Background
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Goals
Plan Draft
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Starting at the Historic Seaport in Baltimore, the National Road travels west through Ellicott City, Frederick, Hagerstown, Hancock, Flintstone, Cumberland, Frostburg, and Grantsville, then beyond through Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana and ending in St. Louis, Missouri.
The goal of the Corridor Partnership Plan is to develop a community-based
strategy that balances conservation of the Road's intrinsic qualities with its use and enjoyment. Communities will have the opportunity to consider all options as to how they want to use the byway corridor in the future, including conservation, enhancement, economic development and tourism.
The National Road Partnership is part of a larger initiative. Representatives from five states and Maryland make up the National Road Alliance, a coalition that seeks to obtain all-American Road designation for the entire 600 mile long road.
One of the great aspects of this project is that it fits so well with Maryland's Smart Growth principles. Smart Growth encourages economic development and the revitalization of existing communities while preserving the State's most valuable farm, forest and natural resource lands. The National Road project offers extraordinary opportunities to enhance the quality of life in these traditional communities as we move into the next millennium.
With the potential to connect both historically and culturally with some 600 miles through five states, the National Road could become a national model for multi-state initiatives involving growth management principles.