I. INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY
The purpose of the Adirondack North Country Bicycle Master Plan project is to develop a regional bicycle plan that clearly demonstrates the community benefits and economic value of local bicycle planning efforts, and that outlines the next steps necessary for creating bicycle friendly communities and for promoting the Scenic Byways System as the means for establishing the region's reputation as a bicycle tourism destination.
With the passage of new federal transportation legislation in 1991, bicycling planning began in earnest in many cities around the country. The Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA) recognized that the North Country also would benefit from a bicycle planning effort, and that the urban focus of most contemporary bicycle planning did not address the needs and concerns of the rural North Country, where tourism and natural resources are major job providers. In 1993, ANCA proposed to the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) that a bicycle planning effort be developed for the 14 county North Country Region. The resulting Bicycle Master Plan for the North Country addresses the needs of both local residents and tourists; and places a special emphasis on linking bicycle tourism to the significant tourism infrastructure already in place throughout the region, most notably the North Country Scenic Byway routes. ANCA acquired funding for the $35,000 project from NYSDOT and the federal Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act program of 1991 (ISTEA).
According to a Louis Harris poll taken in 1992, 72 percent of all Americans want a community-based planning structure which makes walking, running, or bicycling an integral part of their area's transportation system (Rails-to-Trails Conservancy 1994). Recently, the federal government stepped in to encourage bicycling and walking with the 1991 ISTEA legislation. ISTEA requires an intermodal approach to transportation planning by requiring that bicycle and pedestrian needs be considered along with other forms of private and public transportation. The legislation requires that transportation plans address the interconnectivity of various transportation modes and facilities. Another key feature of ISTEA is the emphasis on increased public involvement in transportation planning at all levels of government. The Bicycle Master Plan for the Adirondack North Country Region proposes a regional, cooperative effort in applying these new transportation guidelines to improving the quality of life for local residents, and in establishing the North Country's reputation for bicycle recreation.
There are two main goals for the North Country Bicycle Master Plan project:
1. To develop achievable recommendations for moving the North Country Region and the Scenic Byways System towards becoming a premier bicycling area in the Eastern United States; and,
2. To outline specific actions for making the region and Scenic Byways more bicycle and pedestrian friendly for residents, and for re-establishing bicycling and walking as safe, alternative forms of transportation.
In order to realize these goals, the project has eight major work objectives.
1. An inventory of highway corridors, including identification of major features, inventory of services and facilities, and identification of necessary structural improvements related to biking.
2. Compilation and use of existing geographic information system (GIS) digital data for the region.
3. Review of local, regional, state, and national programs for bicycling.
4. An economic analysis of biking in the North Country Region.
5. The development of a master plan document and associated maps.
6. Strategic analysis and recommendations for promoting bicycling in the region and along the Scenic Byways.
7. A questionnaire survey of B&Bs, inns, lodges, hotels, and campgrounds in the 14 county region, with accompanying economic analysis and discussion of the industry's relationship to bicycling.
8. A questionnaire survey of people who have taken bicycling vacations, with accompanying economic analysis and evaluation of the North Country's appeal to the bicycle tourist.
A main product of the planning effort is a strategic analysis and accompanying set of recommendations for promoting bicycling along the Scenic Byways and other routes within the region. These "next steps" are firmly grounded in the findings from the major work objectives, and are practical approaches to achieving the project goals. The strategic analysis and recommendations include nine major elements:
1. Identification of key factors along the Scenic Byways and beyond the region, including border states and Canada, influencing successful bike path development.
2. Evaluation of those factors in reference to the North Country situation, both regionally and sub-regionally, and the development of key recommendations for positioning the North Country as a premier bicycling area in the Northeast.
3. Recommendations for classification of bicycle routes, including plans for uniform standards, symbols, and signage along the Scenic Byways and throughout the ANCA region.
4. Identification of specific needs and improvements on a corridor by corridor basis, with associated regional and sub-regional summaries.
5. Prioritization of suggested improvements and specific work objectives by corridor and by type.
6. Recommendations to establish links between the Scenic Byways and proposed or existing bike systems outside the region.
7. An economic analysis of bicycling in the North Country, with associated recommendations for maximizing the economic benefit to rural communities.
8. Identification of a plan for community education for promoting bicycling in the region and along the Scenic Byways.
9. Recommendations on the need for and design of a regional bicycling guide and need for sub-regional promotional brochures promoting the Scenic Byways, as applicable.
These nine elements comprise the scope of the project.
The task of compiling bicycling information on a region the size of Vermont and New Hampshire combined, could not be successfully completed without the aid of bicycle planners and bicycle enthusiasts from throughout the region. Coordinating regional bicycling planning with the many on-going local and county bicycle projects became a key component of the planning effort early in the process. The study team participated in 16 separate meetings and presentations related to the project, attended by over 300 people involved in bicycling planning in the region. The public outreach effort cumulated in a North Country Regional Bicycle Forum, held on July 15, 1994, in Saranac Lake. The 60 attendees participated in three concurrent discussion groups, prioritizing regional needs related to bicycle maps, bicycle tourism along the Scenic Byways, and developing bicycle friendly communities.
In summary, the following two features of this bicycle planning effort set it apart from other, similar planning efforts, which has resulted in one of the more progressive bicycle master plans in the country:
First, the study team created a regional GIS database, professionally designed by a leading GIS firm, that provides a solid foundation for expanding the use of GIS mapping capabilities in regional bicycle promotion and information services. The relative ease of up-dating business location data in GIS makes it an attractive tool for enhancing the link between tourism and local economies.
Second, a key aspect of the plan is its close link to the local, predominately rural economies of the North Country. The study team carried out two separate, but related surveys as part of the planning effort. The findings offer insights on how lodging owners would like to see bicycle planning progress, and provide interested business people with contemporary information on the interests, desires, and expenditures of bicyclists.
The Bicycle Master Plan for the Adirondack North Country Region of New York State is a 100 page document that describes the community benefits, economic value, and relative ease of implementation of bicycle friendly facilities throughout the Adirondack North Country. A main feature of the document is its description of bicycle tourism planning and promotion, and discussion of six key ingredients in the successful establishment of the North Country as a bicycle tourism destination: bicycle maps, bicycle shops, bicycle clubs, bicycle events, and partnerships with local highway departments and New York State agencies.
A strong ingredient of the work is a focus on implementation. The Adirondack North Country Regional Map and GIS database section discusses implementation strategies, offers cost estimate data, and outlines funding sources. The address list of over 200 people interested in bicycle planning provides a guide to human resources in the region. Attached to the plan are appendices presenting the lodging and bicyclist questionnaire survey results; a bicycle friendly community checklist; lists of bicycle shops, clubs, and events in the region; selected traffic volume data; scheduled highway improvement projects; and an ISTEA user's guide.
In addition to the Bicycle Master Plan document, this planning effort resulted in the three map-related products that did not exist prior to this time. First and foremost, is a GIS database that contains all the road, bicycle shop, and recreational facility data shown on the county and regional maps. The database also contains additional information that is not shown on the maps. For example the address and phone numbers of all located bicycle shops in the region are in the database. On finished map products, the bicycle shops could be numbered, and those numbers associated with a table on the back of the map listing all the bicycle shop addresses and phone numbers.
Secondly, the study team compiled and printed a regional map using the GIS database. The regional bicycle route map is distributed with the Bicycle Master Plan document. The regional map distinguishes between three types of bicycle routes: the Scenic Byway System, bicycle routes suggested by NYSDOT, and additional routes linking into the Scenic Byways proposed by the ANCA Bicycle Master Plan study team. The three types of bicycle routes are the only roads shown on the regional map.
Finally, a few county maps were printed for each of the 14 counties in the region. These maps provide more detail on the preliminary bicycle routes, such as shoulder widths and traffic volume. The county maps also show the recreation facility locations, as well as most secondary roads in the region. The county maps are on file at the ANCA office and will be used to support implementation of the study recommendations.