Requires the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation to establish standards for the closing of segments of trails on the Empire state trail, and provide notice of such closings to the public.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1467
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 10, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sen. SERRANO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Cultural Affairs, Tourism,
Parks and Recreation
AN ACT to amend the parks, recreation and historic preservation law, in
relation to establishing standards for trail closures on the Empire
state trail
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The parks, recreation and historic preservation law is
2 amended by adding a new section 3.27 to read as follows:
3 § 3.27 Empire state trail. 1. Definitions. For the purposes of this
4 section, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
5 (a) "Empire state trail" shall mean the Empire state trail network,
6 including the Hudson river valley greenway, Erie canalway trail, and
7 Champlain valley trail, marked with signage and identified on the
8 office's website, as well as any future corridors to be included in the
9 Empire state trail network; and
10 (b) "Multi-use trail" shall mean a trail established pursuant to
11 section 11-0329 of the environmental conservation law by the department
12 of environmental conservation or established by an affiliate or subsid-
13 iary of the department, or a county, city, town, village, or private
14 entity for recreation and transportation use by pedestrians, bicyclists,
15 and/or others utilizing non-motorized transport.
16 2. Trail closures. (a) The owner of any segment of non-motorized
17 multi-use trail designated as a portion of the Empire state trail shall
18 ensure that such segment of trail remains open when practicable for use
19 by pedestrians, persons operating a bicycle, skating or gliding on
20 in-line skates, or other trail users as allowed by state, local law, or
21 regulation.
22 (b) If any segment of the Empire state trail requires closure due to
23 construction or to ensure public safety, it shall be the responsibility
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04455-01-5
S. 1467 2
1 of the public or private landowner to notify the commissioner or the
2 commissioner's designee of such closure. The commissioner or the commis-
3 sioner's designee shall, upon receiving notice pursuant to this section,
4 coordinate with the owner to plan a detour route and to prominently post
5 signage along such route for the duration of the closure. The department
6 shall provide all necessary signage.
7 (c) The commissioner or their designee shall, upon receiving notice
8 pursuant to this section, ensure such trail closure and planned detour
9 route is posted on the office's website.
10 § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
11 it shall have become a law.
