Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Loop The Lake Trail is Closer to Expanding East of the Amphitheater

WAER News

The Loop the Lake Trail is closer to expanding further east of the St. Joseph’s Lakeview Amphitheater this summer with a continuation of a solar light pathway.

The Onondaga County Ways and Means committee voted five to one in favor of accepting a one million dollar state grant to purchase 150 additional solar lights. They would be installed as construction of the West side-trail-extension begins. County Environment Manager Travis Glazier says the extension from the existing trail will likely begin sometime this year.

"From the box office at the amiptheater all the way down to the end of the current trail where the parking area is," Glazier said. "Then in addition to light the trail extension which will begin the future extension all the way down to Hiawatha Boulevard."

Glazier says there will be another sub-section of trail that will be created from the main trail.  It’s a steep hill overlooking Onondaga Lake near the Orange Lot off Interstate 690 and will be ADA compliant to venture down.  From there, the Loop the Lake trail will be further extended east from the fairgrounds.

"The section from the Honeywell Visitor's Center to Harborbrook will happen in 2019 and will be done by the end of 2019," said Glazier. "And then the trail bridge over the CSX railroad will begin in 2019 and completed in 2020 in time for the Empire State Trail opening. So our section of trail actually acts as part of the Empire State Trail."

Glazier says there are also efforts underway to connect the Onondaga Creekwalk to the trail from Bridge Street in Solvay to the State Fair’s pedestrian bridge over 690. 

"They’ll enter the Orange Lot where they’ll then be able to access the county’s Loop the Lake trail which will bring you down to Hiawatha boulevard," Glazier said. "From Hiawatha Boulevard, you can then access the city’s Creek Walk. The city’s Creek Walk then takes you through to Water Street where you then connect with what will be the future Erie Canal trail section that they’ve been working on through Dewitt."

Legislator Casey Jordan of Clay was the only person on the Ways and Means committee who felt that he couldn’t support the project without more detailed plans.  The full County Legislature will take a vote on the state funding next month.

John Smith has been waking up WAER listeners for a long time as our Local Co-Host of Morning Edition with timely news and information, working alongside student Sportscasters from the Newhouse School.