BILL NUMBER: S7806B
SPONSOR: SERRANO
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the parks, recreation and historic preservation law, in
relation to directing the office of parks, recreation and historic pres-
ervation to promulgate uniform design standards and manage applications
for greenway trails
 
PURPOSE:
Direct OPRHP to require that any Greenway trail established or modified
under its jurisdiction conform with design standards promulgated by the
office.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends the parks, recreation and historical preservation law
to require that any new Greenway trail or existing Greenway trail
modification under the office's jurisdiction complies with design stand-
ards established by the office that identify best practices for trail
design and maintenance.
Section 2 defines Greenway trails. Section 3 sets the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
The statewide system of Greenway trails provides New Yorkers and visi-
tors alike with access to outdoor recreation and non-motorized transpor-
tation. Trails generate economic activity across the state, with trail
users patronizing nearby businesses, restaurants, and retailers.
In 2017, OPRHP promulgated the Empire State Trail Design Guide to iden-
tify best practices for trail specifications, maintenance, and accessi-
bility. However, these guidelines are not uniformly followed, resulting
in accessibility issues and inconsistent, confusing signage on the
state's trails.
This bill would require new trails and any upgrades or modifications to
existing trails to conform to the standards promulgated by OPRHP.
Ensuring consistency across trails statewide would improve user experi-
ence and give people the sense that the trails compromise a unified
system. Improving the quality of the state's trails would encourage
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
Minimal.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect 180 days after it shall have become law.

Statutes affected:
S7806A: 1.03 parks recreation and historic preservation law
S7806B: 1.03 parks recreation and historic preservation law