For the past year I have been on an advisory committee for the proposed New York Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway. Once approved and completed the 550-mile Byway will become the longest self-guided scenic byway in U.S. In 2022, I walked the route now proposed as a byway and I am delighted to be a part of a wonderful group of professionals and volunteers working to offer opportunities to share authentic stories of Harriet Tubman and Freedom Seekers in New York.
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.
To learn more about the Harriet Tubman corridor plan, visit the Proposed Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway (HTURB)