Cayuga Waterfront Trail

Photo by: Craig Hodges

Photo by: Craig Hodges

Photo by: Craig Hodges

About CWTI
The Cayuga Waterfront Trail Initiative (CWTI) is a partnership between the Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce Foundation and the City of Ithaca to develop the Cayuga Waterfront Trail. The TC Chamber of Commerce has taken a leadership role in promoting the development of the Cayuga Waterfront Trail and has successfully garnered the enthusiastic support of the business community in Tompkins County. The City of Ithaca owns most of the proposed trail corridor and is the owner of the trail. Mayor Carolyn Peterson, former Mayor Alan Cohen, Common Council, and the Department of Planning and Development have been steadfast in their support of the project. The City's Department of Public Works constructed Phase 1 of the trail in Cass Park.

The goals of the Cayuga Waterfront Trail Initiative are to plan the trail, to build public awareness and support for the trail, and raise funds for trail construction. To date CWTI has written two successful government grants for that have provided the majority of funding for trail construction. We have raised more than $100,000 from individuals, businesses, and foundations to directly support trail construction. The City of Ithaca has committed $375,000 towards trail construction. Following is a trail funding summary:

Phase 1 Funding Sources (constructed in 2002)
$150,000 New York State Environmental Bond Act Grant
$275,000 City of Ithaca matching funds
$100,000 Private contributions - individuals, businesses, and foundations

The first phase of the Cayuga Waterfront Trail, a two-mile loop trail in Cass Park, opened in the fall of 2004. Hundreds of Ithaca residents and visitors use the trail regularly to walk, run, bike, and blade along the beautiful Cayuga Inlet.

Phase 2 Funding
$488,000 Federal TEA 21 Enhancement Program Grant
$112,000 City of Ithaca matching funds
$200,000 in community contributions to be raised by the Cayuga Waterfront Trail Initiative. $125,000 is in hand, $75,000 is needed.

Phase 2 of the Waterfront Trail will be 1.5 miles in length, linking the existing trail in Cass Park to the Ithaca Farmers Market.

Phase 3 Funding
US Representative Maurice Hinchey recently announced that he had secured $960,000 for Phase 3 design and construction in the 2006 Federal Transportation Bill (SAFETEA - Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act) . The City and CWTI will be required to raise the required 20% in matching funds - a minumum of $240,000 - for Phase 3.

Phase 3 of the Waterfront Trail will connect the Ithaca Farmers Market to Stewart Park and the Tompkins County Visitors Center. Planning for Phase 3 will likely begin later in 2005.

For more information on:
Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce - www.tompkinschamber.org.
City of Ithaca - www.cityofithaca.org.
Ithaca and Tompkins County Visitor Information - www.visitithaca.org.

Cayuga Waterfront Trail Initiative Advisory Board
Fernando de Aragon, Ithaca/Tompkins County Transportation Council
Martha Armstrong, Tompkins County Area Development
Barbara Blanchard, Tompkins County Legislator
Susan Blumenthal, former City of Ithaca Common Council Member
Katherine Borgella, Tompkins County Planning Department
Matthew Braun, DeWitt Historical Society of Tompkins County
Lisa Bushlow, Hangar Theatre
Mary Helen Cathles, President, Light in Winter
Jim D'Alterio, Ithaca Youth Bureau
Noel Desch, Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce
John Doyle, City of Ithaca Youth Bureau
Dewi Evans, Maxie's Supper Club & Oyster Bar
Betty Falcao, Human Services Coalition of Tompkins County
Steven Flash, Marina Realty
Joanne Florino, Triad Foundation
Karen Freideborn, Ithaca Youth Bureau
Greg Garvan, Money with a Mission/FAFA
Diane Goodman, Alternatives Federal Credit Union
Julia Gorman, Merrill Lynch
John Gutenberger, Cornell University
Steve Hunt, Palisade Corporation
Jeff Inman, Cayuga Ski and Cyclery
John Ives, Finger Lakes Independence Center
Eric C. Lindstrom, Communique Design & Marketing, Inc.
Thomas P. LiVigne, Cornell University Real Estate Dept
Teresa Lyczko, Tompkins County Department of Health
Carol Mallison, McGraw House
Dave McCune, McCune Ainslie & Associates
Gay Nicholson, SustainableTompkins
Thomas Niederkorn, Planning & Environmental Research Consultants
Mayor Carolyn Peterson, City of Ithaca
Sue Poelvoorde, NYS Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation
Donald Rakow, Cornell Plantations
Tom Reimers, Finger Lakes Trails Club
Jan Rhodes Norman, Ithaca Farmers Market
Monika Roth, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County
John Schroeder, Citizen's Planning Alliance
Carolyn Tomaino, The CBORD Group, Inc.
Scott Whitham, Historic Ithaca, Inc.
Cynthia Yahn, Building Links Inc.

Cayuga Waterfront Trail Initiative Fundraising Committee
Fernando de Aragon, Ithaca/Tompkins County Transportation Council
Vikki Armstrong, Freelance Writer
Susan Blumenthal, former City of Ithaca Common Council Member
Michael Culotta, Alternatives Federal Credit Union
Dewi Evans, Maxie's Supper Club & Oyster Bar
Betty Falcao, Human Services Coalition of Tompkins County
Greg Garvan, Money with a Mission/FAFA
Diane Goodman, Alternatives Federal Credit Union
Julia Gorman, Merrill Lynch
Steve Hunt, Palisade Corporation
Carol Mallison, McGraw House
Carolyn Tomaino, The CBORD Group, Inc.

Cayuga Waterfront Trail Initiative Client Committee
Jean McPheeters, Chairperson, Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce
Susan Blumenthal, former City of Ithaca Common Council Member
Leslie Chatterton, City of Ithaca Department of Planning and Development
JoAnn Cornish, City of Ithaca Department of Planning and Development
Michael Culotta, City of Ithaca Conservation Advisory Council
John Doyle, City of Ithaca Youth Bureau
Andy Hillman, City of Ithaca Forester
Margaret Hobbie, City of Ithaca Parks Commission
Joan Jurkowich, Tompkins County Planning Department
David Kay, City of Ithaca Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Council
Tim Logue, City of Ithaca Engineering Department
Sue Poelvoorde, New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
John Schroeder, Citizens Planning Alliance

Waterfront Trail History Committee
Matthew Braun, Executive Director, DeWitt Historical Society
Jane Dieckmann, Historian
Margaret Hobbie, Chairperson, City of Ithaca Parks Commission
Leslie Chatterton, Historic Preservation and Neighborhood Planner, City of Ithaca
JoAnn Cornish, Deputy Director, City of Ithaca Department of Planning and Development
Vikki Armstrong, Freelance Writer
Judith Valentine, Assistant Director, DeWitt Historical Society
Mary White, Historian
Scott Whitham, Executive Director, Historic Ithaca

Project Staff
Rick Manning, Cayuga Waterfront Trail Initiative Coordinator

Jean McPheeters, President
Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce

Fred Bonn, Director of Public Relations and Membership
Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce

Amy Fuhr, Business Manager
Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce

Vikki Armstrong, Research Associate (historic research and writing for newsletter and web).
Jennifer Dotson, Research Associate (Web and newsletter writing)

Our Donors
Thank you to all of the supporters, listed below and here, that are making the Cayuga Waterfront Trail possible.

Overall Project Support
Park Foundation, Inc.
Triad Foundation, Inc.

Trail Construction Funding
U.S. Federal Government - TEA 21 Enhancement Program funding for Phase 2 construction

NY State Government - Environmental Bond Act funding for Phase 1 construction
City of Ithaca - matching funds for both federal and state construction grants listed above

Many more individual sponsors are listed here, with the trail stepping stones, benches, other furnishings, and trail places that they have made possible.