To the editor:

The future for bicycling in the northern Adirondacks seems promising, given the move to establish a 34-mile Tri-Lakes Rail Trail connecting Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, Lake Clear and Tupper Lake. The trail will lend itself to lots of other outdoor activities as well, activities that will benefit our economies year-round, but the prospects for biking seem especially promising in light of state and national trends.

A little research reveals that the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency in California and Nevada is way ahead of us in this regard. This bi-state governmental entity, which was patterned in some ways on our Adirondack Park Agency, has been going all out to establish bike and pedestrian trails throughout the lake basin. They report that thousands of visitors come to Lake Tahoe every year just to ride their bicycles.

“That’s because Lake Tahoe offers some of the best cycling experiences in the West,” they explain. There’s no question in my mind that the Adirondack Park could offer some of the best bicycling in the East. A safe, easy, scenic rail trail connecting our communities will do much to ensure that.

“Cyclists are estimated to bring between $6 (million) and $23 million in local direct expenditures annually to Lake Tahoe communities,” the agency reports. “As Lake Tahoe positions itself in the geo-tourism market and begins to diversify its local economies with a focus on recreation, health and wellness, bike trails and pedestrian-friendly town centers are critical investments.”

That sentiment applies to the Tri-Lakes Area as well.

The Adirondacks and New York state generally have much to learn from the experience in Wisconsin. Bicycling has been encouraged in a major way, conferring major economic benefits. According to a 2010 report by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, bicycle-related recreation and tourism accounts for $924 million in economic activity, the equivalent of 13,193 full-time jobs. Of this, $535 million was generated by bicyclists from other states. Non-resident bicyclists spend $34 to $81 per day in Wisconsin, and the state’s rail trail system accounts for more than 1.2 million person-days of bicycle use per year.

Not surprisingly, the study also found significant fitness benefits for residents as well as measurable improvements in air quality.

The trends are clear, and opportunity is knocking. The Tri-Lakes Rail Trail will be a triple victory for this region: economically, recreationally and health-wise.

Maureen Peroza

Tupper Lake