Many of our Tug Hill Towns are unsure of where their roads are. Abandonments have occurred over the years which have not been recorded, or the records have become lost. The NYS Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) inventories are difficult to keep up‐to‐date over the years, and errors have sometimes compounded through various administrations. The NYSDOT inventory, being in a list format rather than a map format, is not conducive to easily catching errors and omissions. The county highway maps are not at a scale which makes it possible to include small road segments or accurately map the lengths of road segments.
This project encourages towns to accurately map their roads in a georeferenced (computerized GIS) format over aerial photography, and formally adopt a road map so that, at least at this point in time, they have an accurate baseline assessment of their road systems, obligations and liabilities.
Process
- The Tug Hill Commission (THC) staff will work with the NYSDOT inventory, county highway map, and any other relevant sources to make an initial sketch of the road system.
- THC staff will sit down with the town highway superintendent and go over the sketch (paper map) in detail and make corrections. This may include marking dead ends, making changes between categories (regular town road, seasonal road, minimum maintenance road) on paper map, and comparing this information to the town’s CHIPS list. (DRAFT MAP #1)
- THC staff along with the highway superintendent will do a field check with GPS equipment to verify specific points which need accurate location, such as road dead ends or changes between various road categories. The staff can also collect other geographic points that the superintendent needs.
- THC staff will prepare a formal draft georeferenced road map for the superintendent’s review and correction. (DRAFT MAP #2) Repeat as needed.
- The superintendent will transmit the final draft map to the town board along with a letter of transmittal certifying that the map reflects his/her current assessment of the road system. A certificate of abandonment should also be sent at the same time, if there is something to be abandoned.
- The town board will either adopt one resolution, which adopts the map as the town’s official road map and certificate of abandonment, or will adopt a different resolution both amending the official road map and certifying abandonment, if applicable.