Parks & Trails New York (PTNY) has announced the launch of a groundbreaking economic impact study of the Empire State Trail.
Led by LaBella Associates with support from the Institute for Transportation Research and Education (ITRE) at North Carolina State University, this is expected to be the most comprehensive greenway economic impact analysis ever undertaken in New York State, and perhaps anywhere in the US.
This study aims to quantify the trail’s wide-ranging economic contributions of the 750-mile Empire State Trail, encompassing tourism-related spending, real estate value, business recruitment, and public health benefits.
The upcoming economic impact report will also interrogate the degree to which the economic benefits of the trail are or are not realized equitably across the trail corridor.
The study will combine use of multiple data sources with an on-the-trail intercept survey to gather immediate feedback from those using the trail as well as a web-based survey which participants who have visited the Empire State Trail in the past year can take at any time after their trip.
Parks & Trails New York encourages the public to support this landmark report by taking part in the brief online survey, which launched on September 8. More information on the study or to participate in the survey can be found here.
Read more about the Empire State Trail.
Illustration: Empire State Trail Map, Sept. 2025.
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