The communities along the old D&H rail line running from Voorheesville to the Port of Albany have a unique opportunity to turn an unused rail bed into a multi-use trail for active transportation and recreation.

Helping lead these efforts alongside Albany County is the Friends of the Rail Trail (FORT). Our mission is to support and promote the Albany County Rail Trail to ensure its enjoyment by residents and visitors of all ages.

And you can help - whether through volunteering, donating, or just spreading the word throughout our communities about the benefits of the rail trail.

For more information about the rail trail please visit the Albany County Rail Trail website.

Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy's Friends of the Rail Trail committee represents a synthesis of several groups that have strongly advocated for the trail's development. FORT combines the rail trail efforts of the former Tri-Village Greenway Committee of the Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy with two groups that previously championed the establishment of the rail trail - Citizens for an Albany Rail Trail (CART), and the Friends of the D&H Rail Trail.

More importantly, we're also members of your community. We're your friends, neighbors and the folks who support our local businesses.

Much work still needs to be done to open the entire trail, but it was a major milestone to open a 1.9 mile segment in the Town of Bethlehem on June 4, 2011. With a segment now open FORT is working on plans to:

• Open another section of the trail for pedestrians
• Develop a plan and raise funds for needed improvements to allow for bicycles on the section already open
• Organize and implement a "Trail Ambassadors" program to raise public awareness of the trail and promote its use
• Provide routine maintenance of the section of trail that is open.
• Work with local residents to address any concerns over safety, security, cost, etc.
• Create signage, maps, brochures, and trailside amenities
• Coordinate volunteer efforts

When completed by Albany County, the Rail Trail will connect the village of Voorheesville with the City of Albany, running nine miles through the towns of New Scotland and Bethlehem. It will be a crown jewel of these communities for generations to come. There are several ways you can get involved now.

Volunteer-If you would like to help, please let us know.

To volunteer, please e-mail RailTrailFriends@gmail.com.

Donate-You can support our efforts with a tax-deductible donation.

Note: Please be sure to specify "FORT" in the comments section when you donate on-line here, or in the memo line of your check if you mail in your donation (to FORT Committee, MHLC, PO Box 567, Slingerlands, NY 12159 or use the form attached to our brochure)

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