primarily on Route 3. This route is greatly in need of wider shoulders in general, and especially across many of the bridges, where shoulders are non-existent. Work is currently underway to address some of the problems on Route 3.

In terms of Canadian linkages, the Bridge & Port Authorities along the St. Lawrence River need to address the bicycle hazards of the major bridge crossings. Many of the bridge crossings are reportedly difficult, if not unsafe, for bicyclists. A schedule for bicycle friendly improvements to each bridge needs to be established so that bicycle planners can develop interim measures for improving bridge crossings for bicyclists. One proposal is that the Bridge Authorities provide ferry service for bicyclists during appropriate seasons, until bicycle friendly improvements are made; another is that the Bridge Authorities provide bicycle shuttle service on the bridges.

NYSDEC should widely distribute the Lake Placid-Remsen recreation trail management plan, and work with NYSDOT, NYSOPRHP, ANCA, Adirondack Railway Preservation Society (ARPS), interest groups, and local businesses to move forward in development of the recreation trail as a bicycle/hiking corridor, as well as an excursion/passenger train corridor in specific locations. There are likely few other bicycle trails in the country that would offer the diversity of environments, views of wilderness, history, and access to diverse recreational pursuits as would the Lake Placid-Remsen trail. Having an operating excursion train in portions of the corridor will enhance the recreational potential of the trail system by providing an attractive means for traveling to and from bicycling destinations. Collaborative (public/private) committees should be established immediately to begin work on planning for the wise use of this truly unique resource.

ORDA should work towards opening Gore Mountain and Whiteface Mountain to mountain biking in 1995. Many of the ski areas in Vermont are now offering mountain biking, and it has proven to be very popular and financially successful. Some areas in Vermont are even cutting special trails for mountain biking. This type of recreational activity would benefit local economies, draw visitors during the off-season, and provide mountain bicyclists with a view of the excellent on-road bicycling the area has to offer.

NYSDOT should continue its efforts to engender cooperative activities between NYSDOT regions, and especially between NYSDOT and county and other local highway departments. While outreach is occurring, there seems to be a need for workshops and education in the local highway offices on bicycle/pedestrian facilities. ANCA could participate in organizing workshop/information sessions for local highway officials and personnel.

NYSDOT should provide support to the development and maintenance of a North Country Region Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee. Participants can be included in the information-loop for all state, county, and local highway and transportation activities. The committee would provide one link between the public and the three levels of highway departments, receiving comments and concerns from bicycle clubs, tourism groups, businesses, individuals, etc., and providing information to highway officials.

The New York State legislature should pass legislation addressing a coordinated, state-wide GIS planning effort. There is precedence for this in other states. Vermont has long been recognized as having the best state-wide GIS system in the country. It is essentially one-stop shopping for GIS information on Vermont. One of the study team members on this project, David Healy, participated in establishing Vermont's GIS system. North Dakota has recently embarked on a state-wide, inter-departmental cooperative GIS planning effort, with all major agencies involved in planning for GIS system that avoids duplication, is accessible to all departments, and that saves money in the long-run. Accessibility to centralized, inexpensive GIS information is especially important to planning in large rural areas such as the North Country region, where GIS information cuts across numerous political entities including counties, towns, and municipalities. The present difficulty in obtaining and compiling GIS information for the North Country creates an inequity between urban and rural areas of the state in their ability to plan effectively for future growth and development.

A Bicycle Season Pass should be developed by the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation. State Park facilities are popular with families for their relatively quiet, smooth roads. While a use fee is understandable, it should be minimal for those only wanting to bicycle the roads.

There is the need for an over-pass for bicycles and snowmobiles over Interstate 81 in Oswego County in the vicinity of route 49. The is an extensive system of bicycle trails being developed in Oswego County that incorporates rails-to-trails projects, the Oswego Canal, the Salmon River corridor, snowmobile trails, and back roads. Interstate 81 is an impassable obstacle to the linking of trails in the Oneida Lake area to trails in the Fulton area.

All tourism, business, and local governments should come together in promoting a dedicated bicycle trail linking Keene Valley to Tupper Lake, and in applying for the federal funds that are available for such undertakings. This trail would link Keene Valley, Keene, Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, and Tupper Lake, in Franklin and Essex Counties. This safe scenic trail could link into the Lake Placid-Remsen trail, and would become a widely recognized family, tourist destination.

Regional tourism officials need to continue to encourage the public carriers to accommodate travelers with bicycles. One link in the bicycle facility infrastructure in the North Country is public transportation in and out of the region: airplanes, buses, and trains. There is a national goal that 16% of all shopping and commuting trips be done by bicycle or walking, double the current rate of 8%. A similar goal is here suggested for all visitor trips into the North Country Region, that within 10 years 16% of all visitors arrive in the region by plane, train, bus, or bicycle. Once here, they will be able to bicycle, catch a shuttle bus, or take a train to the sites they wish to visit.

Counties need to inventory and assess all potential rail-to-trails projects within their borders. Railroad rights-of-way are the most cost-effective way of developing off-road bicycle trail systems. However, once the right-of-way has passed into private hands, it is a very difficult, time-consuming, and sometimes cost-prohibitive process to bring those areas back into the public domain. Unfortunately, private citizens and businesses can often act more quickly to obtain railroad rights-of-way than can county governments. Oswego county has a policy to carefully consider all railroad rights-of-way that come up for sale. Most other counties in the region do not seem to have any systematic method evaluating and obtaining those rail lines that would be most beneficial to the public as recreation trails. Counties are encouraged to work with Land Trust organizations in exploring possibilities for buying rights-of-way more quickly than would otherwise be possible.

Following from the prior recommendation, NYSDOT should assist in aiding counties cataloguing railroad rights-of-way that either are available, or that are likely to become available for purchase. Some of these routes have regional and state significance. A GIS-based tracking system for the railroad lines should be developed by NYSDOT so that counties can better visual the future of their off-road trail systems. As discussed elsewhere in the Bicycle Plan, such trail systems are valuable additions to the tourism infrastructure.

NYSDOT should work with ANCA, the Tug Hill Commission, the St. Lawrence-Lake Ontario Commission, Lake Champlain Bikeways Committee, Seaway Trail, Inc. and others to establish and maintain a North Country Region Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee. As suggested above In the primary and agency recommendations, the committee would be composed of two individuals from each of the 14 counties in the Region, or 28 people. Preferably, one member from each county would be from the private or non-profit sector, and the other from local government. Potential first year members include all the individuals listed at the end of each county description, below.

Funding for the Advisory Committee would be necessary for office supplies, postage, travel, and per diem. The various groups listed above could cooperatively explore funding sources, apply for funds, and designate one group as the administrative body for the North Country Region Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee.

As part of the process creating a regional Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee, ANCA should work with other regional groups and NYSDOT to engender cooperative activities between NYSDOT regions, and especially between NYSDOT and county and other local highway departments. Bicycle/pedestrian workshops for local highway officials would probably be the most effective approach to promoting bicycle/pedestrian improvements in the region.

All dedicated bicycle paths and multi-use trails -- both established and planned -- should be digitized into compatible GIS computer formats. As part of Phase II North Country Bicycle planning work, all counties and state agencies should provide maps or digitized routes of dedicated trails and of railroad lines they have acquired or would like to acquire. These can then be centrally compiled and printed on a regional map. There are a multitude of rails-to-trails projects throughout the region, in all stages of completion, including completed, in-progress, planned. Some counties, such as Oswego, are beginning to map rails-to-trails projects and other bicycle route development efforts throughout the county, so that they can begin to see where to focus on linking different trail systems.

Bicycling advocates should work with snowmobile groups to explore cooperative efforts at trail acquisition and maintenance. There is great opportunity in coordinating bicycle route development and promotion with snow mobile trail development efforts, because snow mobile trails can be bicycling trails in the summer. The Bureau of Marine and Recreation Vehicles in the NY State Office of Parks, Recreation, & Historic Preservation is currently in the process of developing a state-wide snow mobile trails map. The Bureau is planning to put all the information in a GIS system and complete the project by the end of 1994. Oswego County is an example of bicycle planning and snowmobile trail groups working together to develop a comprehensive trail system in the county. The snowmobile trail mapping project is also of interest for its GIS mapping approach. Subsequent ANCA bicycle mapping efforts should evaluate the GIS data and determine its applicability to ANCA's interest in regional maps.

ANCA should move ahead with Phase II of their bicycle promotion effort by supporting development of a regional bicycle map. The draft maps and data base created during this project provides an extremely solid basis for continuing that work. The mapping chapter in this report provides details on accomplishing this goal.

Tourism officials, business, and local governments should begin now in planning how to cooperatively develop and promote the Lake Placid-Remsen recreation trail. With the possible exception of the New York Canal trails currently under development, there is likely no other bicycle trail in the state, or perhaps the country, that would offer the diversity of environments, views of wilderness, history, and access to diverse recreational pursuits as would the Lake Placid-Remsen recreation trail. Traveling as it does, through the heart of the Adirondack wilderness areas, the development of the corridor as a recreation trail, as well as an excursion/passenger railway corridor, would provide an attraction of national interest.

There is great opportunity in coordinating bicycle route promotion with snow mobile trail promotions. Regional tourism officials should address the link between snowmobile trails and bicycle trails and seek to develop cooperative efforts between bicycle and snowmobile groups. If the two groups pool promotion efforts, fund raising efforts, and person-power for trail clearing, etc., they will advance their individual goals more effectively than by working alone. For example, similar map information could be used for developing both snowmobile and bicycle maps, saving time and money. Oswego County probably provides the best example of bicycle planning and snow mobile trail groups working together to develop a comprehensive trail system in the county.