State Grants Spur Rail Trail Talks
The success of the Adirondack Rail Trail between Lake Placid and Tupper Lake evidently has not been lost on officials in other parts of the North Country.
In November, Lewis County announced it had acquired a rail corridor with an eye toward creating a 31-mile recreational trail.
In December, the Regional Economic Development Council awarded state grants to Warren County and the town of Salem in Washington County to assess the future of two rail corridors, including their recreational potential.
The REDC also gave Warren County a grant to construct mountain-bike trails at the Mill Creek Recreational Area in the town of Johnsburg.
LEWIS COUNTY
The county Board of Supervisors voted in 2022 to purchase two rail corridors from Genesee Valley Transportation to convert them into a trail. First, though, the federal Surface Transportation Board had to approve the abandonment of the rail lines.
After years of delay, the county finalized the purchase last fall. It has hired Alta Planning and Design to develop a master plan for the corridors. Alta has worked on trails for biking, hiking, and other recreational activities throughout the country.
Situated just west of the Adirondack Park, the rail corridors extend 16 miles from Lowville to Carthage (formerly the Mohawk, Adirondack & Northern railroad) and 11 miles from Lowville to Croghan (formerly the Lowville & Beaver River Railroad), according to documents filed with Surface Transportation Board. The county also acquired a short, separate rail corridor in Lyons Falls.
In a news release, County Manager Tim Hunt said of the rail-line acquisitions: “This is a major step forward, but it’s just the beginning. We’re committed to doing this the right way, with careful planning, environmental responsibility, and strong community involvement.”
Surveys have found that a large majority of the region’s residents favor converting the rail lines into trails, though some landowners worry about ATVers trespassing on their property. One possible solution is restricting motor-vehicle access.
The planning and construction of the trails likely will take several years. Click here to listen to a podcast about the project.
WARREN COUNTY RAIL LINE
Warren County received a $50,000 grant to study the future of its 40-mile rail line that runs from Corinth to North Creek.
The county’s line is the middle section of a longer rail line that extends 90 miles from Saratoga Springs to Tahawus on the edge of the High Peaks Wilderness. The town of Corinth owns the southern section. Revolution Rail, a rail-bike company, owns the 30 miles north of North Creek.
The state Department of Environmental Conservation has asked the Surface Transportation Board to declare the northern section abandoned to facilitate the creation of a recreational trail, but so far the board has refused. This dead-end section has not seen regular rail traffic for decades, but if it were to resume operations, it would be dependent on the Warren County and Corinth tracks to reach markets.
One aim of the Warren County study is to analyze the complex legal, regulatory, and ownership issues that bedevil the corridor.
Don Lehman, a county spokesman, said the Board of Supervisors will not make any decisions about the future of its rail line until after the study is completed. He noted, however, that Revolution Rail operates on part of the county line.
“Warren County has had a great partnership with Revolution Rail, and there is a desire to see that relationship continue,” Lehman said in an email.
The town of Corinth leases part of its 10-mile corridor to the Saratoga, Corinth, and Hudson Railway, which runs a tourist train.
MILL CREEK BIKE TRAILS
Warren County also received a $262,500 grant to design and construct a mountain-bike network in the Mill Creek Recreational Area in Johnsburg.
Wilderness Property Management proposes to build about four miles of single-track bike trails on a town-owned parcel that abuts the Hudson River (as well as the county’s rail line). The trails would range in difficulty from novice to expert. Some would accommodate hikers as well. WPM also proposes to build a short single-track trail, along with hiking trails, on a separate parcel that abuts Mill Creek.
The Upper Hudson Trails Alliance has expressed interest in maintaining the trails, according to the grant applications.
BATTEN KILL RAILROAD
The town of Salem, located southeast of the Adirondack Park, received a $32,000 grant to study the future of the underutilized 34-mile Batten Kill Railroad in Salem and the neighboring town of Greenwich. In Salem, the study will focus on how the railroad can better serve farms and businesses that ship by train, but in Greenwich, it “will consider the potential for rail-to-trail conversions that invite hikers, bikers, and visitors to enjoy the scenic corridor,” according to the REDC.
Work on the study is expected to begin this summer, according to Laura Oswald, the Washington County economic development director. “One of the things that will be looked at is the possibility of additional trails,” she said.
