usanyb: New York Scenic Byways

[Jim]

I'd be interested to see what's not already covered from the routes in New York Scenic Byways: https://www.dot.ny.gov/display/programs/scenic-byways/lists

I'm guessing its going to be similar to what @neroute2 found for All-American Roads, that it would be almost all concurrent with routes we already have.

[Jim]

A few quick thoughts:

- I agree that the New York Scenic Byways, if added, would make sense as something like usanysb, not part of usatr since they don't span multiple regions.
- The routes being poorly-defined would be a good reason not to add them.  They seem well signed in the places I've seen them, but I haven't been on all that many.  But if we'd have to be hunting for signs in person or on street view, that's not great.  The spurs don't sound fun, either.
- Causing people to lose 100% clinches in regions is not a good reason not to add something.  People have many reasons to plot their travels in TM.  Yes, some want to see 100% come up in the stats.  Others (like me) are more interested in tracking where I've been, and the more routes that make sense to be included, the happier I am.  The "I swear, if you make me drive all the way out to far eastern Long Island again" comment actually worries me.  I hope no one feels obligated to go anywhere they don't want to go just because a route is added to or is updated in this project.

[vdeane]

OK, I couldn't keep my mind away from the NY scenic byways topic.  The best way to determine routing would probably be whatever maps are in the Corridor Management Plans (CMPs) and linked websites and comparing those to street view for signage (as such don't always match; even the map on the website shows loops/spurs that aren't necessarily signed, although many are).  It turns out more of it is on the touring routes than I thought; I guest most of the ones on local/county roads are in my part of the state, so I had an inflated perception of that.

There are two classifications on that list: "national [sic] designated" and "state designated".  The national ones include the Seaway Trail, Lakes to Locks Passage (which gets interesting in Plattsburgh for seemingly no reason), Mohawk Towpath, and Palisades Scenic Byway (which is just the PIP and would have been a neat solution to the usasf vs. usanyp problem if it weren't for the fact that it would mean a demotion to tier 5).  All of these are signed, have portions that aren't otherwise in TM (except the PIP), and are generally coherent routes (Mohawk Towpath has a signed alt route; Lakes to Locks shows spurs and loops on the map but they aren't signed).

Of the state ones (note that I only took a rough look; it might be a good idea to verify more closely):

Adirondack Trail: appears to be concurrent with existing routes
Black River Trail: concurrent with existing routes per signage; the maps show some local roads around Watertown, but it's signed on NY 3/US 11 SB/NY 12F
Blue Ridge Road: entirely on a county road (interestingly, not fully on the map, and does not have a CMP) but does not appear to have any special shield (just the street name and CR pentagon)
Bronx River Parkway: already in TM
Catskill Mountains Scenic Byway: signed portions concurrent with existing routes
Cayuga Lake Scenic Byway: concurrent with existing routes
Central Adirondack Trail: appears to be concurrent with existing routes
Dude Ranch Trail: somewhat signed, mostly local/county roads
Durham Valley Scenic Byway: somewhat signed, but it appears to be less a true route but a collection of local/county roads that haphazardly had the scenic byway label applied to them; most are too minor to even have street view coverage
High Peaks Byway (Route 73): concurrent with existing route
Historic Parkways of Long Island: already in TM
Maple Traditions: concurrent with existing routes
Military Trail: appears to be concurrent with existing routes
Mountain Cloves: has spurs not in TM
North Fork Trail: did not see signs in street view but would appear to include some stuff not in TM; unsure of exact routing other than it includes CR 48 and NY 25
Olympic Trail: concurrent with existing routes
Revolutionary Byway: appears to be concurrent with existing routes
Roosevelt-Marcy Trail: concurrent with existing route
Route 20 Scenic Byway: has a signed alt route on local/county roads
Scenic Route 90: concurrent with existing routes
Seneca Lake Byway: concurrent with existing routes
Shawangunk Mountains: has portions on local/county roads, but good luck finding an easy way to draft it
Southern Adirondack Trail: appears to be concurrent with existing routes
Taconic Parkway: already in TM
Upper Delaware (Route 97): concurrent with existing routes
WNY Southtowns Scenic Byway: has a signed alt route on local/county roads

I can see a case for adding the other "national designated" ones, but the state designated ones might be a big haphazard for TM purposes.

[Duke87]

I think it would be helpful if someone with a few minutes and a experience doing so could split off the New York Scenic Byways posts into a new thread since it seems that potential system would be separate from usatr, and the posts specific to regrouping/toggling systems into a new or an appropriate existing thread. [Could also then delete this post.]

Done, as you can see - however I am not able to delete posts. I believe as things are configured here only an admin can do that.

Also want to make sure it's caveated heavily: for now the content here is just spitballing, this system may or may not ever be created. That remains to be decided.

[Jim]

Thanks, I removed my own post.

And yes, this thread is not a statement of intent.  Just some thoughts and now a little research.  It doesn't look like a great candidate for addition to me at this point.