By Danielle Sanzone
The Record

ALBANY — An inter-municipal agreement has been developed to open a 1.85 mile section of the Albany County Rail Trail, abandoned in 2003, to the public, officials announced this week.

Albany County, the town of Bethlehem, and the Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy partnered to form the agreement with limited non-motorized use. This is still, however, subject to approval by the Bethlehem Town Board and Albany County Legislature.

The abandoned rail corridor stretches nine miles from the Port of Albany to the village of Voorheesville. The 1.85 mile section begins at Fireman’s Park near New Scotland Road in Slingerlands and ends at the Veteran’s Park on Delaware Avenue in Delmar.

The remainder of the trail will remain closed to the public since extensive bridge repair and other safety improvements are necessary on those sections, officials said.

“Since we completed the purchase last year, there have been limited funds available to develop the former rail corridor into a safe and accessible recreational trail,” said Albany County Executive Mike Breslin. The county purchased the stretch for $700,000 from the Canadian Pacific Railway in 2010 using a grant and matching funds. “We are excited to be able to progress the Rail Trail project with the help of the town of Bethlehem and the MHLC as we know many are eager to start using the trail. This collaborative effort will allow residents to begin enjoying part of the trail by the summer.”

Minor improvements will be made initially including vegetation clearing, drainage improvements, and posting signs. Then a fundraising campaign will commence to support further upgrades to eventually allow access for mountain bikes.

Under the agreement, the town and MHLC will be responsible for ongoing maintenance and management of the trail section.

The town is scheduled to vote on the issue April 27, while the county will vote on the matter May 9.

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By Danielle Sanzone
The Record

ALBANY — An inter-municipal agreement has been developed to open a 1.85 mile section of the Albany County Rail Trail, abandoned in 2003, to the public, officials announced this week.

Albany County, the town of Bethlehem, and the Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy partnered to form the agreement with limited non-motorized use. This is still, however, subject to approval by the Bethlehem Town Board and Albany County Legislature.

The abandoned rail corridor stretches nine miles from the Port of Albany to the village of Voorheesville. The 1.85 mile section begins at Fireman’s Park near New Scotland Road in Slingerlands and ends at the Veteran’s Park on Delaware Avenue in Delmar.

The remainder of the trail will remain closed to the public since extensive bridge repair and other safety improvements are necessary on those sections, officials said.

“Since we completed the purchase last year, there have been limited funds available to develop the former rail corridor into a safe and accessible recreational trail,” said Albany County Executive Mike Breslin. The county purchased the stretch for $700,000 from the Canadian Pacific Railway in 2010 using a grant and matching funds. “We are excited to be able to progress the Rail Trail project with the help of the town of Bethlehem and the MHLC as we know many are eager to start using the trail. This collaborative effort will allow residents to begin enjoying part of the trail by the summer.”

Minor improvements will be made initially including vegetation clearing, drainage improvements, and posting signs. Then a fundraising campaign will commence to support further upgrades to eventually allow access for mountain bikes.

Under the agreement, the town and MHLC will be responsible for ongoing maintenance and management of the trail section.

The town is scheduled to vote on the issue April 27, while the county will vote on the matter May 9.

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