The plan for the proposed scenic byway honoring Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad could be sent to the state’s Department of Transportation later this month; however, there will be changes from the original plan.
According to the Underground Railroad Consortium (UCR), the group behind the plan, its Corridor Management Plan (CMP) for the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Scenic Byway is in the final stages of development. The group plans to submit the document to the New York State Department of Transportation’s Scenic Byways later this month, officially recommending designation for the byway.
The original plan was to have the byway run from New York City to Niagara Falls in one continuous route. Now, the UCR has announced its plan to seek designation for the byway in two sections: Phase One consists of the City of Auburn and a continuous section from Seneca County to Niagara County, running through Seneca Falls, Waterloo, Geneva, Lyons, Rochester, Lockport, Buffalo, and Niagara Falls. Phase Two would link New York City to Cayuga County.
The UCR has given two reasons for the decision to break up the byway into two phases: Firstly, the resolutions of support and byway narratives for the Phase One jurisdictions are finalized. Secondly, the CMP must be sent to the DOT before the requisite legislation can be introduced in January 2026.
The UCR hopes the bill for Phase One will pass, with the governor signing it into law in June 2026. Work on Phase Two is expected to begin in the fall with the hope of receiving approval in June 2027.
The CMP final draft for Phase One can be viewed here.
The ultimate goal is to create an international byway connecting Dorchester County, Maryland, where Tubman was born, to St Catharines, Ontario, Canada, where many escaped slaves would settle after fleeing the United States.
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