Clarkson University Student Project Team Working to Improve St. Lawrence County Multi-Use Trail System, Seeks Public Input
A student project team at Clarkson University is spending its summer on the St. Lawrence County Multi-Use Trail System, and is asking the public for input.
The project is focused on understanding how the trail system supports local business and finding ways to improve both the user experience and maintenance operations.
The team is working in partnership with the St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce and coordinates directly with the county and local governments, businesses, and trail maintenance organizations.
The St. Lawrence County Multi-Use Trail spans approximately 130 miles and supports a wide range of year-round recreational activity, including snowmobiling, ATV riding, hiking, biking, cross-country skiing, and horseback riding. The trails extend from the Brasher State Forest down to Parishville, onto Hopkinton, and from South Colton to Russell and beyond.
The student team at Clarkson is focused on four key components: field data collection, business impact analysis, economic modeling and reporting, and conducting a public trail user survey to gather input.
Using ArcGIS Field Maps, students are collecting on-the-ground data across the trail system to document physical infrastructure and maintenance needs. This includes mapping culverts, signage, road/trail transitions, and areas where hazards or erosion are present. The data will help improve future trail safety, accessibility, and upkeep.
A database of businesses that are near the trail or frequently visited by trail riders is being used to assess the connection between trail usage and local economic activity. Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping and interviews with business owners are being conducted.
The project also includes economic impact estimates using visitor spending and multiplier models, GIS visualizations of trail infrastructure and business proximity, and a written report with strategic recommendations.
The results will help guide future investment in the trail system by St. Lawrence County government, private owners, and non-profit organizations. The goal is to strengthen the trail system’s role in regional development and tourism.
Finn Halstead, a graduate student in the Business Analytics MBA program at Clarkson who leads the student group, said the mapping portion of the study is roughly halfway complete. The economic studies will continue for the next year or more.
Halstead and his team are continuing to gather input from local trail users to help support their work. The group asks that users fill out a short survey about their trail experience by Sept. 15.
The student research team is part of the Clarkson Construction Engineering Management Consulting Group (C3G). C3G is an in-house Clarkson team with the capability to provide pre-professional consulting in planning, engineering, and construction. This enterprise is driven by and staffed with Clarkson undergraduate and graduate students, supervised by faculty from Clarkson’s Construction Engineering Management program. Visit the C3G website for more information.
