The town of Clifton Park has received an award for its efforts to establish a comprehensive trails network.
Parks and Trails New York (PTNY), a statewide, nonprofit organization that advocates support of trail systems and green space, awarded its Healthy Trails, Healthy People Award to the town of Clifton Park for the Northern Loop Trail System PTNY honored Clifton Park’s Open Space, Trails, and Riverfront Committee with the award for incorporating a vision of a comprehensive trails network in its plans for town development and for implementing that vision of a Northern Loop Trail steadily and creatively, so that thousands of local residents can walk and bike throughout the town on safe and beautiful local trails, said PTNY’s Executive Director Robin Dropkin.
The organization’s judges noted that due to this effort, thousands of local residents can now walk and bike throughout the town on safe and beautiful local trails. Mackesey said the town was being honored in the new award category for all the work done on the Carleton Road and Van Patten Road trail additions to the Usher Road trail.
Dropkin presented the award to the Clifton Park Town Board at its Monday, Oct. 1, meeting.
`Connecting the trails to the pool, the Longkill Park and the park on Main Street makes this a healthy trail,` Open Space, Trails and Riverfront committee member Bill Mackesey said. `This helps about 3,000 people.`
Fran Gotcsik, PTNY’s director of programs and policy said Clifton Park was chosen from an application pool of nine for the award.
`This project promoted the use of trails and also promoted a healthy lifestyle,` she said. `The board recognized that this was a long process and wanted to recognize them for their vision.`
Clifton Park Supervisor Philip Barrett said he was happy to see the town receive the recognition for its trail planning, design, and construction work.
`This goes along with our open space initiatives,` Barrett said. `We’re making sure these trails are not dead-end trails.`
Founded in 1985, Parks and Trails New York is dedicated to improving the quality of life of all New Yorkers through the use and enjoyment of green space. “