Groups To Urge Lawmakers To OK Cuomo’s $53M Mega-Trail Plan

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Outdoor enthusiasts and activists from across New York will gather in Albany to urge state lawmakers to back Gov. Andrew Cuomo's plan for a 750-mile trail system.

The Democrat announced in January that his state budget proposal would include a plan to complete and connect two greenway trails crisscrossing the state from Manhattan to Canada and from Albany to Buffalo. The result would be a 750-mile paved biking and hiking route that Cuomo said could be marketed as a national tourist destination.

The Albany-based advocacy group Parks and Trails is joining with other supporters of the proposal, Parks Commissioner Rose Harvey and other state officials on Thursday to push the plan's advantages to legislators.

Cuomo wants to spend $53 million on the proposal, which must be approved by the Legislature.