Designations & Awards
All-American Road Designation
On June 13, 2002 the US Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta awarded Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) "All-American Road" status to Lakes to Locks Passage, "The Great Northeast Journey. 'All-American Road status is granted by FHWA as the formal recognition of the Byway's plan and commitment to develop, promote, and market the Byway as a national and international destination for tourism. As an All-American Road, Lakes to Locks Passage is one of a select group of roadways in the country that the FHWA will promote as a "premier destination" in their marketing efforts for tourism at the national and international level.
In 1992 the State of New York designated the "Champlain Trail Scenic Byway," recognizing the roadway's access to the historic, scenic, cultural, natural, and recreational qualities of Lake Champlain and the communities that line its shores. Subsequent to the designation, a corridor management planning (CMP) process for the Champlain Trail was undertaken in conjunction with the communities along the Vermont shore of Lake Champlain, known as Lake Champlain Byways. The work of the CMP focused on coordinating existing activities to establish a regional identity and develop a partnership approach to unify the Lake as a region. Strategies and partnerships have been identified to promote, interpret and steward the byway's resources in balance with economic development in the region. In 2001, the two NYS byways, the Champlain Trail and Champlain Canal Byway merged to form "Lakes to Locks Passage, the Great Northeast Journey." The partnership for Lakes to Locks Passage enables public, private and non-profit organizations along the historic waterway from Waterford, NY to Quebec to work together to implement the vision, goals and objectives of the Byway CMP.
American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)
Best Practices Award
In 2001 the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), the organization of the nation's 50 state transportation departments selected the Lake Champlain Byways Project (predecessor to Lakes to Locks Passage) as one of eight top byway projects in the nation.
The award stemed from AASHTO's The Road Beckons: Best Practices for Byways Competition, an event organized to recognize efforts to promote tourism, environmental enhancement, and development in scenic locations across the United States. AASHTO sponsored this first-of-its-kind competition in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration and the America's Byways Resource Center. Forty-one applications from twenty-one states were submitted for consideration. An expert review panel selected by AASHTO selected the top eight byway projects. AASHTO showcased the Lake Champlain Byways Project in a publication titled The Road Beckons: Best Practices for Byways.
The project was organized in 1997 to facilitate the planning of a 250-mile bi-state route that surrounds Lake Champlain, the sixth largest fresh-water lake in the United States. The combined collaborative agencies developed a Corridor Management Plan which focused on establishing a multi-modal byway that would include not only designated state highways, but also a series of bikeways, trails, walkways and waterways all intertwined within the 250-mile byway radius.
Unlike most byway projects undertaken in the United States, the Lake Champlain Byways project does not include regulatory control of private lands or a centralized planning structure. Each county involved in the Byway project established its own Local Advisory Committee for the purpose of determining its own ideas and vision for the Byway. This grassroots approach encouraged a great deal of public participation and interest.
- Lake Champlain Bikeways - A network of routes for bicyclists. The principal route, known as the Champlain Bikeway circles Lake Champlain. Bikers can access any number of intersecting bikeways that provide access to small communities and roadways in the region.
- Lake Champlain Walkways - A network of trails and roadways connecting regional communities and are easily accessible and safe for pedestrians.
- Lake Champlain Waterways - As with Bikeways and Walkways, it is a series of designated routes for boaters that connect the lakeshore to the lake's streams and rivers up to the nearest non-navigable point.
