PROPOSED BYWAY DESCRIPTION
The Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad New York Proposed Byway or “HTURR Byway” is an initiative of the Underground Railroad Consortium of New York State (URCNYS) that will connect sites related to the Underground Railroad, including some URCNYS sites, National Park Service “Travel with Tubman” sites, and sites that showcase Freedom Seekers’ journeys through New York State, into one cohesive heritage tourism experience. The HTURRB will be a contiguous route between New York City and Niagara Falls, ending at the location where freedom seekers, including Harriet Tubman, crossed the international border to freedom in Canada. Downstate, the HTURRB will point to the existing 125-mile Maryland and Pennsylvania/Delaware Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byways and proposed New Jersey Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway. The HTURRB’s ultimate vision is to join the path from Dorchester County, MD, to St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.
The Underground Railroad Consortium of New York, with funding from the New York State EDA Partner Sub-Award Grant Program, is developing a corridor management plan for the proposed New York Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway. Hargrove International has been hired to facilitate the initial planning process (October 2024 to August 2025). The ultimate program goal is to seek New York State Scenic Byway designation. This site is a portal for information collection and analysis during the corridor management planning (CMP) process.
VISION
As a vehicle for education, preservation, and economic growth, the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad New York Byway (and All-American Road*) fosters community pride, enhances residents’ quality of life, preserves its historic and natural assets, inspires visitors to be agents of change, and elevates the authentic stories of Freedom Seekers on their journey to Freedom by providing exceptional and inclusive experiences along its 550-mile route.
TAGLINE: Sharing Authentic Stories of Harriet Tubman and Freedom Seekers in New York.
* This determination depends on the Federal Highway Administration’s reopening of the national program to designate new national scenic byways and All-American Roads.
