EVGV Trail Moves Forward to Survey and Design Phase
The Ellicottville-Great Valley Trail has completed its preferred 4-mile alignment and will move into surveying and design following an October 8 public meeting.
ELLICOTTVILLE - Keep your eyes peeled! The EVGV Trail has hit another big milestone! The Ellicottville- Great Valley Trail (EVGV Trail) in conjunction with the Southern Tier Trail, Cattaraugus County Department of Economic Development, Planning and Tourism, along with GoBike and both the Town and Village of Ellicottville, have completed the preferred alignment of 4 miles of trail and will move ahead to the survey and design phase of the trail plan following a public meeting.
The Public Informational meeting will be held on October 8, 2026 at 6:30pm at the Ellicottville Town Center. The meeting will be open house style with the goal to let people know about the project, review the proposed route in Ellicottville, look at design concepts as well as gather the public’s thoughts, local knowledge, and answer any questions that folks may have.
The EVGV Trail is an approximate 4-mile segment of the larger 52-mile Southern Tier Trail that is in the planning phase in Cattaraugus County that is looking to connect the Erie/Catt Rail Trail in Ashford to the Genesee Valley Greenway in Hinsdale. The EVGV Trail portion of the Southern Tier Trail is the first segment to hit all of the milestones to move it forward into the survey and design phase. Once the public meeting is completed, the surveyors will hit the road to complete the boundary surveys which will be used to help complete the best possible design concepts.
The EVGV Trail is intended to provide a multi-use trail for biking, walking, and running for locals and visitors alike to enjoy the beauty of our area and stay active on a safe path separated from vehicular traffic. The EVGV Trail Committee, along with the Town and Village officials, are finalizing the alignment beginning at the corner of Route 219/Route 242 (Tim Hortons/Crosby’s) all the way to the Ellicottville Central School. This segment totals approximately 4 miles of trail with an estimated construction cost of $8 million. Over the next 18 months, using grant funds secured by the Cattaraugus County Department of Economic Development, Planning and Tourism through a Federal Raise grant, the surveying of the trail, all environmental assessments as well as the design will be completed.
Scott Johnson, EVGV Board President said, “This is a huge step for our trail and a long time coming. We have a very small committee of 5 or 6 very dedicated individuals who have really worked hard to get us to this point. We can’t wait for the completed package so that we can start looking for grants to finally build this trail.”
Kate O’Stricker, who is the County Staff person working on the Southern Tier Trail grant as well as the EVGV Trail said, “We are super excited to move forward into the design phase of the EVGV Trail segment. The committee has put a lot of time and effort into this project. The work is not done yet, but this pushes us forward in a big way!”
Since both the Town and Village approved moving forward on the current alignment, the design team will begin the process of surveying and preliminary design concepts. “They will determine the best trail design types for each section,” explained O’Stricker. “There are several trail types, which will range from 8 to 10 feet wide off-road foot paths, on-road side paths, advisory lanes or bike shoulders. In some areas we may need to connect with the local sidewalk system as well. Our goal is to provide the safest space for bikes and pedestrians throughout the corridor.”
The EVGV Trail Committee is always looking for new members. The Committee meets the first Monday of every month at 4:00pm at the Ellicottville Town Center, 28 Parkside Drive. The official email for the committee is evgvtrail@gmail.com and the website is evgvtrail.org.