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Johnstown Celebrates Opening of New Walking, Hiking Trails
Getting on the path to physical fitness in Fulton County is as easy as hitting the Rail Trail, an 8-mile paved path from Johnstown to Gloversville.
Formerly a railroad bed for the old Fonda Johnstown & Gloversville rail line, the path was transformed into a trail for walking, jogging, biking and in-line skating in the mid-1990s.
In July 2009, the City of Johnstown celebrated the opening of its new Rail Trail pedestrian and bicycle bridge that carries the Rail Trail over Cayadutta Creek between Washington and West State streets.
“This bridge is particularly important to the city because it truly enhances the beauty of our Rail Trail,” says Johnstown Mayor Sarah Slingerland. “We consider the trail and the beautiful Cayadutta River that runs next to it to be one of the greatest natural assets of our city.”
Once polluted by industry, the Cayadutta River is now clean enough to sustain trout life.
“It is our hope that fishing for trout and the natural setting with the addition of our new bridge will not only be enjoyed by local residents, but will also become a destination for tourists,” Slingerland says. “To think this linear park has gone from a very undesirable part of our city to one of our best sections is really amazing.”
The $73,900 bridge project was begun in 2008 and completed in April 2009. It was paid for by grant money secured by Fulton County for the Rail Trail.
“I think it’s a critical part of making our city a model city in terms of moving us from an industrial-dependent city to a modern-day, desirable place to reside,” Slingerland says.
The bridge’s dedication ceremony involved the area Velo Club, a bicycling group that plans to provide a historical bicycle tour in the area in the future.
“About 10 members of the Velo Club rode the trail from Gloversville [to Johnstown] to witness and participate in the bridge ceremony,” Slingerland says. “We also honored local bike enthusiast Jack Papa because he had completed 100,000 miles of bike riding.”
About 25 people attended the bridge ceremony, including Dave D’Amore, a local architect who designed the bridge. Improvements to the Rail Trail won’t stop there, though.
“The community is planning additional features to this great linear park,” Slingerland says. “They might include a fenced-in dog run, a section set aside to feature information on the vast array of wildflowers that inhabit the trail, parking areas, handicap accessibility and picnic areas.”
Story by Jessica Mozo
