City puts bigger focus on recreational trails for bicycle enthusiasts

Blue Cat Cycles owner Murat O'Hara said Watertown would be more bicycle-friendly if it placed more emphasis on bike trails.

"I don't think we're in a very commuter-friendly area," said Mr O'Hara, who is also vice president of the Downtown Business Association. "People are starting to commute, and there is a little bit of increase in business. But not as much as it would be with good bike paths."

For example, he envisions a path from the Brownville-Dexter area to Public Square.

The city lately has put more emphasis on recreational paths, said city planning coordinator Kenneth A. Mix.

For example, he said, there are plans to connect Bicentennial Park at the Alex T. Duffy Fairgrounds to a trail at Jefferson Community College. Last year, work was completed on a trail from Marble Street Park to the Route 3 wave.

Mr. Mix said the city also hopes to connect Marble Street Park to Waterworks Park off Huntington Street. He said that when various trails are connected, it would provide better opportunities for commuting.

He added that the city is seeking a state grant to create more recreational bicycle paths at Thompson Park.

"The recreational impact of linear trails will only increase in the future," he said. "They are something everybody can use, from the youngest to the oldest of people."

The League of American Bicyclists designates communities as "bicycle friendly." Those communities, the league says, are places where people feel safe riding their bikes for fun, fitness and commuting. It says this can translate into business growth and tourism.

The closest community to Northern New York so designated is Burlington, Vt.