Members of the Lansing Pathways Committee presented to the Town Board Wednesday to explain what they have accomplished so far and what they hope to achieve.  Deborah Trumbull presented a PowerPoint presentation the committee plans to use in a community outreach effort.  The committee's most tangible accomplishment to date is the Lansing Center Trail and a new brochure that explains it.  A downloadable copy of the brochure is posted on the Town Web site.

Trumbull noted that 73% of respondents to a 1990s survey said they would use walking trails if they were available.  Pedestrian pathways have also been a major factor in Town center planning in Lansing.

The trail is a 2.4 mile path that is used for walking, and cross-country skiing during the winter.  The trail traces the perimeter of about 150 acres of town land that will be the site of the new town center across the street from the Lansing Town Hall.  It includes three smaller loops near the railroad bed left by the defunct Ithaca-Auburn Short Line.  It provides views of the Cayuga Lake Valley, Connecticut Hill and Newfield Hills.  A small parking area on 34B is at the start of the trail, and three informational kiosks are strategically placed along the path.


As the town center is developed on this land, committee members hope connector paths will lead from residential areas to the perimeter path.  Eventually the committee hopes to develop four miles of trail on the property.  The path is built and maintained by volunteers and supported by donations.  The committee plans to pursue grants for this and future pathways.

In the long term the committee hopes to link more than a half dozen 'hubs' with sidewalks and trails, including the Lansing schools, town hall, Lansing Market, Myers Park, Salt Point, Ludlowville Park, and The RINK with local churches and restaurants.  Members also discussed how the committee can be involved in planning trails, sidewalks, and pathways in new developments as they are proposed in the town.  Eventually they hope to connect the trail system with those of neighboring communities.

The next step is community outreach.  Committee members asked for board support Wednesday for their outreach effort to encourage support and enthusiasm for pathways among the community. 

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