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Roads on Erie Canal Trail


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Wandering Buckeye from Dayton, OH on 2/26/2021 1:32:13 PM:
What section of the Erie canal Trail are on shared/open roads with no bike lanes?

 
wnybubba from Bflo/ROC on 2/27/2021 5:07:19 PM:
That is a most difficult question to answer, and the answer would not be singular -- there are several sections that are off trail and routed onto a roadway -- most having bike lanes. Some, however, have shoulders that comfortably accommodate bicycle traffic. Personally, there are small sections on a state highway with bike lanes that I felt a tad bit uncomfortable on but others, more rural, that I was fine with as it had less traffic but no bike lane.

As a second note, the trail is constantly changing and being re-routed. Ultimately the goal would be to have the trail off road 100%. So, as work continues, what may have been on road is now on trail with maps and experience different that actual fact!

It would be of interest to know the reason you are asking the question. Are you traveling with younger riders who you feel might be in danger or are you simply not comfortable on roadway without a bike lane? In all honesty, there really are not any parts of the Erie Canalway that are dangerous or in such heavy trafficked areas that one should be overly concerned. I'd also suggest that on those sections where the trail is sharing the road, signage is quite decent along the route.

 
John on 3/6/2021 3:38:55 AM:
There are sections but none of them are bad. Rt 5 east of Utica use to be a problem but they have fixed it so it is trail now. And where it picks up on the road, it is lightly traveled. I haven't traveled Syracuse since they opened up the new trail areas.

But currently, only 16% of the trail is on the road.