State to start building Adirondack Rail Trail

RAY BROOK | The northern 34-mile end of the Remsen-Lake Placid Travel Corridor moved into state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) jurisdiction this month. DEC supervision removes the property from purview of the state Department of Transportation (DOT), a step, officials said, that marks the formal start of Adirondack Rail Trail construction. Conversion of the railway bed will establish a year-round, shared-use path for hikers, bikers, cross-country skiers and snowmobiles from Tupper Lake to Lake Placid. The 34-mile corridor connects Lake Placid, Ray Brook, Saranac Lake, Lake Clear and Tupper Lake. Rails and ties on the corridor were removed by DOT in 2020. "The first of the three stages—the Lake Placid to Saranac Lake segment of the trail—is currently scheduled to open September 2023," DEC said of the timeline. Sections will open for public access as completed, but people will be able to run, hike, bike or ride snowmobiles outside construction areas as it is being built. The recreation corridor will not be open to All Terrain Vehicles or horses. DEC said people will have access at their own risk and has established a web page for updates on progress. "The projected cost for the trail is $22.9 million, which will likely be adjusted as design details and final contracted costs are finalized for parking lots; snowmobile, pedestrian, and bicycle pull-offs; retaining walls; storm water measures; wetland mitigation; signage and other specifics," DEC officials said. Start of construction comes after 12 years of discussion and legal review of railway use and the Remsen-Lake Placid Travel Corridor Unit Management Plan, a document formalized in 1996 and designed to guide access to state-owned property. As a railroad line, the railroad bed is a unique property, one of two inside the Adirondack Park. Start of trail work this spring comes after extensive public and state agency review and legal challenges. Economic review of the railroad corridor began in 2010. The decision to remove the rails was contentious and drew fiery discussion during several rounds of public hearings and Adirondack Park Agency review. APA addressed language used to define a Travel Corridor to clarify guidance in the State Land Master Plan. The Adirondack Railway Preservation Society ran its seasonal Adirondack Scenic Railroad excursion train on the stretch between Lake Placid and Saranac Lake. At public hearings, the railroad said in 2009 they ran 42,655 trips; and in 2012, they ran 71,354. The trains took their last trips along the northern stretch of rails in 2016, and state permits to run trains were discontinued in 2017. The Preservation Society sued, forcing the plan back to regulatory review. The Remsen/Utica area railway routes remain in place, and rails on the longer southern end of the 119-mile track are in place. Construction on the Adirondack Rail Trail will begin this summer, DEC said. "New York State continues to advance the Adirondack Rail Trail for the benefit of outdoor enthusiasts everywhere," according to DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos. "DEC looks forward to working with our partners at the Office of General Services to design, build, and maintain this new and accessible recreational resource for residents and visitors alike." DOT Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said that, once finished, "the trail will be a model of resiliency and will provide climate-friendly recreational activities for people from across the globe to enjoy." Information about use of the rail trail is online at adirondackrailtrail.org. Adirondack Recreational Trail Advocates maintains a Facebook page: facebook.com/theadirondackrailtrail ARTA also has a website: thearta.org providing updates on trail progress and discussion.

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State to start building Adirondack Rail Trail

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