By Rory Sweeney
Staff Writer
The state Department of Transportation doesn't just make driving easier. Earlier this fall, it released a map to the recreation trails of Northeastern Pennsylvania that hikers and cyclists will no doubt find useful.
The map, available in east and west segments on the department's Web site, covers 11 counties, including Luzerne, and lists details for finding trailheads.
Inspired by a similar map in New York state, the map was a collaboration of a variety of organizations, including PennDOT, the Metropolitan Planning Organization, the Pocono Mountain Vacation Bureau, the Pennsylvania Environmental Council and Steve Spindler Cartography, who has produced bike maps for cities including Philadelphia.
The project was spearheaded by Robert Cochrane, the assistant district executive for the PennDOT district in this region. Cochrane is a cycling enthusiast.
Funding came from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the vacation bureau, along with Congestion Management and Air Quality funding through the Lackawanna Luzerne Transportation Study Metropolitan Planning Organization.
More than 50,000 copies were printed, and are available at offices of the participating organizations.
To download the map, go to: www.dot.state.pa.us/penndot/districts/district4.nsf/D4OtherLinks?OpenFrameSet.
Click on the Bicycle/Pedestrian Web at the top left. The map, in two segments, is in the middle of the page.