2016 Regional Trail Perspectives

Regional Trail Perspectives 2016
A Survey of Capital District Trail Facilities

Acknowledgements
CDTCBicycleandPedestrianAdvisoryCommittee
AmiParikh,CreightonManningEngineering JoanneKlepetar,TownofWiltonResident
AndrewLynn,TroyBikeRescue JohnDiMura,
AnthonyTozzi,TownofMalta JohnJoyce,NYSCanalCorporation
AudreyBall,TownofMalta JohnMitchell,HalfmoonTrailsCommittee
BrentIrving,CapitalRoots JohnScavo,TownofCliftonPark
CharlesMoore,CityofRensselaer KarimehShamieh,CityofSchenectady
CharlesWelge,AlbanyCountyDepartmentofHealth KateMaynard,CityofSaratogaSprings
ChrisMorris,NYSOfficeofParksRecreation&HistoricPreservation KathyVarney,NYSDepartmentofHealth
ChrisSpencer,CityofAlbany KellyMateja,
ChristineMarshall,VillageofAltamont KenCrandall,NYBicyclingCoalition
ChristineVanderlan,ColumbiaLandConservancy KenKovalchik,TownofBethlehem
ChuckDollard,VillageofVoorheesvilleresident KevinCorcoran,TownofGlenville
DanFrench,NYSDepartmentofHealth LeahGolby,NYBicyclingCoalition/AlbanyCommonCouncil
DanLynch,Bikeatoga LindaVonDerHeide,RensselaerCounty
DanielBerheide,AltaPlanning&Design LindsayZefting,AltaPlanning&Design
DanielBiggs,Weston&Sampson LorenzWorden,AlbanyBicycleCoalition
DanielPatterson,TransportTroy MarkCashman,MohawkHudsonCyclingClub
DavidDownes,AlbanyBicycleCoalition MartinDaley,CapitalDistrictRegionalPlanningCommission
DevinRigolino,SaratogaPLAN MedeleinePetraglia,CenterforEconomicGrowth
DonOdell,AlbanyBicycleCoalition MeganStevens,SaratogaBattlefieldHistoricSite
DougHaller,Bikeatoga MichaelWilliams,CapitalDistrictTransportationAuthority
ElaineTroy,TownofRotterdamresident MikeLyons,TownofColonie
EmmettMcDevitt,FederalHighwayAdministration MikeToole,Bikeatoga
ErinColligan NadineLemmon,TriStateTransportationCampaign
FredMastroianni,GPI PatTuz,TownofWiltonResident
GregFrancese,Parks&TrailsNewYork PaulReuss,VillageofMenands
HenriettaOGrady PaulRussell,TownofColonieresident
IvanVamos,NYBicyclingCoalition PeterLion,CenterforEconomicGrowth
JackieHakes,MJEngineering RachelManes,NYAcademyofMedicine
JamesMearkle,AlbanyCounty RachelleMcKnight,Weston&Sampson
JamesMeerdink,Parks&TrailsNewYork RobLeslie,TownofBethlehem
JeffOlson,AltaPlanning&Design RobinDropkin,Parks&TrailsNewYork
JenniferViggiani,TownofCliftonPark RossFarrell,CapitalDistrictTransportationAuthority
JeremySmith,CityofWatervliet RyanBerry,CTMale
JessicaMarquard,CTMale SamuelWells,CapitalDistrictTransportationAuthority
JimErcolano,NYSDepartmentofTransportation ScottLewendon,BethlehemBicycleandPedestrianCommittee
JimLevy,Planning4Places/SchenectadyCountyEnvironmentalAdvisoryCouncil SteveFeeney,SchenectadyCounty
JimMoore,NYSDormitoryAuthority SteveGodlewski,CreightonManningEngineering
Regional Trail Perspectives 2016 Page 1
SteveStrichman,CityofTroy MichelleLeClair
SusanOlson,NYSDepartmentofTransportation PeterCochetti
TimKennedy, SamuelWells
ToddFabozzi,CapitalDistrictRegionalPlanningCommission SuzanneSwan
TomBenware,NYSDepartmentofTransportation TeriStutsrim
TriciaBulatao,AlbanyCountyDepartmentofHealth TimKennedy
ValerieDeane,NYSDepartmentofTransportation
VictoriaKeir,SetonHealthPartners
WallyElton,SaratogaSpringsSouthwestNeighborhoodAssociation
PhotoCredits
WendyLucas
WillMalcom,CapitalRoots
WilliamSprengnether,CLASite SteveIachetta
MartinDaley
SaratogaPLAN
AllOverAlbany
TrailSurveyVolunteers FriendsoftheRailTrail(FORT)

AnnaCampas
DonLeClair
Parks&TrailsNewYorkStaff
DougHaller
JulieCone
KateLawrence RobinDropkin
LeanneVriesema JamesMeerdink
LorenzWorden GregFrancese
MelissaCherubino FranGotcsik
MeredithMoriarty

Contents
Introduction...................................................................................................................................................................................................................9
Background..................................................................................................................................................................................................................10
Objectives....................................................................................................................................................................................................................14
DataCollection&Methodology..................................................................................................................................................................................15
Overview..................................................................................................................................................................................................................15
TrailCounts..............................................................................................................................................................................................................15
TrailUserSurveys.....................................................................................................................................................................................................16
AdjacentResidentialPropertyOwnerSurvey..........................................................................................................................................................18
BusinessSurvey........................................................................................................................................................................................................19
TrailMaintenanceSurvey........................................................................................................................................................................................20
KeyFindings.................................................................................................................................................................................................................21
TrailUserProfile.......................................................................................................................................................................................................27
CombinedTrailUserSurveySummary................................................................................................................................................................27
OnTrailUserSurveySummary............................................................................................................................................................................30
OnlineTrailUserSurveySummary......................................................................................................................................................................36
PropertyOwnerProfile............................................................................................................................................................................................48
AdjacentResidentialTrailSurveySummary........................................................................................................................................................48
.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................61
TrailProfiles.............................................................................................................................................................................................................62
AlbanyCountyHelderbergHudsonRailTrail......................................................................................................................................................62
TrailUserSurveySummary..................................................................................................................................................................................63
AdjacentResidentialSurveySummary................................................................................................................................................................65
AlbanyShakerTrail..............................................................................................................................................................................................68
BallstonVeteransTrail.........................................................................................................................................................................................71
DelawareAvenueTrail.........................................................................................................................................................................................76
MohawkHudsonBikeHikeTrail.........................................................................................................................................................................82
RailroadRun.........................................................................................................................................................................................................88
TrailUserSummary..............................................................................................................................................................................................90
SpringRunTrail....................................................................................................................................................................................................94
UncleSamBikeway..............................................................................................................................................................................................97
ZimSmithTrail...................................................................................................................................................................................................101
TrailUserSurveySummary................................................................................................................................................................................103
AdjacentResidentialSurveySummary..............................................................................................................................................................104
TrailMaintenance..................................................................................................................................................................................................107
TrailMaintenanceSurveySummary..................................................................................................................................................................108
NextSteps..............................................................................................................................................................................................................118
List of Figures
Figure1.MilesofConstructedMultiUseTrails..........................................................................................................................................................12
Figure2.2016RegionalTrailPerspectivesTrails.........................................................................................................................................................12
Figure3.RegionalTrailPerspectivesMap...................................................................................................................................................................13
Figure4.TrailUserSurveyResponseRate...................................................................................................................................................................17
Figure5.ResidentialSurveyResponses.......................................................................................................................................................................19
Figure6.2006&2016AnnualTrailUserEstimates.....................................................................................................................................................21
Figure7.2016TrailCountEstimates...........................................................................................................................................................................22
Figure8.TrailUsersOutsideofCDTCPlanningArea...................................................................................................................................................24
Figure9.CapitalRegionTrailUsersbyZipCode..........................................................................................................................................................25
Figure10.Whatisyourgender?..................................................................................................................................................................................28
Figure11.Whatisyourage?.......................................................................................................................................................................................28
Figure12.Howdoyouusuallygettothetrail?...........................................................................................................................................................28
Figure13.Whatisyourprimarypurposeforusingthetrail(s)?..................................................................................................................................28
Figure14.Abouthowmanytimeshaveyouusedthetrailduringthepast12months?...........................................................................................29
Figure15.Whichactivity(ies)doyouengageinwhileonthetrail?............................................................................................................................29
Figure16.Gender........................................................................................................................................................................................................31
Figure17.Age..............................................................................................................................................................................................................31
Figure18.Howdidyougettothetrail?......................................................................................................................................................................31
Figure19.Howmuchtimedidyouspendonthetrail?...............................................................................................................................................31
Figure20.Whatactivitydoyouengageinwhileonthetrail?....................................................................................................................................32
Figure21.Whatisyourprimarypurposeforusingthistrail?.....................................................................................................................................32
Figure22.Abouthowmanytimeshaveyouusedthetrailduringthepasttwelvemonths?.....................................................................................34
Figure23.Aretheresectionsofthetrailthatyouavoidduetopoortrailconditionsorgeneralconcernsabouttrailmaintenance?.....................34
Figure24.Isyourvisittothistrailpartofanovernighttripawayfromhome?..........................................................................................................34
Figure25.Howwouldyourateyourcurrenthealthstatus?.......................................................................................................................................34
Figure26.Onascaleof15,towhatextentdoyoufeelthefollowingitemsareproblemsonthetrail(s)?..............................................................35
Figure27.Extenttowhichovernighttrailusersfeltthesewereproblemsonthetrail(s)..........................................................................................37
Figure28.Howdoyouusuallygettothetrail?...........................................................................................................................................................39
Figure29.Whatisyourprimarypurposeforusingthetrail(s)?..................................................................................................................................39
Figure30.Abouthowmanytimeshaveyouusedthetrailduringthepast12months?...........................................................................................39
Figure31.Howmuchtimedoyoutypicallyspendonthetrailpervisit?...................................................................................................................39
Figure32.Doyouexitfromthesameplaceyoustarted?...........................................................................................................................................40
Figure33.Howmanypeopledoyouusuallyusethetrailwith?.................................................................................................................................40
Figure34.Doyouusethetrail(s)withanychildrenundertheageof15?.................................................................................................................40
Figure35.Whichactivity(ies)doyouengageinwhileonthetrail(s)?........................................................................................................................40
Figure36.Whattypeofbike(s)doyouuseonthetrail(s)?........................................................................................................................................41
Figure37.Howmuchdoyouspendannuallyonaneworusedbike?.......................................................................................................................41
Figure38.Howmuchdoyouspendannuallyonbikemaintenanceand/orrepairs?.................................................................................................41
Figure39.Howmuchdoyouspendannuallyonfootwear,accessories,orothergearrelatedtoyourtrailuse,excludingthecostofyourbicycle
orbicyclerepairs/maintenance?.................................................................................................................................................................................43
Figure40.Whileusingthetrail(s),howmuchdoyouspendatthefollowingtypesofplacesonornearthetrail?..................................................43
Figure41.Doyoubelievetrailbuildingandmaintenanceisagooduseofpublicfunds?..........................................................................................43
Figure42.DoyoubelievemultiusetrailshaveapositiveimpactonqualityoflifeintheCapitalRegion?...............................................................43
Figure43.Onascaleof15,howimportantarethefollowingtoyou?......................................................................................................................44
Figure44.HowdidyoulearnaboutCapitalRegiontrails?..........................................................................................................................................44
Figure45.Gender........................................................................................................................................................................................................46
Figure46.Age..............................................................................................................................................................................................................46
Figure47.Howwouldyourateyourcurrenthealthstatus?.......................................................................................................................................46
Figure48.Whatisthehighestlevelofschoolyouhavecompletedorthehighestdegreeyouhavereceived?.......................................................46
Figure49.Howmuchtotalcombinedmoneydidallmembersofyourhouseholdearnlastyear?...........................................................................47
Figure50.Whichofthefollowingbestdescribesyouremploymentstatus?.............................................................................................................47
Figure51.Race.............................................................................................................................................................................................................47
Figure52.WhichofthefollowingmostaccuratelydescribeshowyouuseyourpropertyneartheTrail?................................................................49
Figure53.Whereisthetrailinrelationtoyourpropertyline?...................................................................................................................................49
Figure54.Approximatelyhowfar(infeet)isthetrailfromyourhouse?...................................................................................................................49
Figure55.Approximatelyhowlargeisyourproperty?...............................................................................................................................................49
Figure56.Whatistheapproximatevalueofyourproperty?.....................................................................................................................................50
Figure57.Howwouldyoudescribethesettingofyourhousenearthetrail?...........................................................................................................50
Figure58.Whendidyouacquireyourhouse?............................................................................................................................................................50
Figure59.Compareyourinitialreactiontotheideaoflivingnearthetrailtohowyoufeelaboutlivingnearthetrailtoday.Wouldyousaythat
livingnearthetrailisbetterorworsethanyouexpectedittobe?............................................................................................................................53
Figure60.Onascaleof1to5,towhatextentdoyoufeelthefollowingitemsareproblemsforyourhouseholdasaresultofthetrailandits
users?...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................54
Figure61.Doyoufeelthetrailposesarisktoyourownoryourfamilyssafetyduetotheactivitiesoftrailuser?.................................................57
Figure62.Ifyouweretotryandsellyourproperty,doyouthinkbeingnearthetrailwillmakeitharderoreasiertosell?...................................57
Figure63.Howdoyouthinkbeinglocatednearthetrailhasaffectedtheresalevalueofthisproperty?................................................................57
Figure64.Overall,howsatisfiedareyouwithhavingthetrailasaneighbor?...........................................................................................................57
Figure65.Howdoyoufeelthetrailhasaffectedthequalityofyourneighborhood?...............................................................................................58
Figure66.Doyoufeelthatthedevelopmentandmanagementoftrailisgooduseofpublicfunds?.......................................................................58
Figure67.Towhatextenddoyoufeelthatthetrailisimportantinprovidingthefollowingbenefitstothesurroundingcommunity?..................59
Figure68.Howoftendothemembersofyourhouseholdusethetrail?...................................................................................................................60
Figure69.AlbanyCountyHelderbergHudsonRailTrailUsersbyZipCode...............................................................................................................62
Figure70.Onascaleof15,towhatextentdoyoufeelthefollowingitemsareproblemsontheAlbanyCountyHelderbergHudsonRailTrail?.64
Figure71.Towhatextentdoyoufeelthefollowingitemsareproblemsforyourhouseholdasaresultofthetrailanditsusers?........................67
Figure72.Towhatextentdoyoufeelthatthetrailisimportantinprovidingthefollowingbenefitstothesurroundingcommunity?..................67
Figure73.AlbanyShakerTrailUsersbyZipCode........................................................................................................................................................68
Figure74.Onascaleof15,towhatextentdoyoufeelthefollowingitemsareproblemsontheAlbanyShakerTrail?.........................................69
Figure75.BallstonVeteransTrailUsersbyZipCode..................................................................................................................................................71
Figure76.Onascaleof15,towhatextentdoyoufeelthefollowingitemsareproblemsontheBallstonVeteransTrail?....................................72
Figure77.DelawareAvenueTrailUsersbyZipCode..................................................................................................................................................76
Figure78.Onascaleof15,towhatextentdoyoufeelthefollowingitemsareproblemsontheDelawareAvenueTrail?....................................77
Figure81.MHBHTUsersbyZipCode..........................................................................................................................................................................82
Figure82.Onascaleof15,towhatextentdoyoufeelthefollowingitemsareproblemsontheMHBHT?............................................................83
Figure85.RailroadRunUsersbyZipCode..................................................................................................................................................................88
Figure86.Onascaleof15,towhatextentdoyoufeelthefollowingitemsareproblemsonRailroadRun?..........................................................89
Figure89.SpringRunTrailUsebyZipCode.................................................................................................................................................................94
Figure90.UncleSamBikewayTrailUsersbyZipCode...............................................................................................................................................97
Figure91.Towhatextentdoyoufeelthefollowingitemsareproblemsforyourhouseholdasaresultofthetrailanditsusers?......................100
Figure92.Towhatextentdoyoufeelthatthetrailisimportantinprovidingthefollowingbenefitstothesurroundingcommunity?................100
Figure93.ZimSmithTrailUsersbyZipCode.............................................................................................................................................................101
Figure94.Onascaleof15,towhatextentdoyoufeelthefollowingitemsareproblemsontheZimSmithTrail?..............................................102
Figure95.Towhatextentdoyoufeelthefollowingitemsareproblemsforyourhouseholdasaresultofthetrailanditsusers?......................106
Figure96Towhatextentdoyoufeelthatthetrailisimportantinprovidingthefollowingbenefitstothesurroundingcommunity?.................106
Appendices
AppendixA:TrailCountReport
AppendixB:OnTrailUserSurvey
AppendixC:OnlineTrailUserSurvey
AppendixD:AdjacentResidentialPropertyOwnerSurvey
AppendixE:TrailMaintenanceSurvey
AppendixF:SurveyComments
Introduction
TheCapitalDistrictTransportationCommittee(CDTC)isthedesignatedMetropolitanPlanningOrganization(MPO)fortheAlbanySchenectady
andSaratogaSpringsmetropolitanareas.ThisincludesAlbany,Rensselaer,Saratoga,andSchenectadycounties,excludingMoreauandSouth
GlensFalls.TheCDTCisaforumforlocalelectedofficialsandtransportationrepresentativestoshareideasandmakedecisionsaboutmajor
transportationinvestments.MPOsaredesignatedbythegovernorofeachstateforeveryurbanareawithatleast50,000residents.
OneofthemajorproductsdevelopedbyMPOsisaregionaltransportationplan.Thisplanguidestransportationdecisionmakingandactivities
andrecommendssolutionstoimportantregionalissuessuchaslanduse,airquality,energy,economicdevelopment,commerce,andqualityof
life.CDTCsregionaltransportationplaniscalledNewVisions2040.ThisplanwasadoptedinSeptember2015andincludesa20yearpolicy
visionforthetransportationsystem,whichwilldirectplanningandcapitalinvestmentsintheCapitalRegion.
New Visions 2040 includes a Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Plan which outlines strategies and actions to increase access to safe walking and
bicycling infrastructure, including multiuse trails and greenways. Multiuse trails, sometimes referred to as shareduse paths, are separated
frommotorizedvehicletraffic.Theycanbebuiltwithinahighwayrightofwayorwithinanindependentrightofway.Theymaybeusedby
cyclists,pedestrians,skaters,wheelchairusers,joggers,andothernonmotorizedusersandshouldbedesignedtoaccommodatethem.Multi
usetrailsareanintegralpartofthetransportationsystem.Theyprovideseparated,alternativeroutesforcommutingandnonrecreationtrips
buttheyarealsomajorrecreationaldestinationsintheregion.IntheU.S.multiusetrailsareprovingtobebothpopularwithlocalresidents
andwiseeconomicinvestmentforthecommunitiesthroughwhichtheypass.Studieshaveshownthatinadditiontoprovidingmanyintangible
qualityoflifebenefits,theyhelpstimulatelocaleconomiesbyattractingregional,state,national,andinternationaltouriststoanarea.
BicyclingandwalkingtrendsintheCapitalRegionareconsistentwithnationaltrends.Datashowsthatmorepeoplearechoosingalternative
modestodriving.Evenmoreso,peoplearedemandingtheircommunityleadersmakewalkingandbicyclingapriorityintheircities,towns,and
villages.IntheCapitalRegion,variouscommunitieshaveadoptedCompleteStreetslegislationbecausetheywanttoseetheirstreetsdesigned
forallusersandtherehasbeenimmensepublicsupportfortheexpansionoftrailnetworks.Additionally,thereareanincreasingnumberof
communitieswhohaveadoptedmasterplanswithafocusonalternativemodesoftransportationlikewalking,bicycling,andtransit.
DatashowswalkingandbicyclingarebecomingincreasinglypopularintheCapitalRegion.Pedestrianandbicyclecountsregularlyconductedby
CDTCsince1995showsignificantincreases.SincebikerackswereinstalledonCapitalDistrictTransportationAuthority(CDTA)busesin1998
bike boardings on buses have increased too, with over 70,000 boardings annually. Also, the MohawkHudson BikeHike Trail Map and the
RegionalBikeHikeTrailMapareconsistentlythemostrequestedCDTCproducts,withover26,000mapsdistributedsince2006.
Safewalkingandbicyclinginfrastructureisimportantbecauseitmattersmostforpeoplewhodonothaveaccesstoavehicle.Safeaccessto
alternativemodesoftransportationprovidesemployment,health,andsocialopportunitiesforlowincomeindividualsandfamilies,andpeople
living with disabilities. Expanding and connecting the regional trail network is an important piece to improving safe access to walking and
bicyclinginfrastructureaswellasencouragingmorenonmotorizedtrips.
AregionaltrailandgreenwaysystemremainsaNewVisionsBigTicketInitiative.Whileprogressinexpandingandfillinggapsintheregional
trailsandgreenwayssystemsince2007hasbeennotable,gapsremainandregionallysignificantproposedtrailsremainunfunded.Theupdate
totheRegionalTrailPerspectivesprovidedanopportunitytomeasuretrailuse,evaluatetrends,andsurveytrailusersandresidentsontheir
attitudestowardstrails.NewVisions2040proposedtheRegionalTrailPerspectivesupdateasanactionitem.
TheCDTC201618UnifiedPlanningWorkProgram(UPWP)includedataskfortheRegionalTrailPerspectivesUpdate.Thetasksobjectivewas
tomeasurechangingattitudestowardstrailsandtrailusesincethe2006RegionalTrailPerspectiveseffortwhileexpandingdatacollectionto
additional trails in the region. This report provides an overview of trail use, who is using the trail, what impacts trails have on adjacent
residentialproperties,andwhatthebiggestmaintenanceobstaclesandcostsarefortrailowners.Theendproductisasnapshotforeachtrailof
usebymodeandgenderandtrailuserandtrailadjacentlandownerprofiles.
Background
The 2006 Regional Trail Perspectives report was a followup to the 1997 document The Mohawk Hudson BikeHike Trail & Its Impacts on
AdjoiningResidentialPropertiesand1998documentMohawkHudsonBikeHikeTrail:AnalysisofTrailUse,RegionalBenefits&EconomicImpact.
AllofthesepreviousstudiescanbefoundontheCDTCwebsiteatwww.cdtcmpo.org/trails.
The1997studydocumentedtheresultsofaquestionnairemailedtoallownersofresidentialpropertyalongthetrail.Inadditiontoidentifying
pertinent characteristics of landowners and their properties, the survey provided landowners the opportunity to express their opinions
regardingtheimpact(s)thetrailhadontheirlivesandproperty.Thepurposeofthe1998reportwastoheightentheawarenessofthetrailasa
regional recreational and economic asset and bolster efforts to extend and improve the facility. The 2006 report expanded upon previous
reportsbycollectingbaselinedatafor othertrailsegmentsandfocusedonuseactivityandattitudes towardsthe MohawkHudsonBikeHike
Trail,theZimSmithTrail,andUncleSamBikeway.
ThesereportshavebeenusedtosupporttheexpansionandenhancementoftheCapitalRegionstrailnetwork.Thedatacollectedhasbeen
shared with local communities to help them effectively improve, maintain and promote local trails and address issues concerning adjacent
landowners.Theywerealsousedforthedevelopmentofthe2007CDTCreportTechValleyTrails:AGreenwaysConceptPlanfortheCapital
Region. The greenways plan maps out a regional system of multiuse trails and greenways to connect the region to open spaces. A regional
greenwayoriginatedfromtheNewVisions2030BigIdeaInitiatives.Aregionalgreenwayremainsakeyrecommendationinthemostrecent
NewVisions2040Plan.
Sincethe2006reporttherehavebeenseveralnewtrail,extension,andenhancementprojects.Someoftheseincludebutarenotlimitedtothe
extensionofRailroadRuninSaratogaSpringsacrossRoute50in2013andtheopeningoftheAlbanyCountyHelderbergHudsonRailTrailin
2016.Therehavealsobeennumerousregionaleffortstoobtainfundingtoclosemajorgapsandconstructmultiusetrailsthatwouldhave
significantregionalimpacts.
TheCapitalRegiontrailnetworkhasexpandedsince2006[12].The2006RegionalTrailPerspectivesincludeddatacollectiononthreemajor
trailstheMohawkHudsonBikeHikeTrail,ZimSmithTrail,andUncleSamBikeway.Atthetime,thesetrailsprovidedabalancedperspectiveof
trailuseandopinionsintheCapitalRegionbecausetheyreachedallfourcountiesandawiderangeofcommunities,fromruraltourban.Inthe
2016 update, six additional trails were added to the dataset, including the Albany County HelderbergHudson RailTrail, Albany Shaker Trail,
DelawareAvenue(BlackBridge)Trail,BallstonVeteransTrail,RailroadRun,andSpringRun.Thesetrailsareallatleast1mileinlength,paved,
andprovideanessentialoffroadconnectionorparallelroutewheretherearebarrierstosafewalkingorbicycling[12][13].
Figure1.MilesofConstructedMultiUseTrails Figure2.2016RegionalTrailPerspectivesTrails
TrailName Length(miles)
2009 2014 2016
MohawkHudsonBikeHikeTrail(offroad) 34.0
AlbanyCountyHelderbergHudsonRailTrail 9.0
51
AlbanyShakerTrail 1.3
42 41 DelawareAvenue 2.1
36 UncleSamBikeway 3.5
BallstonVeteransTrail 3.1
27
22 22 22 22 ZimSmithTrail 10.0
RailroadRun 1.3
SpringRun 1.1
3 3 3 Total 65.4

AlbanyCounty Rensselaer SaratogaCounty Schenectady
County County

MileageisdeterminedbyCDTCsGISdatainventoryandisnotacompleteinventoryofall
multiusetrailswithintheCapitalRegion.
Figure3.RegionalTrailPerspectivesMap
Whilemuchprogressintheexpansionandenhancementoftrailandgreenwayfacilitieshasbeenmadeinthelastdecade,gapsandconnections
stillremain.CDTCwillcontinuetoincrementallyincreasefundingforpedestrianandbicycleprojectsthroughtheTIPasmoniesareavailable.
NewVisions2040keyrecommendationsincludethecompletionof:
PatroonCreekGreenway
MickeyMaharTrail
ZimSmithTrail
ConnectionbetweenAlbanyCountyHelderbergHudsonRailTrailandMohawkHudsonBikeHikeTrail
LivingstonAvenueBridgebicycle/pedestrianfacility

CDTC maintains that despite federal transportation funding levels, bicycle and pedestrian projects should remain a priority. Systems will be
completedthroughincrementalchangesandprojects.
Objectives
TheCapitalRegionhasover100milesofmultiusetrails.Thesefacilitiesbringrecreational
andhealthqualitiestotheregionwhilealsoservingasalternativetransportationnetworks.
Theyconnectcommunitiesandneighborhoodswithcommercial centers,parks,andjobs.
The Regional Trail Perspectives report looks into how the region and local communities
have benefited from multiuse trails while providing the opportunity to promote and
highlighttheregionsextensivenetwork.
Theprocessofcollectingthedata,aswellasthedatacollected,benefitsallCapitalRegion
trail communities. As part of this project, CDTC built a webpage and launched a social
mediacampaigntoincreaseawarenessofmultiusetrailsandtheongoingdatacollection
project.ThelastcomprehensivecountprojectwastheCDTCRegionalTrailPerspectivesin
2006.Sothe2016datacollectionprojectprovidedupdateddatatomeasuretrendsand
Regional Trail Perspectives 2016 Page | 14
changessince2006,andbaselinedataforthesixadditionaltrails.
Trailcountdataisoftenusedtosecuregrantfunding,developtrailmaintenanceandexpansionplans,andguidedevelopmentofnewtrails.It
couldalsobeusedinagencyandorganizationbudgeting,trafficmodeling,andmeasuringreturnoninvestmentofnewtrailfacilities.Trailuser
surveydatacanhelppublicofficialsbetterunderstandbehaviorsandneedsoftrailusers.CDTCwillusethedatacollectedtomeasuretrends
andguidetheupdatetotheCapitalRegionsGreenwayPlan,TechValleyTrails.
Data Collection & Methodology
Overview
The Regional Trail Perspectives has two parts trail counts and trail surveys. Data was
collected and measured on nine multiuse trails. As stated earlier, these trails include the
MohawkHudson BikeHike Trail, Zim Smith Trail, Uncle Sam Bikeway, Albany County
Helderberg Rail Trail, Railroad Run, Spring Run Trail, Albany Shaker Trail, Ballston Veterans
Trail, Delaware Avenue Trail / Black Bridge. The MohawkHudson BikeHike Trail, Zim Smith
Trail,andUncleSamBikewaywereallpartofthe2006RegionalTrailPerspectives.
Trail Counts
CDTCcontractedwithParks&TrailsNewYork(PTNY)toconductbothautomatedandmanual
trailcountsat22locationsonthe9multiusetrailsthroughoutthemonthofSeptember2016.
CDTC developed residential and trail user surveys, business owner surveys, and a trail
maintenance survey. PTNY installed Eco Counter PRYOBoxes at all 22 locations for seven
consecutive days, on a rotating basis throughout the month of September 2016. The Eco
Counters use infrared detectors to measure the heat or temperature of the bicyclists and
pedestrians passing it. In this way it can distinguish between people and animals and can
determinethenumberofpeoplepassingby.
EcoCounterPYROBoxinstalledonMohawk
HudsonBikeHikeTrail
In addition to the data collected through the automated counters, PTNY coordinated 16 trail count assistants to perform two observational
countsatthe22locations.ThesecountswereperformedonaTuesday,Wednesday,orThursdayandaSaturdayduringapredeterminedtwo
hour peak periods for each location. PTNY then organized and analyzed the data collected in accordance with the National Bicycle and
PedestrianDocumentProjectmethodology.BasedonthedatacollectedbyPTNYthereareanestimated1,673,191annualtrailvisitstothetrails
includedinthisreport.ThefullreportcanbefoundinAppendixA.
SketchofhowPYROBoxworks.(Source:EcoCounter)

Trail User Surveys

The CDTC developed and distributed two separate trail user surveys an ontrail and online survey. The ontrail survey was conducted by
volunteersandCDTCstaffatvarioustrailheadsonthe9trails.Volunteersregisteredfor2hourperiodsbetween7:00AMand7:00PMbetween
June27andAugust21,2016.Therewereatotalof43trailusersurveysessions.Volunteersconductedthesurveysat,orcloseto,the22trail
countlocations.Theywereprovidedsurveys,aclipboard,areflectivevest,andbusinesscardsthatincludedalinktotheprojectwebsiteand
onlinetrailusersurvey.Thecardswereusefulingettingtrailuserswhocouldnotorwouldnotstoptotaketheontrailsurveybecauseoftime
orotherlimitations,totakethesurveyfromtheircomputeratalatertimeandprovidefeedbackonCapitalRegiontrails.Fromthe43survey
sessions,404ontrailsurveyswerecollectedand132surveyswerecompletedonline,inSurveyMonkey.Figure4belowshowshowmanyofthe
132onlinetrailusersvisitedeachoftheCapitalRegiontrails.Atotalof536surveyswerecollectedontrailuseropinions,andallsurveyswere
completedvoluntarily.Thiswasadifferentstrategythanwhatwasemployedin2006,where528staffhourswerespentat11locationsand
collectedover2,000trailusersurveys.Despite75%fewersurveys,trailuseropinionswereconsistentwithfeedbackreceivedin2006.
Figure4.TrailUserSurveyResponseRate
The ontrail user survey was a onepage questionnaire including questions about demographics of users and their attitudes and perceptions
regardingthetrailsandothertrailusers,theiruseofthetrail,andtheirrecommendationsforimprovements.Thesurveywasthesameasthe
2006RegionalTrailPerspectivestrailusersurveyandcanbeviewedinAppendixB.TheonlinesurveywascreatedusingSurveyMonkey,aweb
basedsurveytool.Thissurveyincludedthesamequestionsastheontrailsurveywithadditionalquestionsaboutdetailsontheirtypicaltrail
visit,spendingrelatedtotrailuse,andtheiropinionsaboutusingpublicfundingforbuildingandmaintainingtrails.Thelinktotheonlinesurvey
wasprovidedonbusinesscardsdistributedbyvolunteersonthetrails,aswellasontheCDTCTwitterandFacebookpages.Theonlinesurvey
canbeviewinAppendixC.
Adjacent Residential Property Owner Survey

Theresidentialpropertyownersurveywasmailedtopropertiesclassifiedasresidentialandadjacenttooneoftheninemultiusetrails.CDTC
usedrealpropertydatatodeterminetowhichpropertiestosendsurveys.Thesurveysincludedapostagepaidreturnenvelope.Thesurveys
weremailedonJuly22,2016andreturnedbySeptember2,2016.Atotalof550surveysweremailedand128surveyswerecompletedand
returned. The return rate was 23.3%. As can be seen in Figure 5, the Albany Shaker Trail has no adjacent residential properties and the
DelawareAvenueTrailhadasfewas3.Othertrailsindenserareas,liketheUncleSamTrailhad85adjacentresidentialpropertiesandintercity
trailsliketheMohawkHudsonBikeHikeTrail,theCapitalRegionslongestcontinuoustrail,had269adjacentresidentialproperties.
Groupresidencesandrenterswerenotincludedinthesurveysincetheaddressfilesonlycontainedtheaddressofthepropertyownerandnot
theresident.Thismayhavehadaneffectontheresponseratesincesomepropertiesareoccupiedasrentalunitsorwerevacant.Duetothe
natureofsurveysconductedthroughthemail,participationisvoluntary,thereforelimitingcontrolovertheresponserateandwhetherthose
whorespondedarearepresentativesampleofalladjacentpropertyowners.ThepropertyownersurveycanbeviewedinAppendixD.
Figure5.ResidentialSurveyResponses
Business Survey
OneoftheobjectivesofthisstudywastomeasuretheeconomicimpactofmultiusetrailsintheCapitalRegion.CDTCbelievedthatsurveying
localbusinessesadjacenttothetrailswouldbethebestwaytogathereconomicdatarelatedtothetrails.Duetothelocationandnatureof
trailsintheCapitalRegion,thereweretoofewadjacentretailbusinessestosurvey.Theonebusinessthatcameupfrequently,asarestarea
andplacetospendmoneyduringatrailvisit,wasStewartsShops.WhenCDTCreachedouttoStewartstheyrespondedthattheydonottrack
ormeasuretrailusersand/ortheirspendingattheirstoresadjacentornearanyofthetrails.
Trail Maintenance Survey

TrailmaintenancecostsandcommitmentsarelargelyunknownintheCapitalRegionbecausetheyarenottracked.Duetothelackofdataon
trail maintenance, while CDTC has a list of priority trail building projects, there is no ranking or priority for maintenance projects. To better
understand how local multiuse trail maintenance projects are planned and prioritized, CDTC developed and distributed a trail maintenance
surveytotheownersandmaintainersofthe9multiusetrailsincludedinthisproject.CDTCdistributedthesurveysto12separateentitiesand
received 7 responses Schenectady County, City of Saratoga Springs, Town of Colonie, Saratoga County, NYS Office of Parks Recreation and
HistoricPreservation,TownofBallston,andCityofCohoes.
The trail maintenance survey was modeled after the Rails to Trails Conservancys survey used to gather data for their 2015 Maintenance
PracticesandCostsofRailTrailsreport.ThesurveycanbeviewedinAppendixE.
Key Findings
CDTCstaffcompiledtheresultsof536trailusersurveys.Surveyresultswerereviewedcombinedandseparatelyontrailandonline.The
surveyresultswerecomparedtothe2006RegionalTrailPerspectivesfindingsandtoregionaldemographicdata.Thesurveydatacollected
helpedcreateprofilesofthetypicalCapitalDistricttrailuserandtrailadjacentpropertyowner.Thisdatacomplementedthetrailcountdata
thatwascollectedbyPTNY.Trailcountdataprovidedestimatedannualuseoneachofthe9trails,whowasusingthetrailbygenderandmode,
andwhatdayoftheweekandtimetrailusersweremostlikelytobevisitingeachtrail.Belowarehighlightsofthetrailuserdata.
Thereareanestimated1.6milliontrailvisitsannually.
Totaltrailvisitswereupabout24%since2006. Figure6.2006&2016AnnualTrailUserEstimates
Over60%oftrailvisitsaretotheCapitalDistricts MHBHT ZST USB

primarytrails:theZimSmith,UncleSam,and
MohawkHudsonBikeHikeTrails.
LionsParkinNiskayuna,ontheMohawkHudson
BikeHikeTrail,isthemostvisitedtraillocationin
theregion.
Thenewesttrail,theAlbanyCountyHelderberg
HudsonRailTrail,atHudsonAvenuein
Bethlehem,isthefourthmostvisitedtraillocation
intheregion.
ThehighestpercentoftrailvisitsoccurinAugust
(14%).
PeakweekdayusageisMondaysbetween3:00
6:00PM.
Peakweekendusageisbetween9:00AM12:00
PM.
Figure7.2016TrailCountEstimates
TrailUsers
Bothcountsandsurveysshowedanalmostequalmodesplit
betweenbicyclistsandpedestrians.
Bothcountsandsurveysshowedmoremalesthanfemalesusing
thetrails.
Femaletrailusersoutnumberedmaletrailusersonlyononetrail,
theSpringRunTrail,atbothcountlocations.
Trailuserscamefrom93differentzipcodesandabout61%of
thosezipcodeswerewithintheregion[24][25].
Mosttrailusersare45yearsoldorolder.
Trailusersaremoreeducatedandhigherincomeearnersthanthe
averageCapitalRegionperson.
Trailusersmostvaluedaccesstorecreationandusedthetrails
primarilyforexercise.
Mosttrailuserstravelwithatleastonepersononthetrail,but
lessthan20%bringtheirchildren.
Thebiggestproblemidentifiedonthetrailsisthelackofservices,
suchasrestrooms.
Trailusersdidnotfeelhavingplacestostopandeatorshops
alongthetrailwereimportant.
TrailsintheCapitalRegionattracttouristsfromallovertheglobe.
TrailtouristsmostlyvisitedtheMohawkHudsonBikeHikeTrail
andAlbanyCountyHelderbergHudsonRailTrailduringtheirtimeintheCapitalRegion.
Accordingtosurveyrespondentsthatweretrailtourists,directionalsignageonthetrailsandtrailsurfacesweretheirbiggestproblem.
Basedonsurveyresponsesfromtrailtourists,eachspent$193perday,excludingthecostoftheirbike.
Localtrailusersmostlyspentmoneyatrestaurantsandbarsandgroceryandtakeoutfoodwhilevisitingthetrail(s).
Othertrailrelatedspendingincludedbicyclepurchasesandrepairsandspecializedfootwearandclothingforbicycling,walking,skating,
andrunning.
Figure8.TrailUsersOutsideofCDTCPlanningArea
Figure9.CapitalRegionTrailUsersbyZipCode
PropertyOwners
Mostpropertyowners,adjacenttothetrail,describetheirneighborhoodassuburbanandliveonmorethanacre.
Thepercentofpropertyownersthatpurchasedtheirhomesbeforeorafterthetrailwasconstructedwaseven.
Mostpropertyownersaresatisfiedwiththetrailasaneighboranddonotfeelitposesarisktotheirfamilyssafety.
Justoverhalfofpropertyownersusethetrailfrequently.
Over65%ofpropertyownersreportedthattheircurrentpropertyvalueismorethan$200,000.ThemedianhomevalueintheCapitalRegionIs$199,623.
In2006,only39%ofpropertyownersreportedapropertyvalueofover$200,000.
Justabouthalfofpropertyownersfeelthetrailhashighlyimprovedorimprovedqualityoflifeintheirneighborhood.
Propertyowneropinionsabouttheimpactofthetrailontheirneighborhoodandsatisfactionwiththetrailasaneighbor,bothimprovedsincethe2006
survey.
Overhalfofpropertyownersfelthavingthetrailadjacenttotheirpropertyimprovedtheirphysicalactivitylevelanduseitfrequently.
Trail User Profile

Thereare3trailusersurveysummaries.Thefirstsummaryisthecombinedresultsofthe536ontrailandonlinesurveys.Thissummaryincludes6questions
thatwereonboththeontrailandonlinetrailusersurvey.Thenextsummaryisonlytheresultsofthe12question,ontrailusersurvey,andthelastsummary
includestheresultsofthelonger,30question,onlinetrailusersurvey.BoththeontrailandonlinesurveyscanbefoundintheAppendices.Theontrailsurvey
conductedin2016isthesamesurveyconductedbyCDTCin2006.Theresultsofthe2006trailusersurveycanbefoundin2006RegionalTrailPerspectives
report.
Combined Trail User Survey Summary Whatisyourprimarypurposeforusingthetrail(s)?

OnTrail+OnlineSurveys Pleasechooseallthatapply:
Areyoumaleorfemale? Health / exercise 406 80.1%
Male 265 52.4% Commute to school / work 33 6.5%
Female 241 47.6% Run errands and visit friends 9 1.8%
Skipped 30 5.6% Visit the library or other civic spaces 187 36.9%
Answered 506 94.4% Other 46 9.1%
Whatisyourage? Skipped 29 5.4%
17 or younger 1 0.2% Answered question 507 94.6%
18-20 0 0.0% Abouthowmanytimeshaveyouusedthetrailduring
21-29 5 1.0% thepast12months?Pleasechooseone:
30-39 29 5.7% Less than 5 days 98 19.4%
40-49 15 3.0% 5-9 days 83 16.4%
50-59 22 4.3% 10-24 days 103 20.4%
60 or older 35 6.9% 25-49 days 87 17.2%
Skipped 29 5.4% 50 - 100 days 59 11.7%
Answered 507 94.6% More than 100 days 76 15.0%
Howdoyouusuallygettothetrail?Please Skipped 31 5.8%
chooseallthatapply: Answered question 505 94.2%
Drive 227 45.1% Whichactivity(ies)doyouengageinwhileonthe
Bike 169 33.6% trail?Pleasechooseallthatapply:
Walk/Run 136 27.0% Bicycling 283 55.8%
Other (please specify) 13 2.6% Running / Jogging 72 14.2%
Skipped 33 6.2% Walking 244 48.1%
Answered 503 93.8% In-line skating 8 1.6%
Other (please specify) 19 3.7%
Skipped 29 5.4%
Answered question 507 94.6%
Figure10.Whatisyourgender? Figure12.Howdoyouusuallygettothetrail?
Other Other
0% (please
specify)
4%
Walk/Run
21%
Drive
Female Male 47%
48% 52%
Bike
28%

Figure13.Whatisyourprimarypurposeforusingthetrail(s)?
Figure11.Whatisyourage?
Other
Under17
(please
3%
1824 specify)
61+ 7% 7%
24% Visitthe
library,
community
center,or Health/
2544 exercise
othercivic
27% 60%
Runerrands spaces
andvisit 27%
friends
1%
4560 Commute
39% toschool/
work
5%

Figure14.Abouthowmanytimeshaveyouusedthetrailduringthepast12months? Figure15.Whichactivity(ies)doyouengageinwhileonthetrail?
Inlineskating Other(please
1% specify)
3%
Morethan Lessthan5
100days days
15% 19%
50 100days Bicycling
12% Walking 45%
39%
59days
17%
2549days
17%
Running/
1024days Jogging
20% 12%
OnTrail User Survey Summary

CompletedSurveys
Howdidyougettothetrailtoday?
ACHHRT 173 42.8%
AST 6 1.5% Drove 159 39.4%
BVT 11 2.7% Bicycle 129 31.9%
DAT 11 2.7% Walk/Run 105 26.0%
MHBHT 135 33.4% Other 7 1.7%
RR 47 11.6% Skipped 4 1.0%
SRT 0 0.0% Howmuchtimedoyouplantospendonthe
trailtoday?
USB 0 0.0%
<1hr 135 33.4%
ZST 21 5.2%
1-2 hrs 178 44.1%
Total 404 100.0%
>2 hrs 91 22.5%
Whatactivitydoyouengageinwhileonthe
Gender trail?
Male 213 52.7% Walking 168 41.6%
Female 186 46.0% Running/Jogging 48 11.9%
Skipped 5 1.2% Bicycling 212 52.5%
Age InlineSkating 5 1.2%
Under16 14 3.5% Other 9 2.2%
1624 37 9.2% Whatisyourprimarypurposeforusingthis
2544 104 25.7% trail?
4564 158 39.1% Recreation 181 44.8%
65orover 87 21.5% Health/Exercise 307 76.0%
Skipped 4 1.0% Commutetoschool/work 24 5.9%
ZipCodes Other 27 6.7%
InCDTCarea 51 59.3%
OutsideCDTCarea,inNYS 17 19.8%

OutsideNYS 18 20.9%
Total 86 100.0%
Figure16.Gender Figure18.Howdidyougettothetrail?
Skipped Other
1% 2%
Walk/Run
26%
Drove
40%
Female
46% Male
53%
Bicycle
32%

Figure17.Age Figure19.Howmuchtimedidyouspendonthetrail?
Under16
4%
1624
65orover 9% >2hrs
22% 23%
<1hr
33%
2544
26%
12hrs
44%
4564
39%

Figure20.Whatactivitydoyouengageinwhileonthetrail? Figure21.Whatisyourprimarypurposeforusingthistrail?
Inline Other Commute

Skating 2% to
1% school/work Other
4% 5%
Walking Recreation
38% 34%
Bicycling
48%
Health/Exer
cise
57%
Running/Jog
ging
11%
Abouthowmanytimeshaveyouusedthetrail Aretheresectionsofthetrailthatyouavoid
duringthepasttwelvemonths? duetopoortrailconditionsorgeneralconcerns
abouttrailmaintenance?
Lessthan5days 84 20.8%
510days 64 15.8% Yes 61 15.1%
1124days 75 18.6% No 314 77.7%
2549days 68 16.8% Skipped 29 7.2%
50100days 53 13.1% Isyourvisittothistrailpartofanovernighttrip
Morethan100days 59 14.6% awayfromhome?
Skipped 1 0.2% Yes 22 5.4%
Onascaleof15,towhatextentdoyoufeel No 363 89.9%
thefollowingitemsareproblemsonthe(insert Skipped 19 4.7%
nameoftrail). Howwouldyourateyourcurrenthealth
Toocrowded status?
1.36
Excellent 128 31.7%
Conflictswithothertrailactivities 1.38
VeryGood 183 45.3%
Personalsafety(crime) 1.41
Good 69 17.1%
Behavioroftrailusers 1.52
Fair 9 2.2%
Litter,glass&debris 1.55
Poor 2 0.5%
Directionalsignage 1.59
Skipped 13 3.2%
parkingand/oraccess 1.60
Trailsurfaceconditions 1.66
Trailwidth 1.67
Dangerousroadintersections 1.70
Petsoffleashes/animalwaste 1.72
Lackofservices(restrooms,etc.) 2.26
Figure22.Abouthowmanytimeshaveyouusedthetrailduringthepasttwelvemonths? Figure24.Isyourvisittothistrailpartofanovernighttripawayfromhome?
No
Yes
answer
6%
0% More
Lessthan
than100
5days
days
21%
15%
50100
days
13%
510
days
2549 No
16% 94%
days
17% 1124
days
18%

Figure23.Aretheresectionsofthetrailthatyouavoidduetopoortrailconditionsor Figure25.Howwouldyourateyourcurrenthealthstatus?
generalconcernsabouttrailmaintenance?
Fair Poor
2% 0%
Yes
16% Good
18%
Excellent
33%
No VeryGood
84% 47%

Page | 35

parkingand/oraccess
Figure26.Onascaleof15,towhatextentdoyoufeelthefollowingitemsareproblemsonthetrail(s)?
Lackofservices(restrooms,etc.)
Notaproblem
1
Personalsafety(crime)
Directionalsignage
2
Dangerousroadintersections
Litter,glass&debris
Noopinion
3
Petsoffleashes/animalwaste
Trailwidth
4
Trailsurfaceconditions
Majorproblem
Behavioroftrailusers
5
Conflictswithothertrailactivities

Toocrowded
50
450
400
350
300
250
200
150
100

Online Trail User Survey Summary
Trailsvisitedbyonlinesurveyrespondents
ACHHRT 51 38.6%
AST 13 9.8% Onascaleof15,towhatextentdoyoufeelthe IfyouusedaCapitalRegionmultiusetrailas
BVT 10 7.6% followingitemsareproblemsontheCapital partofanovernighttripawayfromhome,how
DAT 16 12.1% Regiontrail(s)?Pleasechoosethenumberthat muchdidyouspendduringyourtriponthe
MHBHT 103 78.0% bestdescribeshowyoufeel: following:
RR 16 12.1% Too crowded 1.6 Motel, hotel, cabin, or B&B $ 1,450.00
SRT 4 3.0% Conflicts with other trail activities 1.4 Camping fees $ 180.00
USB 19 14.4% Behavior of trail users 2 Restaurants & bars $ 675.00
ZST 39 29.5% Trail surface conditions 3.2 Groceries & takeout food & drinks $ 475.00
Total 132 100.0% Trail width 2.2 Vehicle expenses $ -
Pets off leashes / animal waste 2.8 Local transportation $ -
Litter, glass, & debris 2.4 Admission fees $ 500.00
OVERNIGHTTRAILUSERS Dangerous road intersections 2.6 Used or new bicycle $ 4,500.00
Directional signage 3.2 Bike repairs or maintenance $ 270.00
DidyouuseaCapitalRegiontrailaspartofan
Personal safety (crime) 2 Clothing $ 550.00
overnighttripawayfromhome?
Lack of services (water, restrooms, Sporting goods & gear related to my
Yes 7 5.3% etc.) 3.4 trail use $ 200.00
No 125 94.7% Parking and/or access 2.6 Gambling $ -
WhichCapitalRegionmultiusetrail(s)didyou Bike Parking 2.8 Souvenirs & other gifts $ 50.00
visitduringyourtrip?Pleasechooseallthat Other $ -
apply: Total $8,850.00
Per user $1,770.00
ACHHRT 4 57.1% Per Day $393.33
AST 1 14.3%
BVT 2 28.6%
DAT 2 28.6%
MHBHT 4 57.1%
RR 1 14.3%
SRT 0 0.0%
USB 1 14.3%
ZST 3 42.9%
Other 2 28.6%
Howlongwasyourtrip?
Days 4.5
Nights 3.5

0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Toocrowded

Trailwidth
1(notaproblem)
2
Litter,glass,&debris
3(noopinion)
4
Directionalsignage
Lackofservices(water,restrooms,
5(majorproblem)
etc.)
Figure27.Extenttowhichovernighttrailusersfeltthesewereproblemsonthetrail(s)
Parkingand/oraccess
BikeParking

Page | 37
Howdoyouusuallygettothetrail?Please Doyouexitthetrailfromthesameplaceyou Whattypeofbikedoyouuseonthetrail(s)?
chooseallthatapply: started? Pleasechooseallthatapply:
Drive 68 66.0% Yes 83 83.0% Road bike 32 45.1%
Bike 40 38.8% No 17 17.0% Mountain bike 20 28.2%
Walk / Run 31 30.1% Skipped 32 24.2% Cruiser bike 4 5.6%
Other 6 5.8% Answered question 100 75.8% Hybrid bike 32 45.1%
Skipped 29 22.0% Howmanypeopledoyougenerallyusethe Adult trike 3 4.2%
Answered question 103 78.0% trail(s)with?Pleasechooseoneofthe Tandem bike 0 0.0%
following: Buggy / Trailer / Child seat 7 9.9%
Whatisyourprimarypurposeforusingthe
0, I travel alone 42 40.8% Other (please specify) 3 4.2%
trail(s)?Pleasechooseallthatapply:
1 36 35.0% Skipped 61 46.2%
Health / exercise 99 96.1% 2-3 20 19.4% Answered question 71 53.8%
Commute to school / work 9 8.7% 3-5 3 2.9% Approximatelyhowmuchdoyouspendannually
Run errands and visit friends 9 8.7% 5 or more 2 1.9% onaneworusedbike?Pleasechooseone:
Visit the library or other civic spaces 6 5.8% Skipped 29 22.0%
Other 19 18.4% Answered question 103 78.0% Less than $100 41 61.2%
Skipped 29 22.0% $100 - $199 11 16.4%
Doyouusethetrailwithanychildrenunderthe
Answered question 103 78.0% $200 - $499 7 10.4%
ageof15?
$500 - $999 3 4.5%
Abouthowmanytimeshaveyouusedthetrail Yes 20 19.4%
$1,000 or more 5 7.5%
duringthepast12months?Pleasechooseone: No 83 80.6%
Skipped 65 49.2%
Skipped 29 22.0%
Less than 5 days 14 13.6% Answered question 67 50.8%
5-9 days 19 18.4% Howmuchdoyouspendannuallyonbike
10-24 days 28 27.2% Whichactivity(ies)doyouengageinwhileon maintenanceand/orrepairs?Pleasechoose
25-49 days 19 18.4% thetrail?Pleasechooseallthatapply: one:
50 - 100 days 6 5.8% Bicycling 71 68.9% Less than $25 30 43.5%
More than 100 days 17 16.5% Running / Jogging 24 23.3% $25 - $49 11 15.9%
Skipped 30 22.7% Walking 76 73.8% $50 - $99 11 15.9%
Answered question 102 77.3% In-line skating 3 2.9% $100 or more 17 24.6%
Howmuchtimedoyoutypicallyspendonthe Other (please specify) 10 9.7% Skipped 63 49.2%
trailpervisit? Skipped 29 22.0% Answered question 69 50.8%
< 1 hr 26 26.0%
1-2 hrs 65 65.0%
>2 hrs 9 9.0%
Skipped 32 24.2%
Figure28.Howdoyouusuallygettothetrail? Figure30.Abouthowmanytimeshaveyouusedthetrailduringthepast12months?
Other(please
specify)
4%
Lessthan5
Morethan days
Walk/Run 100days 14%
21% 50 100days 17%
Drive 6%
47% 59days
18%
2549days
Bike 18%
28%
1024days
27%

Figure29.Whatisyourprimarypurposeforusingthetrail(s)? Figure31.Howmuchtimedoyoutypicallyspendonthetrailpervisit?
Visitthe
libraryor
Other
othercivic
14% >2hrs
spaces
4% 9%
Run <1hr
errands 26%
andvisit
friends
6%
Commuteto Health/
school/work exercise
6% 70% 12hrs
65%

Figure32.Doyouexitfromthesameplaceyoustarted? Figure34.Doyouusethetrail(s)withanychildrenundertheageof15?
No
17%
Yes
19%
No
81%
Yes
83%

Figure33.Howmanypeopledoyouusuallyusethetrailwith? Figure35.Whichactivity(ies)doyouengageinwhileonthetrail(s)?
35 5ormore Inline Other

3% 2% skating (please
2% specify)
5%
23
19%
0,Itravel Bicycling
alone 39%
41% Walking
41%
Running/
Jogging
1 13%
35%
Figure36.Whattypeofbike(s)doyouuseonthetrail(s)? Figure38.Howmuchdoyouspendannuallyonbikemaintenanceand/orrepairs?
Other(please 4.2%
Buggy/ 9.9% $100or

more
Tandembike 0.0% 25% Lessthan
$25
Adulttrike 4.2% 43%
Hybridbike 45.1%
$50 $99
Cruiserbike 5.6% 16%
Mountainbike 28.2% $25 $49

16%
Roadbike 45.1%

Figure37.Howmuchdoyouspendannuallyonaneworusedbike?

$500 $999
5% $1,000or
more
8%
$200 $499
10%
Lessthan$100
$100 $199
61%
16%
Howmuchdoyouspendannuallyonfootwear,
Doyoubelievemultiusetrailshaveapositive
accessories,orothergearrelatedtoyour
impactonqualityoflifeintheCapitalRegion?
trailuse,excludingthecostofyourbicycleor
bicyclerepairs/maintenance?Pleasechoose Yes 105 99.1%
one: No 0 0.0%
Less than $50 36 35.6% No opinion 1 0.9%
$50-$99 26 25.7% Skipped 26 19.7%
$100-199 24 23.8% Answered question 106 80.3%
$200-$499 14 13.9% Onascaleof15,howimportantarethe
$500 or more 1 1.0% followingtoyou:
Skipped 31 23.5% Living or working near a trail 4.3
Being able to walk or bike to work or
school 3.7
Whileusingthetrail(s),howmuchdoyouspend Access to recreation 4.5
Avg. / Trail
atthefollowingtypesofplacesonornearthe User Being physically active 4.8
trail? Secure bike parking 3.7
Restaurants and bars 60 59.4% $ 23.84 Benches and/or rest areas 3.8
Grocery and takeout food and Places to shop along trail(s) 2.6
drinks 56 55.4% $ 37.80 Places to eat (restaurants and cafes)
Souvenirs and other gifts 43 42.6% $ 7.50 along trail(s) 2.8
Farmers Markets 45 44.6% $ 14.57 Bike shops / maintenance along
Other 33 32.7% $ - trail(s) 2.6
Skipped 31 23.5% N/A Parking at trailheads 4.2
Answered question 101 76.5% N/A HowdidyoulearnaboutCapitalRegiontrails?
Local running / cycling club 4 3.9%
I live near one 55 53.4%
Doyoubelievetrailbuildingandmaintenanceis My town / city / village 5 4.9%
agooduseofpublicfunds? CDTC trail maps 7 6.8%
A friend 7 6.8%
Yes 106 100.0% Trail organization 7 6.8%
No 0 0.0% Google maps 4 3.9%
Skipped 26 19.7% Other (please specify) 14 13.6%
Answered question 106 80.3% Skipped 29 22.0%
Figure39.Howmuchdoyouspendannuallyonfootwear,accessories,orothergear Figure41.Doyoubelievetrailbuildingandmaintenanceisagooduseofpublicfunds?
relatedtoyourtrailuse,excludingthecostofyourbicycleorbicyclerepairs/maintenance?
No Noopinion
$500ormore 0% 0%
1%
$200$499
14%
Lessthan$50
35%
$100199
24%
Yes
100%
$50$99
26%

Figure40.Whileusingthetrail(s),howmuchdoyouspendatthefollowingtypesofplaces Figure42.Doyoubelievemultiusetrailshaveapositiveimpactonqualityoflifeinthe
onornearthetrail? CapitalRegion?
83.3%
77.8% Noopinion
No 1%
59.7% 62.5%
0%
45.8%
Yes
99%
Restaurants Groceryand Souvenirsand Farmers Other
andbars takeoutfood othergifts Markets
Avg.$23.84 anddrinks Avg.$7.50 Avg.$14.57
Avg.$37.80
Figure43.Onascaleof15,howimportantarethefollowingtoyou? Figure44.HowdidyoulearnaboutCapitalRegiontrails?
Localrunning/
5(veryimportant) 4 3(noopinion) 2 1(notimportant)
cyclingclub
120 4%
100
Other(please
Googlemaps specify)
80
4% 13%
60
40 Trail
organization
20 7%
0
Afriend Ilivenearone
Livingorworkingnearatrail
Beingabletowalkorbiketoworkor
Accesstorecreation
Beingphysicallyactive
Securebikeparking
Benchesand/orrestareas
Placestoshopalongtrail(s)
Placestoeat(restaurantsandcafes)
Bikeshops/maintenancealongtrail(s)
Parkingattrailheads
7% 53%
CDTCtrail
alongtrail(s)
maps
school
7%
Mytown/city
/village
5%
Areyoumaleorfemale? Whatisthehighestlevelofschoolyouhave Whichofthefollowingcategoriesbestdescribes

Male 52 48.6% completedorthehighestdegreeyouhave youremploymentstatus?
Female 55 51.4% received? Employed, working full-time 67 63.2%
Skipped 25 18.9%
Less than high school Employed, working part-time 9 8.5%
Answered question 107 81.1% degree 1 0.9% Not employed, looking for work 0 0.0%
Whatisyourage? Not employed, NOT looking for
High school degree or
17 or younger 1 0.9% equivalent (e.g., GED) 2 1.9% work 5 4.7%
18-20 0 0.0% Some college but no Retired 24 22.6%
21-29 5 4.7% degree 13 12.3% Disabled, not able to work 1 0.9%
30-39 29 27.1% Associate degree 4 3.8% Skipped 26 19.7%
40-49 15 14.0% Bachelor degree 34 32.1% Answered question 106 80.3%
50-59 22 20.6% Graduate degree 51 48.1% AreyouWhite,BlackorAfricanAmerican,
60 or older 35 32.7% Prefer not to answer 1 0.9% AmericanIndianorAlaskanNative,Asian,Native
Skipped 25 18.9% Skipped 26 19.7% HawaiianorotherPacificislander,orsomeother
Answered question 107 81.1% Answered question 106 80.3% race?
Howwouldyourateyourcurrenthealthstatus? Howmuchtotalcombinedmoneydidall
White 95 90.5%
Pleasechooseone: membersofyourHOUSEHOLDearnlastyear?
Black or African-American 0 0.0%
Excellent 29 27.1% $0 to $9,999 0 0.0% American Indian or Alaskan
Very good 47 43.9% $10,000 to $24,999 2 1.9% Native 0 0.0%
Good 25 23.4% $25,000 to $49,999 7 6.7% Asian 0 0.0%
Fair 5 4.7% $50,000 to $74,999 15 14.4% Native Hawaiian or other Pacific
Poor 1 0.9% $75,000 to $99,999 12 11.5% Islander 0 0.0%
Skipped 25 18.9% Mexican, Puerto Rican, or other
$100,000 to $124,999 13 12.5%
Hispanic, Latino, Spanish origin 0 0.0%
Answered question 107 81.1% $125,000 to $149,999 15 14.4%
From multiple races 3 2.9%

$150,000 to $174,999 9 8.7%
Prefer not to answer 6 5.7%
$175,000 to $199,999 7 6.7%
Some other race 1 1.0%
$200,000 and up 3 2.9%
Skipped 27 20.5%
Prefer not to answer 21 20.2%
Skipped 28 21.2%

Figure45.Gender Figure47.Howwouldyourateyourcurrenthealthstatus?
Other Poor
0% 1% Fair
5%
Excellent
Good 27%
23%
Male
Female 49%
51%
Verygood
44%

Figure46.Age Figure48.Whatisthehighestlevelofschoolyouhavecompletedorthehighestdegree
youhavereceived?
17or 1820 2129
younger 0% 5% Prefernot Highschool
1% toanswer Lessthan degreeor
1% highschool equivalent
degree Some
college (e.g.,GED)
1% 2%
60orolder 3039 butno
degree Associate
33% 27%
12% degree
Graduate 4%
degree
48%
Bachelor
degree
4049 32%
5059 14%
20%
Figure49.Howmuchtotalcombinedmoneydidallmembersofyourhouseholdearnlast Figure51.Race
year?
Frommultiple Someother
$0to$9,999 $10,000to $25,000 races race
0% $24,999 to 3% Prefernot (please
2% $49,999 toanswer specify)
$200,000and 7% 6% 1%
Prefernotto
up answer
3% $50,000to
20%
$74,999
14%
$175,000to
$75,000to
$199,999
$99,999
7%
$150,000to 11%
$174,999
9% $100,000to
$125,000to $124,999
$149,999 13%
14%

White
Figure50.Whichofthefollowingbestdescribesyouremploymentstatus? 90%
Disabled,not
abletowork
1%
Notemployed,
NOTlooking Retired
forwork 23%

5%

Notemployed, Employed,
lookingfor workingfull
work time
0% 63%
Employed,
workingpart
time
8%

Property Owner Profile

TheCDTCmailedsurveysto550residentialpropertyownerswhosepropertylayadjacenttooneofthe9trailsincludedinthisreport.Sometrails,suchasthe
AlbanyShakerTrail,havenoadjacentresidentialproperties.Otherlongertrails,suchastheMohawkHudsonBikeHikeTrailhavehundredsofadjacent
residentialproperties.CDTCreceived128completedsurveys,forareturnrateof23.3%.Thesurveyincluded18questionsandwasidenticaltothesurvey
issuedin2006.Asummaryofthesurveyresponsesisbelow.
AdjacentResidentialTrailSurveySummary
Whichofthefollowingmostaccuratelydescribeshowyouuse Approximatelyhowlargeisyourproperty?
yourpropertyneartheTrail? Lessthan1/2acre 59 43.1%
Itismyprimaryresidence 132 96.4% Between1/2and1acre 36 26.3%
Irenttoatenant,anddonotoccupythe Between1and3acres 22 16.1%
residence 3acresormore 20 14.6%
0 0.0%
Whatistheapproximatecurrentvalueofyourproperty
Itismysecondhome 1 0.7%
Lessthan$99,999 5 3.8%
Itisunoccupied 2 1.5%
$100,000199,999 41 31.1%
Other 2 1.5%
$200,000299,999 36 27.3%
Whereisthetrailinrelationtoyourpropertyline?
$300,000399,999 19 14.4%
Thetrailrunsthroughmyproperty 3 2.2%
$400,000$499,999 18 13.6%
thetrailrunsalongtheedgeofmyproperty $500,000ormore 13 9.8%
94 69.1%
Howwouldyoudescribethesettingofyourhousenearthe
Thetrailisnearmypropertybutnot
trail?
touchingit 39 28.7%
Urban 20 15.3%
Don'tknow 0 0.0%
Suburban 87 66.4%
Approximatelyhowfar(infeet)istherailtrailfromyour
Rural 24 18.3%
house?
Whendidyouacquireyourhouse?
Lessthan100ft. 64 47.8% Afterthetrailwasbuilt 69 50.7%
100ft.to199ft. 29 21.6% BeforetheTrailwasbuilt 67 49.3%
200ft.to499ft. 28 20.9%
500ft.ormore 13 9.7%

Figure52.Whichofthefollowingmostaccuratelydescribeshowyouuseyourproperty Figure54.Approximatelyhowfar(infeet)isthetrailfromyourhouse?
neartheTrail?
Other Itis 500ft.or

1%
Itismy unoccupied more
secondhome 2% 10%
1%
200ft.to499 Lessthan100
ft. ft.
21% 48%
Itismy
primary
residence
100ft.to199
96%
ft.
21%

Figure53.Whereisthetrailinrelationtoyourpropertyline? Figure55.Approximatelyhowlargeisyourproperty?
Don'tknow Thetrailruns
0% throughmy
property 3acresor
Thetrailis 2% more
nearmy 15%
propertybut
nottouchingit
29% Between1and Lessthan1/2
3acres acre
16% 43%
thetrailruns
alongthe
edgeofmy
preoprty Between1/2
69% and1acre
26%
Figure56.Whatistheapproximatevalueofyourproperty? Figure58.Whendidyouacquireyourhouse?
Lessthan
$99,999
$500,00 4%
0or
more
$400,000 10%
$499,999 $100,000
14% 199,999
31% Beforethe
Trailwasbuilt Afterthetrail
$300,000 49% wasbuilt
399,999 51%
14%
$200,000
299,999
27%

Figure57.Howwouldyoudescribethesettingofyourhousenearthetrail?
Rural Urban
18% 15%
Suburban
67%
Compareyourinitialreactiontotheideaoflivingnearthe
Ilovethetrail.Myonlycomplaintwouldbesomesnow
trailtohowyoufeelaboutlivingnearthetrailtoday.Would
mobilesafter10pmcanbeloud,thoughonlyhappensabout
yousaythatlivingnearthetrailisbetterorworsethanyou
twiceayear.
expectedittobe?
Muchbetter 22 16.2% ATV'sandsnowmobiles,sometimesareproblem.
Better 36 26.5% Inthesnowseason,webotheredbysnowmobileactivity,
Same 59 43.4% sometimesevenat1:00AM.Sometimes,therearemany
Worse 15 11.0% snowmobilestravelinginagroup.Ihavecalledtwiceinthe
Muchworse 4 2.9% past.
Onascaleof1to5,towhatextentdoyoufeelthefollowing Nomoredeer!Lesswildlife.
itemsareproblemsforyourhouseholdasaresultofthetrail
Someyoungpeoplenoiseatnight.Wereonaculdesacbut
anditsusers?
peopleparkwhentheyrenotsupposedto.Somepetsthat
Illegalmotorvehicleuse 2.16 arelooseonthetrailcometothehouse
Litteron/nearmyproperty 2.20
Schoolkidssmoke.Concertgoerswanderinthenight.
Loiteringon/nearmyproperty 1.99
Ihavehaditemsstolenfrommygarageonthreeoccasions.
Trespassingontomyproperty 1.99
Usersharassmypets 1.44 Accesstorailroadrunisalongsideofhousesbehindthe
Vandalismofmyproperty properties.Weenjoyinteractionwithusersofthetrail.
1.53
Carsparkingon/nearmyproperty 1.64 Homelesspeopleusingtrailtoaccesswoodsadjacenttotrail
Petwasteon/nearmyproperty 1.92 (occasionalissue)However,whatoccurs,drinking,swearing
Unleashedandroamingpets 1.82 andconcert.
Discourteous,rudeusers 1.82 Theothersideofthetrailisabuttedbyasmallwoodedarea
Burglaryofmyproperty 1.60 thatattractsnumeroushomelesspeoplethatisbigger
Disruptivenoisefromthetrail 2.15 problembuttheyeasilygettothepropertyfromthetrail.
Other:
Someonestolemybikefromourshed.
Thetrailcutsacrossmydriveway.Therearestopsignsonthe
trailbutIhavehadseveralnewcollisions. Peopleloudlyplayingboomboxesandusingspraypaintto
"tag"therocksalongthetrail,alongwithuseofvehicles,
Snowmobilesareloudandemitlotsofexhaust. makesthisaverynoisyadditiontomypropertyline.People
Snowmobilesandmotorcyclesaredisruptivenoisefromthe refusetoleashtheirdogsandtheycomedownthehillonto
trail. myproperty.
Lovethetrail.Youguyshavedoneagreatjobputtingit
together.
Thetrailisgreat burglaryin2009witharrest,noproblemssince.Snowmobile
ThespreadoftheinvasiveplantJapaneseKnotweedfromthe driversonoccasioninevenings
constructionofthetrailhasbecomeamajorissueonmy
property. Whentheyhaverunnersformarathons,intheearlymorning
SAT/SUNnoisycowbells,peopleyelling,bangingdrums.
Dogwaste.Peoplefeeltheneedtoscreamasjoke. Thereisaparkingandgatheringareanearmybackyard,on
FondRd&Cementplant.
Illegalmotorvehicleusewasaproblembeforethetrailwas
paved. Iliveat246FortferryLatham,somyhouseisabout9pastthe
trail.PeopleParkstretchingoutonFortFerryRdandyou
Teenagersliketofrequentthetrailatnightandsmoke cannotseecrossingtrailusers.Soonerorlattersomeonewill
cigarettes/pot.Notdisruptivejustloitering. behit.Parkingissueshouldbesolved.
Lossofprivacyruiningusefomybackyard.
Noproblemsatall Thereisasmallparkingareaneartheedgeofourproperty.
Thisresultsinconstantoverflowparkingonourproperty,
Thetrailiswellmaintained.Ihaveenjoyedseeingfolks drivingacrossourpropertyanddangeroustoo.
enjoyingthetrail.
Deerinmybackyardmajorproblem. Gun,dronesandsnowmobiles.
Weareveryrelaxedwiththetrailandhavenotexperienced Peopleridingtoodeepontheroadsnotmovingover.The
anydownsides. signssaysharetheroadshowever,thebikerstakeupthe
roads.Huntersusingthisforhuntinggrounds.Thepolicedid
Nicetohavesoclose. getnotifiedofthis.
Teensandyoungadults,occasionallyhavingloudpartieslate
ineveninginwoodsadjacenttothetrail.
Noproblems
someillegalactivities.
Huntersandfishermenarethemajorproblem/trapperstoo
Occasionalsnowmobileroaringupfromthetrailalongthe
edgeofourproperty.Thisisincreasinglydangerous.
Neverhavehadaproblem.
Snowmobiles.
Ihavebeenattackedtwicebypeople'spitbullsoverthepast
18years.Thelastone2yearsagolandedmeintheER.Iwasa
cyclistatthetime.
Figure59.Compareyourinitialreactiontotheideaoflivingnearthetrailtohowyoufeelaboutlivingnearthetrailtoday.Wouldyousaythatlivingnearthetrailisbetterorworsethanyou
expectedittobe?
Muchworse
3%
Worse
11% Muchbetter
16%
Better
27%
Same
43%
Figure60.Onascaleof1to5,towhatextentdoyoufeelthefollowingitemsareproblemsforyourhouseholdasaresultofthetrailanditsusers?
5(Majorproblem) 4 3(Noopinion) 2 1(Notaproblem)

160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
Doyoufeelthetrailposesarisktoyourownoryourfamily's Howdoyoufeelthetrailhasaffectedthequalityofyour
safetyduetotheactivitiesoftrailusers? neighborhood?
Highlyimproved 24 17.8%
Yes 25 18.7%
Improved 45 33.3%
No 97 72.4%
Noimpact 49 36.3%
Noopinion 12 9.0%
Worsened 17 12.6%
Ifyouweretotryandsellyourproperty,doyouthinkbeing
Completelydeteriorated 0 0.0%
nearthetrailwillmakeitharderoreasiertosell?
Doyoufeelthatthedevelopmentandmanagementoftrailis
Mucheasier 7 5.2%
agooduseofpublicfunds?
Easier 46 34.3%
Yes 105 79.5%
Same 63 47.0%
No 14 10.6%
Harder 16 11.9%
Noopinion 13 9.8%
Muchharder 2 1.5%

Howdoyouthinkbeinglocatednearthetrailhasaffectedthe
resalevalueofthisproperty?
Towhatextenddoyoufeelthatthetrailisimportantin
Loweredtheresalevalue 10 7.5% providingthefollowingbenefitstothesurrounding
Increasedtheresalevalue 30 22.6% community?
Noeffectontheresalevalue 50 37.6% Safeopportunitiesforpublicrecreation 4.1
Noopinion 43 32.3% Safeopportunitiesforhealthandfitness 4.3
Overall,howsatisfiedareyouwithhavingthetrailasa Tourism&relatedeconomicbenefits 3.3
neighbor? Waterfrontaccess/revitalization 2.8
Verysatisfied 45 33.1% Openspaceconservation 3.8
Satisfied 42 30.9% Environmentaleducationopportunities 3.4
Indifferent 32 23.5% Transportationalternatives 3.4
Unsatisfied 15 11.0% Locationforspecialevents 3.1
Veryunsatisfied 2 1.5%
Other
Crossingmydrivewayisnotsafe.Manypeoplecutthe
unprotectedrailroadcrossing.
Helpsraisepropertyvalueofhouses.Apersonaloneispretty
isolated,ingroupsgreat.
Iwouldfinditobnoxiousif"specialevents"suchasrunsand Historicinterpretivesignageisimportantforsocialorientation
walkstofundraisestartedusingthebikepathalot.Those andidentifyofplace.TheGlensfallstoLakeGeorgevillagetrail
specialeventspreventdailyusersfromusingthepath. hasexcellentsignage.Mostofthem,MHBdoesnot.

Greatexperience.
Howoftendothemembersofyourhouseholdusethetrail?
Thetraildoestheoppositeofconservationbecauseduetothe
Daily 24 18.3%
largemachineryinvolvedtobuildandmaintainthetrail,there
havebeenrocksideanddeteriorationofwhatoncewasa Frequently 44 33.6%
beautifulplace. Occasionally 26 19.8%
Rarely 22 16.8%
Cannotwaitforthetrailtobefinished. Never 15 11.5%

Needmileagesignageandworkoutstationsfortruefitnesstrail.

Thetrailhasnotbeenusedforyears.Overgrownbrokendown
treesandwildanimalsdeterusage.
Wishthistrailwerethesideofmoreschoolactivities/field
trips.WishwaterfrontMohawkRiverwereusedmoreoftenw/
Kayaks/canoes,etc.Accessforboatingshouldbebefore
maintained.
Becausethestretchoftrailnearourhomearea,notdirect
connectoneitherendtoalongstretchoftraillimitsitsuseas
mainroadwouldhavebeused.
Cohoesallowsdumpingandfillingadjacenttothepathandso
diminishesopportunitiestoinvitetouristsandothers
Justagoodtrailforwalking.
Huntingaccess
SafetyatFortsFerrycrossingverypoorduetoparkinghabitsof
users.Parkingneedstobedirectedtoseweragetreatment
plantentrance.
Figure61.Doyoufeelthetrailposesarisktoyourownoryourfamilyssafetyduetothe Figure63.Howdoyouthinkbeinglocatednearthetrailhasaffectedtheresalevalueof
activitiesoftrailuser? thisproperty?
Loweredthe
No resalevalue
opinion Yes
7%
9% 19%
Noopinion
32% Increasedthe
resalevalue
23%
Noeffecton
theresale
value
No 38%
72%

Figure62.Ifyouweretotryandsellyourproperty,doyouthinkbeingnearthetrailwill Figure64.Overall,howsatisfiedareyouwithhavingthetrailasaneighbor?
makeitharderoreasiertosell?
Very
Muchharder Mucheasier unsatisfied
2% 5% 1% Unsatisfied
Harder 11%
12%
Verysatisfied
33%
Easier Indifferent
34% 24%
Same
47%
Satisfied
31%

Figure65.Howdoyoufeelthetrailhasaffectedthequalityofyourneighborhood? Figure66.Doyoufeelthatthedevelopmentandmanagementoftrailisgooduseofpublic
funds?
Completely
deteriorated
0% Worsened Noopinion
13% 10%
Highly No
improved 11%
18%
Noimpact
36%
Improved
33%
Yes
79%
Page | 59

Figure67.Towhatextenddoyoufeelthatthetrailisimportantinprovidingthefollowingbenefitstothesurroundingcommunity?
Locaionforspecialevents
1(Notimportant
Transportationalternatives
Environmentaleducation
opportunities
2
Openspaceconservation
3(Noopinion)
Waterfrontaccess/revitalization
Toursim&relatedeconomic
4
benefits
Safeopportunitisforhealthand
5(Veryimportant)
fitness

Safeopportunitiesforpublic
recreation
80
60
40
20
160
140
120
100

Figure68.Howoftendothemembersofyourhouseholdusethetrail?
Never
11% Daily
18%
Rarely
17%
Frequently
Occasionally 34%
20%
TrailsideontheMohawkHudsonBikeHikeTraillookingatadjacent ViewofMohawkHudsonBikeHikeTrailfromadjacentresidentialproperty
residentialproperties.
Trail Profiles
Combined trail user and adjacent residential property owner surveys provided an overview, and average of use and opinions about the Capital Region trail
network.Below,eachoftheninetrailsincludedinthisreportareprofiled.CDTCstaffobserveddifferencesinuseandopinionsfromtrailtotrail.Eachprofile
providesabriefdescriptionofthetrailandwhereitislocated,howmanysurveyswerecollected,andsomebasiccharacteristics.
Figure69.AlbanyCountyHelderbergHudsonRailTrailUsersbyZipCode
Albany County HelderbergHudson RailTrail
The Albany County HelderbergHudson RailTrail (ACHHRT) is the newest
Capital Region multiuse trail. It is a 9 mile former Delaware and Hudson
(D&H) rail corridor between the Port of Albany and Voorheesville. The
Regional Trail Perspectives focused on the paved portion of the trail from
thePortofAlbanytoSlingerlands.
Volunteerscollected135surveysattwolocationsalongthetrailand47trail
usersindicatedusingtheACHHRTontheonlinesurvey.Ofthe71surveys
mailed to adjacent residential landowners, 20 were returned. The trail
attracted users from 41 different area codes with the highest number of
usersfromDelmar,Slingerlands,Voorheesville,andAlbany.
TheACHHRTbeginsintheCityofAlbanynearthePortandPortrelatedland
uses which would be characterized as industrial. It then runs through an
isolated,woodedareauntilitentersthesuburbancommunityofDelmarin
the Town of Bethlehem. Through Bethlehem it runs adjacent to both
residential and retail development. When the trail is completed it will
connect to the rural Town of New Scotland and Village of Voorheesville,
runningadjacenttoopenspaceandfarmland.
Basedontrailcountscollectedalongthetrail,theHudsonAvenuetrailhead
hadthe4thhighestvolumeofall22locationssurveyedduringtheSummer
2016.Therewereslightlymoremalesthanfemalescountedonthetrailand
that responded to surveys. Both counts and surveys show more bicyclists
thanothermodesonthetrail.

Trail User Survey Summary

Gender Abouthowmanytimeshaveyouusedthetrailduringthepast
Male 94 54.34% twelvemonths?
Female 77 44.51% Lessthan5days 25 14.45%
Skipped 2 1.16% 510days 34 19.65%
Age 1124days 34 19.65%
Under16 8 4.62% 2549days 41 23.70%
1624 20 11.56% 50100days 25 14.45%
2544 40 23.12% Morethan100days 14 8.09%
4564 73 42.20% Noanswer 0 0.00%
65orover 32 18.50% Aretheresectionsofthetrailthatyouavoidduetopoortrail
Skipped 0 0.00% conditionsorgeneralconcernsabouttrailmaintenance?
Howdidyougettothetrailtoday? Yes 28 16.18%
Drove 47 27.17% No 135 78.03%
Bicycle 67 38.73% Noanswer 10 5.78%
Walk/Run 51 29.48%
Isyourvisittothistrailpartofanovernighttripawayfrom
Other 5 2.89%
home?
Skipped 3 1.73%
Whatactivitydidyouengageinwhileonthetrailtoday? Yes 4 2.31%
No 163 94.22%
Walking 66 38.15%
Noanswer 6 3.47%
Running/Jogging 13 7.51%
Bicycling 100 57.80% Howwouldyourateyourcurrenthealthstatus
InlineSkating 2 1.16% Excellent 63 36.42%
Other 4 2.31% VeryGood 79 45.66%
Whatisyourprimarypurposeforusingthistrail? Good 28 16.18%
Recreation 66 38.15% Fair 1 0.58%
Health/Exercise 133 76.88% Poor 0 0.00%
Commutetoschool/work 14 8.09% Noanswer 2 1.16%

Other 14 8.09%
Figure70.Onascaleof15,towhatextentdoyoufeelthefollowingitemsareproblemsontheAlbanyCountyHelderbergHudsonRailTrail?
1 2 3 4 5
Majorproblem Noopinion Notaproblem
parkingand/oraccess
Directionalsignage
Litter,glass&debris
Trailwidth
Toocrowded
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180
Adjacent Residential Survey Summary

Whichofthefollowingmostaccuratelydescribeshowyouuse
Whatistheapproximatecurrentvalueofyourproperty?
yourpropertyneartheTrail?
Lessthan$99,999 0 0.0%
Itismyprimaryresidence 20 100.0% $100,000199,999 5 25.0%
Irenttoatenant,anddo $200,000299,999 7 35.0%
notoccupytheresidence 0 0.0% $300,000399,999 6 30.0%
Itismysecondhome 0 0.0% $400,000$499,999 0 0.0%
Itisunoccupied 0 0.0% $500,000ormore 0 0.0%
Other 0 0.0% Noanswer 2 10.0%
Whereisthetrailinrelationtoyourpropertyline? Howwouldyoudescribethesettingofyourhousenearthe
trail?
Thetrailrunsthroughmy
property 0 0.0% Urban 1 5.0%
Suburban 18 90.0%
thetrailrunsalongtheedge
Rural 0 0.0%
ofmyproperty 15 75.0%
Noanswer 1 5.0%
Thetrailisnearmyproperty
Whendidyouacquireyourhouse?
butnottouchingit 5 25.0%
Afterthetrailwasbuilt 3 15.0%
Don'tknow 0 0.0%
BeforetheTrailwasbuilt 17 85.0%
Approximatelyhowfar(infeet)istherailtrailfromyourhouse?
Lessthan100ft. 10 50.0% Compareyourinitialreactiontotheideaoflivingnearthetrail
100ft.to199ft. 8 40.0% tohowyoufeelaboutlivingnearthetrailtoday.Wouldyousay
thatlivingnearthetrailisbetterorworsethanyouexpectedit
200ft.to499ft. 1 5.0%
tobe?
500ft.ormore 0 0.0%
Noanswer 1 5.0% Muchbetter 3 15.0%
Approximatelyhowlargeisyourproperty? Better 6 30.0%
Lessthan1/2acre 11 55.0% Same 6 30.0%
Between1/2and1acre 8 40.0% Worse 2 10.0%
Between1and3acres 0 0.0% Muchworse 2 10.0%
3acresormore 1 5.0% Noanswer 1 5.0%

Doyoufeelthetrailposesarisktoyourownoryourfamily's
safetyduetotheactivitiesoftrailusers?
Yes 3 15.0% Howdoyoufeelthetrailhasaffectedthequalityofyour
No 13 65.0% neighborhood?
Noopinion 2 10.0% Highlyimproved 3 15.0%
Noanswer 2 10.0% Improved 9 45.0%
Ifyouweretotryandsellyourproperty,doyouthinkbeing Noimpact 3 15.0%
nearthetrailwillmakeitharderoreasiertosell? Worsened 4 20.0%
Mucheasier 1 5.0% Completelydeteriorated 0 0.0%
Easier 5 25.0% Noanswer 1 5.0%
Same 9 45.0% Doyoufeelyourproximitytothetrailhasimprovedyour
Harder 4 20.0% physicalactivitylevels?
Muchharder 1 5.0% Yes 11 55.0%
Howdoyouthinkbeinglocatednearthetrailhasaffectedthe No 6 30.0%
resalevalueofthisproperty? Notsure 2 10.0%
Loweredtheresalevalue 2 10.0% Noanswer 1 5.0%
Increasedtheresalevalue 3 15.0% Doyoufeelthatthedevelopmentandmanagementoftrailisa
Noeffectontheresale gooduseofpublicfunds?
value 7 35.0% Yes 13 65.0%
Noopinion 7 35.0% No 3 15.0%
Noanswer 1 5.0% Noopinion 3 15.0%
Overall,howsatisfiedareyouwithhavingthetrailasa Noanswer 1 5.0%
neighbor?
Verysatisfied 7 35.0%
Daily 6 30.0%
Satisfied 5 25.0%
Frequently 5 25.0%
Indifferent 4 20.0%
Occasionally 4 20.0%
Unsatisfied 2 10.0%
Rarely 3 15.0%
Never 2 10.0%

Figure71.Towhatextentdoyoufeelthefollowingitemsareproblemsforyourhouseholdasaresultofthetrailanditsusers?
1(Notaproblem) 2 3(Noopinion) 4 5(Majorproblem)

Disruptivenoisefromthetrail
Burglaryofmyproperty
Discourteous,rudeusers
Unleashedandroamingpets
Petwasteon/nearmyproperty
Carsparkingon/nearmy
Vandalismofmyproperty
Usersharassmypets
Trespassingontomyproperty
Loiteringon/nearmyproperty
Litteron/nearmyproperty
Illegalmotorvehicleuse
0 5 10 15 20 25

Figure72.Towhatextentdoyoufeelthatthetrailisimportantinprovidingthefollowingbenefitstothesurroundingcommunity?
1(Notimportant 2 3(Noopinion) 4 5(Veryimportant)
Environmentaleducationopportunities
Toursim&relatedeconomicbenefits
Safeopportunitisforhealthandfitness
Safeopportunitiesforpublicrecreation
0 5 10 15 20 25

Figure73.AlbanyShakerTrailUsersbyZipCode
Albany Shaker Trail
TheAlbanyShakerTrail(AST)islocatedonthewestsideofAlbanyShaker
RoadneartheAlbanyInternationalAirport.Itisjustover1mileinlength,
begins at Heritage Park and the Ann Lee Nature Preserve on Airline Drive
and stretches to Cornell Road at the British American and Airport Park
developments. The trail runs along the eastern edge of the Shaker Ridge
Country Club and there are no residential property uses adjacent to the
trail.
Volunteerscollected6trailuserssurveysonthetrailand12onlinesurvey
respondents reported using the AST. The trail attracted users from 11
different zip codes with the highest number of users from Niskayuna and
CliftonPark.Unlikeothertrails,theASTexperiencespeakusageduringthe
lunch hour because of its proximity to many office buildings and large
employers. The majority of trail users are pedestrians. Trail count data
collected shows more female trail users and trail user survey respondents
weremostlymale.

AlbanyShakerTrailinLatham
Figure74.Onascaleof15,towhatextentdoyoufeelthefollowingitemsareproblemsontheAlbanyShakerTrail?
1 2 3 4 5
Notaproblem Noopinion Majorproblem
parkingand/oraccess
Directionalsignage
Litter,glass&debris
Trailwidth
Toocrowded
0 1 2 3 4 5 6

Gender
Male 5 83.3%
Female 1 16.7% Abouthowmanytimeshaveyouusedthetrailduringthepast
Skipped 0 0.0% twelvemonths?
Age Lessthan5days 1 16.7%
Under16 0 0.0% 510days 1 16.7%
1624 0 0.0% 1124days 0 0.0%
2544 1 16.7% 2549days 0 0.0%
4564 4 66.7% 50100days 1 16.7%
65orover 1 16.7% Morethan100days 3 50.0%
Skipped 0 0.0% Noanswer 0 0.0%
Howdidyougettothetrailtoday? Aretheresectionsofthetrailthatyouavoidduetopoortrail
Drove 2 33.3% conditionsorgeneralconcernsabouttrailmaintenance?
Bicycle 0 0.0% Yes 0 0.0%
Walk/Run 4 66.7% No 6 100.0%
Other 0 0.0% Isyourvisittothistrailpartofanovernighttripawayfrom
Skipped 0 0.0% home?
Walking 5 83.3% No 6 100.0%
Running/Jogging 1 16.7% Howwouldyourateyourcurrenthealthstatus
Bicycling 0 0.0% Excellent 0 0.0%
InlineSkating 0 0.0% VeryGood 2 33.3%
Other 0 0.0% Good 3 50.0%
Whatisyourprimarypurposeforusingthistrail? Fair 0 0.0%
Recreation 2 33.3% Poor 0 0.0%
Health/Exercise 5 83.3% Noanswer 1 16.7%
Commutetoschool/work 0 0.0%
Other 0 0.0%
Figure75.BallstonVeteransTrailUsersbyZipCode
Ballston Veterans Trail
The Ballston Veterans Trail (BVT) is a 3 mile long multiuse path that runs
alongside an active rail line. It begins at Main Street in Ballston Lake
between NYS Route 50 and Schauber Road and stretches north into the
TownofBallstonatOutletRoad.Thereavarietyoflandusesalongthetrail,
fromretailtosuburbanresidentialtofarmlandandopenspace.
Volunteerscollected11trailusersurveysand8onlinesurveyrespondents
reported using the BVT. A total of 40 surveys were mailed to adjacent
residentialpropertyownersand10werereturned.Thetrailattractedusers
from13differentzipcodeswiththehighestnumberofuserscomingfrom
theBurntHillsandBallstonlakeareas.
Trailcountsrecordedmoremalethanfemaletrailusersbutmorefemales
completed the trail user survey on the trail. The count data showed
differentmodesplitsateachendofthetrail.ThetrailheadatOutletRoad
inBallstonhadmorebicyclistsandthetrailheadatMainStreetinBallston
Lake had significantly more pedestrians. The ontrail user survey and
adjacentresidentialpropertyownersurveysummariescanbefoundonthe
nextpages.

BallstonVeteransTrailinBallstonLake
Figure76.Onascaleof15,towhatextentdoyoufeelthefollowingitemsareproblemsontheBallstonVeteransTrail?
1 2 3 4 5
parkingand/oraccess
Lackofservices(restrooms,
etc.)
Directionalsignage
Litter,glass&debris
Trailwidth
Conflictswithothertrail
activities
Toocrowded
0 2 4 6 8 10 12


Gender
Male 5 45.5% Abouthowmanytimeshaveyouusedthetrailduringthepast
Female 6 54.5% twelvemonths?
Skipped 0 0.0%
Lessthan5days 3 27.3%
Age
510days 0 0.0%
Under16 0 0.0%
1124days 2 18.2%
1624 2 18.2%
2549days 2 18.2%
2544 0 0.0%
50100days 1 9.1%
4564 4 36.4%
Morethan100days 3 27.3%
65orover 5 45.5%
Noanswer 0 0.0%
Skipped 0 0.0%
Aretheresectionsofthetrailthatyouavoidduetopoortrail
conditionsorgeneralconcernsabouttrailmaintenance?
Drove 8 72.7%
Yes 0 0.0%
Bicycle 0 0.0%
No 11 100.0%
Walk/Run 3 27.3%
Other 0 0.0%
home?
Skipped 0 0.0%
No 11 100.0%
Walking 5 45.5%
Howwouldyourateyourcurrenthealthstatus
Running/Jogging 4 36.4%
Other 0 0.0% Good 1 9.1%
Poor 0 0.0%
Recreation 4 36.4%

Health/Exercise 10 90.9%
Other 0 0.0%

yourpropertyneartheTrail? Whatistheapproximatecurrentvalueofyourproperty?
Itismyprimaryresidence 9 90.0% Lessthan$99,999 0 0.0%
$100,000199,999 1 10.0%
Irenttoatenant,anddo
Itismysecondhome 0 0.0% $300,000399,999 3 30.0%
Itisunoccupied 0 0.0% $400,000$499,999 1 10.0%
Other 1 10.0% $500,000ormore 0 0.0%
Whereisthetrailinrelationtoyourpropertyline? Noanswer 3 30.0%
Thetrailrunsthroughmy Howwouldyoudescribethesettingofyourhousenearthe
property 0 0.0% trail?
thetrailrunsalongtheedge Urban 0 0.0%
ofmyproperty 6 60.0% Suburban 3 30.0%
Thetrailisnearmyproperty Rural 7 70.0%
butnottouchingit 4 40.0% Whendidyouacquireyourhouse?
Don'tknow 0 0.0% Afterthetrailwasbuilt 2 20.0%
Approximatelyhowfar(infeet)istherailtrailfromyourhouse? BeforetheTrailwasbuilt 8 80.0%
200ft.to499ft. 4 40.0% thatlivingnearthetrailisbetterorworsethanyouexpectedit
tobe?
Approximatelyhowlargeisyourproperty? Muchbetter 0 0.0%
Better 4 40.0%
Lessthan1/2acre 0 0.0%
Same 4 40.0%
Between1/2and1acre 3 30.0%
Worse 2 20.0%
Between1and3acres 5 50.0%
Muchworse 0 0.0%
3acresormore 2 20.0%
Yes 1 10.0%
No 9 90.0%
Noopinion 0 0.0%

Doyoufeelyourproximitytothetrailhasimprovedyour
Mucheasier 0 0.0% physicalactivitylevels?
Easier 2 20.0% Yes 5 50.0%
Same 8 80.0% No 3 30.0%
Harder 0 0.0% Notsure 1 10.0%
Muchharder 0 0.0% Noanswer 1 10.0%
Howdoyouthinkbeinglocatednearthetrailhasaffectedthe Doyoufeelthatthedevelopmentandmanagementoftrailisa
resalevalueofthisproperty? gooduseofpublicfunds?
Loweredtheresalevalue 0 0.0% Yes 7 70.0%
Increasedtheresalevalue 2 20.0% No 0 0.0%
Noeffectontheresale Noopinion 2 20.0%
value 3 30.0% Noanswer 1 10.0%
Noopinion 5 50.0% Howoftendothemembersofyourhouseholdusethetrail?
Overall,howsatisfiedareyouwithhavingthetrailasa Daily 0 0.0%
neighbor? Frequently 2 20.0%
Verysatisfied 2 20.0% Occasionally 3 30.0%
Satisfied 4 40.0% Rarely 2 20.0%
Indifferent 3 30.0% Never 1 10.0%
Unsatisfied 1 10.0% Noanswer 2 20.0%
Howdoyoufeelthetrailhasaffectedthequalityofyour
neighborhood?
Improved 5 50.0%
Noimpact 2 20.0%
Worsened 1 10.0%
Delaware Avenue Trail Figure77.DelawareAvenueTrailUsersbyZipCode

TheDelawareAvenueTrail(DAT)isaformerDelawareandHudsonrailroad
corridorconvertedtoa2milemultiusetrailandopenedin2013.Thetrail
is also sometimes referred to as the Black Bridge Trail. It connects the
communities of Waterford, Cohoes, and Green Island providing access to
the Waterford Harbor Visitor Center, Champlain Canal Bike Trail and
Peebles Island State Park. It also provides a connection to the onroad
portionsoftheMohawkHudsonBikeHikeTrail.
Volunteers collected 11 ontrail surveys and 14 online survey respondents

reported using the DAT. Of the 4 surveys mailed to adjacent residential
property owners, 3 were returned. The trail attracted users from 10
different zip codes with the highest number of users being from Cohoes,
Waterford,Troy,andAlbany.
Bothtrailcountsandsurveysreportedmoremaletrailusers.Thetrailalso
attracts more pedestrian than bicyclists. The trail user and adjacent
residentialpropertyownersurveyaresummarizedonthenextpages.

BlackBridgeontheDelawareAvenueTrailinCohoes

Figure78.Onascaleof15,towhatextentdoyoufeelthefollowingitemsareproblemsontheDelawareAvenueTrail?
1 2 3 4 5
parkingand/oraccess
Directionalsignage
Litter,glass&debris
Trailwidth
Toocrowded
0 2 4 6 8 10 12


Skipped 0 0.0% 510days 0 0.0%
Age 1124days 0 0.0%
Under16 0 0.0% 2549days 0 0.0%
1624 0 0.0% 50100days 1 9.1%
2544 3 27.3% Morethan100days 10 90.9%
4564 4 36.4% Noanswer 0 0.0%
Skipped 1 9.1% conditionsorgeneralconcernsabouttrailmaintenance?
Yes 0 0.0%
Drove 0 0.0%
No 10 90.9%
Bicycle 2 18.2%
Noanswer 1 9.1%
Walk/Run 9 81.8% Isyourvisittothistrailpartofanovernighttripawayfrom
Other 0 0.0% home?
Skipped 0 0.0% Yes 0 0.0%
Whatactivitydidyouengageinwhileonthetrailtoday? No 9 81.8%
Walking 8 72.7% Noanswer 2 18.2%
Running/Jogging 2 18.2% Howwouldyourateyourcurrenthealthstatus
Other 1 9.1% Good 2 18.2%
Recreation 4 36.4% Poor 0 0.0%
Health/Exercise 10 90.9% Noanswer 1 9.1%
Other 0 0.0%

Whichofthefollowingmostaccuratelydescribeshowyouuse Whatistheapproximatecurrentvalueofyourproperty?
yourpropertyneartheTrail? Lessthan$99,999 0 0.0%
$200,000299,999 1 33.3%
Irenttoatenant,anddo
Itismysecondhome 0 0.0% $400,000$499,999 0 0.0%
Itisunoccupied 0 0.0% $500,000ormore 0 0.0%
Other 1 33.3%
trail?
Urban 1 33.3%
Thetrailrunsthroughmy
property 0 0.0% Suburban 1 33.3%
thetrailrunsalongtheedge Rural 1 33.3%
ofmyproperty 1 33.3% Whendidyouacquireyourhouse?
Thetrailisnearmyproperty Afterthetrailwasbuilt 0 0.0%
butnottouchingit 2 66.7% BeforetheTrailwasbuilt 3 100.0%
Don'tknow 0 0.0%
Compareyourinitialreactiontotheideaoflivingnearthetrail
tohowyoufeelaboutlivingnearthetrailtoday.Wouldyousay
Lessthan100ft. 2 66.7% thatlivingnearthetrailisbetterorworsethanyouexpectedit
100ft.to199ft. 0 0.0% tobe?
200ft.to499ft. 0 0.0%
Muchbetter 0 0.0%
Better 0 0.0%
Approximatelyhowlargeisyourproperty?
Same 2 66.7%
Worse 1 33.3%
Muchworse 0 0.0%
3acresormore 0 0.0%
Yes 0 0.0%
No 2 66.7%
Noopinion 1 33.3%

Mucheasier 0 0.0% physicalactivitylevels?
Easier 1 33.3% Yes 1 33.3%
Same 1 33.3% No 1 33.3%
Harder 1 33.3% Notsure 1 33.3%
Muchharder 0 0.0% Doyoufeelthatthedevelopmentandmanagementoftrailisa
Howdoyouthinkbeinglocatednearthetrailhasaffectedthe gooduseofpublicfunds?
resalevalueofthisproperty? Yes 2 66.7%
Loweredtheresalevalue 0 0.0% No 0 0.0%
Increasedtheresalevalue 1 33.3% Noopinion 1 33.3%
Noeffectontheresale Howoftendothemembersofyourhouseholdusethetrail?
value 1 33.3%
Daily 0 0.0%
Noopinion 1 33.3%
Frequently 1 33.3%
Overall,howsatisfiedareyouwithhavingthetrailasa Occasionally 0 0.0%
neighbor?
Rarely 0 0.0%
Verysatisfied 1 33.3% Never 1 33.3%
Satisfied 1 33.3% Noanswer 1 33.3%
Indifferent 0 0.0%
Unsatisfied 1 33.3%
neighborhood?
Improved 1 33.3%
Noimpact 1 33.3%
Worsened 0 0.0%

Carsparkingon/nearmyproperty
Usersharassmypets
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5


0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5

MohawkHudson BikeHike Trail Figure81.MHBHTUsersbyZipCode

The MohawkHudson BikeHike Trail (MHBHT) is the longest continuous
multiuse trail in the Capital Region, stretching from the City of Albany
through the Town of Rotterdam. It is part of the 360mile Erie Canalway
TrailthatendsinBuffalo,NY.Thereare35milesofoffroadtrailwithinthe
CDTC area, which continues to grow and expand as new trails and
infrastructureconnecttoit.Therearealsoasignificantnumberofsigned,
onroadmilesthatconnectgapsalongthetrail.
Volunteers collected 135 surveys at locations along the trail and 99 trail
usersindicatedusingtheMHBHTontheonlinesurvey.Ofthe269surveys
mailedtoadjacentresidentiallandowners,56werereturned.
The MHBHT is adjacent to almost every type of land use in the Capital
Region and connects urban as well as suburban and rural neighborhoods
and towns. There are several parks along the trail that also serve as
trailheads. Annual use is highest at three locations along the trail Lions
Park in Niskayuna, the Barge Restaurant at the Corning Riverfront Park in
AlbanyandtheBoatLaunchattheCorningRiverfrontParkinAlbany.
Bothtrailcountandsurveydatashowacloseto50/50splitofbicyclistsand
walkers/joggersonthetrail.Thesurveysalsoshowapproximatelythesame
gendersplit,withmoremalesthanfemalesusingthetrail.
Trail use increased at all count locations since 2006. The MHBHT attracts
trail users from 45 different zip codes, with use extending throughout the
regionandbeyond.Basedonsurveydata,thetrailattractedthemostusers
from Delmar, Albany, Niskayuna, Troy and Saratoga Springs. The MHBHT
alsohadthehighestnumberofovernightrailusersurveyrespondents,likely
capturingvisitorstravelingtheErieCanalwayTrailfromAlbanytoBuffaloor
portionsinbetween.
Figure82.Onascaleof15,towhatextentdoyoufeelthefollowingitemsareproblemsontheMHBHT?
1 2 3 4 5
parkingand/oraccess
Directionalsignage
Litter,glass&debris
Trailwidth
Toocrowded
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140

Trail User Survey Summary Abouthowmanytimeshaveyouusedthetrailduringthepast

Gender twelvemonths?
Male 76 56.3% Lessthan5days 46 34.1%
Female 56 41.5% 510days 18 13.3%
Skipped 3 2.2% 1124days 22 16.3%
Age 2549days 17 12.6%
Under16 2 1.5% 50100days 15 11.1%
1624 10 7.4% Morethan100days 16 11.9%
2544 36 26.7% Noanswer 1 0.7%
4564 49 36.3% Aretheresectionsofthetrailthatyouavoidduetopoortrail
65orover 36 26.7% conditionsorgeneralconcernsabouttrailmaintenance?
Howdidyougettothetrailtoday? Yes 25 18.5%
Drove 80 59.3% No 95 70.4%
Bicycle 40 29.6% Noanswer 15 11.1%
Walk/Run 13 9.6% Isyourvisittothistrailpartofanovernighttripawayfrom
Other 2 1.5% home?
Walking 51 34.5% No 113 83.7%
Running/Jogging 13 8.8% Noanswer 8 5.9%
Bicycling 77 52.0%
Howwouldyourateyourcurrenthealthstatus
InlineSkating 3 2.0%
Other 4 2.7% Excellent 39 28.9%
Whatisyourprimarypurposeforusingthistrail? VeryGood 62 45.9%
Recreation 66 36.7% Good 20 14.8%
Health/Exercise 98 54.4% Fair 6 4.4%
Commutetoschool/work 8 4.4% Poor 2 1.5%

Adjacent Residential Survey Summary Whatistheapproximatecurrentvalueofyourproperty?

Whichofthefollowingmostaccuratelydescribeshowyouuse Lessthan$99,999 1 1.8%
yourpropertyneartheTrail? $100,000199,999 19 33.9%
notoccupytheresidence 0 0.0% $400,000$499,999 6 10.7%
Itismysecondhome 1 1.8% $500,000ormore 0 0.0%
Itisunoccupied 1 1.8% Noanswer 1 1.8%
Other 0 0.0% Howwouldyoudescribethesettingofyourhousenearthe
Noanswer 1 1.8% trail?
Whereisthetrailinrelationtoyourpropertyline? Urban 8 14.3%
Suburban 37 66.1%
Thetrailrunsthroughmy Rural 7 12.5%
property 2 3.6%
Noanswer 1 1.8%
thetrailrunsalongtheedge Whendidyouacquireyourhouse?
ofmyproperty 36 64.3% Afterthetrailwasbuilt 38 67.9%
Thetrailisnearmyproperty BeforetheTrailwasbuilt 17 30.4%
butnottouchingit 17 30.4% Noanswer 1 1.8%
Don'tknow 0 0.0%
Compareyourinitialreactiontotheideaoflivingnearthetrail
Noanswer 1 1.8%
tohowyoufeelaboutlivingnearthetrailtoday.Wouldyousay
thatlivingnearthetrailisbetterorworsethanyouexpectedit
Lessthan100ft. 28 50.0% tobe?
100ft.to199ft. 9 16.1%
Muchbetter 8 14.3%
200ft.to499ft. 13 23.2%
Better 15 26.8%
500ft.ormore 5 8.9%
Same 28 50.0%
Noanswer 1 1.8%
Worse 4 7.1%
Approximatelyhowlargeisyourproperty?
Muchworse 1 1.8%
3acresormore 7 12.5%
Noanswer 1 1.8%
Yes 12 21.4% neighborhood?
No 39 69.6% Highlyimproved 8 14.3%
Noopinion 4 7.1% Improved 12 21.4%
Noanswer 1 1.8% Noimpact 28 50.0%
Ifyouweretotryandsellyourproperty,doyouthinkbeing Worsened 7 12.5%
nearthetrailwillmakeitharderoreasiertosell? Completelydeteriorated 0 0.0%
Mucheasier 3 5.4% Noanswer 1 1.8%
Easier 20 35.7% Doyoufeelyourproximitytothetrailhasimprovedyour
Same 26 46.4% physicalactivitylevels?
Harder 4 7.1% Yes 30 53.6%
Muchharder 1 1.8% No 19 33.9%
Noanswer 2 3.6% Notsure 5 8.9%
Howdoyouthinkbeinglocatednearthetrailhasaffectedthe Noanswer 2 3.6%
resalevalueofthisproperty? Doyoufeelthatthedevelopmentandmanagementoftrailisa
Loweredtheresalevalue 4 7.1% gooduseofpublicfunds?
Increasedtheresalevalue 9 16.1% Yes 47 83.9%
Noeffectontheresale No 5 8.9%
value 24 42.9% Noopinion 3 5.4%
Noopinion 17 30.4% Noanswer 1 1.8%
Noanswer 2 3.6% Howoftendothemembersofyourhouseholdusethetrail?
Overall,howsatisfiedareyouwithhavingthetrailasa
Daily 9 16.1%
neighbor?
Frequently 19 33.9%
Satisfied 18 32.1%
Rarely 9 16.1%
Indifferent 14 25.0%
Never 7 12.5%
Unsatisfied 6 10.7%
Noanswer 2 3.6%
Noanswer 1 1.8%

Usersharassmypets
0 10 20 30 40 50 60

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Figure85.RailroadRunUsersbyZipCode
Railroad Run
The Railroad Run (RRR) multiuse trail is 1.3 miles long beginning at West
CircularStreetandendingatNYSRoute50acrossfromSaratogaSpaState
Park.ThereareplanstoeventuallyconnectthetrailtotheZimSmithTrail
whichcurrentlyendsinBallstonSpa.ThetrailconnectstheStateParkwith
the West Side neighborhood in Saratoga Springs. It also provides a non
motorizedconnectiontotheSaratogaYMCA.
A total of 47 surveys were collected from trail users on the trail and 15
online survey respondents reported using the trail. A total of 27 surveys
weremailedtoadjacentresidentialpropertyownersand10werereturned.
The trail attracted users from 12 different zip codes with the most users
beingfromSaratogaSpringsandBallstonSpa.
Both trail counts and trail user surveys show more pedestrians than
bicyclists.Trailcountdatashowedslightlymoremaletrailsusersthanbut
trailusersurveysreportedmorefemales.
RailroadRuninSaratogaSprings
Figure86.Onascaleof15,towhatextentdoyoufeelthefollowingitemsareproblemsonRailroadRun?
1 2 3 4 5
parkingand/oraccess
Lackofservices(restrooms,
Directionalsignage
Litter,glass&debris
Trailwidth
Toocrowded
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
Trail User Summary

Gender
Male 19 40.4%
Female 28 59.6% Abouthowmanytimeshaveyouusedthetrailduringthepast
Skipped 0 0.0% twelvemonths?
Age Lessthan5days 4 8.5%
Under16 3 6.4% 510days 8 17.0%
1624 4 8.5% 1124days 9 19.1%
2544 19 40.4% 2549days 7 14.9%
4564 14 29.8% 50100days 10 21.3%
65orover 6 12.8% Morethan100days 9 19.1%
Skipped 1 2.1% Noanswer 0 0.0%
Howdidyougettothetrailtoday? Aretheresectionsofthetrailthatyouavoidduetopoortrail
Drove 3 6.4% conditionsorgeneralconcernsabouttrailmaintenance?
Bicycle 19 40.4% Yes 7 14.9%
Walk/Run 24 51.1% No 37 78.7%
Skipped 1 2.1%
Whatactivitydidyouengageinwhileonthetrailtoday?
home?
Walking 19 40.4%
Running/Jogging 13 27.7% Yes 3 6.4%
Bicycling 22 46.8% No 41 87.2%
InlineSkating 0 0.0% Noanswer 3 6.4%
Other 0 0.0% Howwouldyourateyourcurrenthealthstatus
Whatisyourprimarypurposeforusingthistrail? Excellent 13 27.7%
Recreation 29 61.7% VeryGood 22 46.8%
Health/Exercise 34 72.3% Good 10 21.3%
Commutetoschool/work 2 4.3% Fair 0 0.0%
Other 4 8.5% Poor 0 0.0%
Noanswer 2 4.3%


Itisunoccupied 0 0.0% $400,000$499,999 6 6.0%
Other 0 0.0% $500,000ormore 1 1.0%
Whereisthetrailinrelationtoyourpropertyline? Howwouldyoudescribethesettingofyourhousenearthe
Thetrailrunsthroughmy trail?
thetrailrunsalongtheedge Suburban 3 30.0%
ofmyproperty 10 0.0% Rural 0 0.0%
Thetrailisnearmyproperty Whendidyouacquireyourhouse?
butnottouchingit 0 0.0% Afterthetrailwasbuilt 8 80.0%
Approximatelyhowfar(infeet)istherailtrailfromyourhouse? BeforetheTrailwasbuilt 2 20.0%
500ft.ormore 0 0.0% tobe?
Lessthan1/2acre 10 100.0% Better 3 30.0%
Between1/2and1acre 0 0.0% Same 1 10.0%
Between1and3acres 0 0.0% Worse 2 20.0%
3acresormore 0 0.0% Muchworse 0 0.0%
Yes 3 30.0%
No 6 60.0%
Noopinion 1 10.0%

Mucheasier 1 10.0% Doyoufeelyourproximitytothetrailhasimprovedyour
Easier 5 50.0% physicalactivitylevels?
Same 3 30.0% Yes 8 80.0%
Harder 1 10.0% No 2 20.0%
Muchharder 0 0.0% Notsure 0 0.0%
value 2 20.0% Howoftendothemembersofyourhouseholdusethetrail?
Noopinion 3 30.0% Daily 5 50.0%
Overall,howsatisfiedareyouwithhavingthetrailasa Frequently 5 50.0%
neighbor? Occasionally 0 0.0%
Verysatisfied 4 40.0% Rarely 0 0.0%
Satisfied 4 40.0% Never 0 0.0%
Indifferent 2 20.0%
Unsatisfied 0 0.0%
neighborhood?
Improved 5 50.0%
Noimpact 1 10.0%
Worsened 0 0.0%

Usersharassmypets
0 2 4 6 8 10 12

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Figure89.SpringRunTrailUsebyZipCode
Spring Run Trail
The Spring Run Trail (SRT) stretches just over 1 mile beginning at East
Avenue and ending at the Wilton border on the west side of I87. The
corridor is a former railroad bed converted to a multiuse trail and
completedin2010.ThetrailconnectsareasofnewdevelopmentintheCity
alongExcelsiorAvenuetodowntownSaratogaSprings.
No trail user surveys were collected on the trail and only 4 survey
respondents reported using the SRT in the online trail user survey. There
were 18 adjacent residential property owner surveys mailed and 6 were
returned.Accordingtotrailcountdata,thetrailattractssignificantlymore
pedestriansthanbicyclistsandmorefemalethanmaleusers.
SpringRunTrailinSaratogaSprings
Adjacent Residential Survey Summary Whatistheapproximatecurrentvalueofyourproperty?

Whichofthefollowingmostaccuratelydescribeshowyouuse Lessthan$99,999 0 0.0%
yourpropertyneartheTrail? $100,000199,999 0 0.0%
notoccupytheresidence 0 0.0% $400,000$499,999 2 33.3%
Itismysecondhome 0 0.0% $500,000ormore 2 33.3%
Itisunoccupied 0 0.0% Howwouldyoudescribethesettingofyourhousenearthe
Other 0 0.0% trail?
Whereisthetrailinrelationtoyourpropertyline? Urban 0 0.0%
Thetrailrunsthroughmy Suburban 6 100.0%
property 0 0.0% Rural 0 0.0%
thetrailrunsalongtheedge Whendidyouacquireyourhouse?
ofmyproperty 6 100.0% Afterthetrailwasbuilt 1 16.7%
Thetrailisnearmyproperty BeforetheTrailwasbuilt 5 83.3%
butnottouchingit 0 0.0% Compareyourinitialreactiontotheideaoflivingnearthetrail
Don'tknow 0 0.0% tohowyoufeelaboutlivingnearthetrailtoday.Wouldyousay
Approximatelyhowfar(infeet)istherailtrailfromyourhouse? thatlivingnearthetrailisbetterorworsethanyouexpectedit
tobe?
Lessthan100ft. 2 33.3%
100ft.to199ft. 1 16.7% Muchbetter 1 16.7%
200ft.to499ft. 2 33.3% Better 2 33.3%
500ft.ormore 1 16.7% Same 3 50.0%
Approximatelyhowlargeisyourproperty? Worse 0 0.0%
Lessthan1/2acre 0 0.0% Muchworse 0 0.0%
Between1/2and1acre 2 33.3% Doyoufeelthetrailposesarisktoyourownoryourfamily's
Between1and3acres 3 50.0% safetyduetotheactivitiesoftrailusers?
3acresormore 1 16.7% Yes 1 16.7%
No 5 83.3%
Noopinion 0 0.0%
Ifyouweretotryandsellyourproperty,doyouthinkbeing Howdoyoufeelthetrailhasaffectedthequalityofyour
nearthetrailwillmakeitharderoreasiertosell? neighborhood?
Mucheasier 0 0.0%
Easier 3 50.0%
Improved 4 66.7%
Same 3 50.0%
Noimpact 0 0.0%
Harder 0 0.0%
Worsened 1 16.7%
Muchharder 0 0.0%
Noanswer 0 0.0%
Howdoyouthinkbeinglocatednearthetrailhasaffectedthe physicalactivitylevels?
resalevalueofthisproperty?
Yes 4 66.7%
Loweredtheresalevalue 0 0.0%
No 2 33.3%
Increasedtheresalevalue 3 50.0%
Notsure 0 0.0%
Noeffectontheresale
value 3 50.0% Doyoufeelthatthedevelopmentandmanagementoftrailisa
gooduseofpublicfunds?
Noopinion 0 0.0%
Yes 5 83.3%
neighbor? No 0 0.0%
Noopinion 1 16.7%
Satisfied 2 33.3%
Daily 2 33.3%
Indifferent 1 16.7%
Frequently 2 33.3%
Unsatisfied 0 0.0%
Rarely 0 0.0%
Never 0 0.0%

Uncle Sam Bikeway

The Uncle Sam Bikeway (USB) is a 3.5 mile multiuse path on a former Figure90.UncleSamBikewayTrailUsersbyZipCode
railroad bed running northsouth in the City of Troy. The trail begins at
Middleburgh Street and ends at Northern Drive in Lansingburgh and
connects neighborhoods with parks, schools, and various commercial and
retail establishments. The corridor formerly served the Troy and Boston
Railroad, the Fitchburg Railroad, and lastly the Boston and Maine Railroad
andwasdismantledinthe1970s.TheUSBwasopenedin1981.
NoontrailsurveyswerecompletedontheUSBand18trailusersreported
using the USB. A total of 85 surveys were mailed to adjacent residential
property owners and 16 were returned. Based on the online trail user
survey responses, users came from 10 different zip codes. The zip codes
with the highest number of trail users were Troy, Niskayuna, Albany, and
Delmar.Trailcountdatacollectedshowedmorebicycliststhanpedestrians
intheGardenCourtareaofthetrailbutmorepedestriansthanbicyclistsin
the114Streetareaofthetrailandmoremaleusersatbothlocations.
Whilethetrailfeelsisolateditconnectsurbanneighborhoodsandproperty
uses.Trailuseslightlyincreasedsince2006.

UncleSamBikewayinTroy

Lessthan$99,999 4 25.0%
Itismyprimaryresidence 16 100.0%
$100,000199,999 9 56.3%
notoccupytheresidence 0 0.0%
$300,000399,999 1 6.3%
Itismysecondhome 0 0.0%
$400,000$499,999 0 0.0%
Itisunoccupied 0 0.0%
$500,000ormore 0 0.0%
Other 0 0.0%
Noanswer 1 6.3%
Thetrailrunsthroughmy trail?
thetrailrunsalongtheedge Suburban 10 62.5%
ofmyproperty 7 43.8% Rural 2 12.5%
Thetrailisnearmyproperty Noanswer 1 6.3%
butnottouchingit 8 50.0% Whendidyouacquireyourhouse?
Don'tknow 0 0.0% Afterthetrailwasbuilt 11 68.8%
Noanswer 1 6.3% BeforetheTrailwasbuilt 4 25.0%
Approximatelyhowfar(infeet)istherailtrailfromyourhouse? Noanswer 1 6.3%
500ft.ormore 1 6.3% tobe?
Noanswer 1 6.3% Muchbetter 2 12.5%
Approximatelyhowlargeisyourproperty? Better 3 18.8%
Lessthan1/2acre 10 62.5% Same 9 56.3%
Between1/2and1acre 5 31.3% Worse 2 12.5%
Between1and3acres 1 6.3% Muchworse 0 0.0%
3acresormore 0 0.0%
Doyoufeelthetrailposesarisktoyourownoryourfamily's Howdoyoufeelthetrailhasaffectedthequalityofyour
safetyduetotheactivitiesoftrailusers? neighborhood?
Yes 3 18.8% Highlyimproved 3 18.8%
No 9 56.3% Improved 1 6.3%
Noopinion 3 18.8% Noimpact 8 50.0%
Noanswer 1 6.3% Worsened 3 18.8%
Ifyouweretotryandsellyourproperty,doyouthinkbeing Completelydeteriorated 0 0.0%
nearthetrailwillmakeitharderoreasiertosell? Noanswer 1 6.3%
Mucheasier 1 6.3% Doyoufeelyourproximitytothetrailhasimprovedyour
Easier 4 25.0% physicalactivitylevels?
Same 7 43.8% Yes 6 37.5%
Harder 3 18.8% No 8 50.0%
Muchharder 0 0.0% Notsure 0 0.0%
Noanswer 1 6.3% Noanswer 2 12.5%
value 5 31.3% Noanswer 3 18.8%
Noopinion 4 25.0% Howoftendothemembersofyourhouseholdusethetrail?
Noanswer 2 12.5% Daily 0 0.0%
Overall,howsatisfiedareyouwithhavingthetrailasa Frequently 3 18.8%
neighbor? Occasionally 3 18.8%
Indifferent 5 31.3% Noanswer 2 12.5%
Unsatisfied 3 18.8%
Noanswer 1 6.3%

Usersharassmypets
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16

Zim Smith Trail

TheZimSmithTrail(ZST)isa10milemultiusetrailthatconnectsBallston Figure93.ZimSmithTrailUsersbyZipCode
Spa to Coons Crossing in Halfmoon through the Towns of Ballston, Malta,
and Clifton Park and the Village of Round Lake in Saratoga County. It is
oftenreferredtoasthebackboneofthecountytrailsystem.Itistheonly
trailinNewYorkStatetobedesignatedaNationalRecreationTrailbythe
U.S.DepartmentofInteriorandNationalParkService.Anextensionofthe
trailfromCoonsCrossingintotheCityofMechanicvilleisplannedandwill
beconstructedinthenearfuture.
Volunteerscollected21surveysatlocationsalongthetrailand36trailusers
indicated usingtheZSTontheonline survey.Of the36surveysmailedto
adjacentresidentiallandowners,17werereturned.Thetrailattractedusers
from 23 different zip codes. The highest number of trail users came from
BallstonSpa,Ballston,SaratogaSprings,andTroy.
The ZST runs through predominantly suburban and rural communities of

Saratoga County, connecting multiple parks and natural areas. Similar to
other trails surveyed, there were more bicyclists than other modes and
moremalethanfemaletrailusers.
Trailuseincreasedatbothcountlocationssince2006,butmorethantripled
attheGoldfootRoad/RoundLakeRoadareaofthetrailfrom.
Figure94.Onascaleof15,towhatextentdoyoufeelthefollowingitemsareproblemsontheZimSmithTrail?
1 2 3 4 5
parkingand/oraccess
Directionalsignage
Litter,glass&debris
Trailwidth
Toocrowded
0 5 10 15 20 25


Age 510days 3 14.3%
Under16 1 4.8% 1124days 8 38.1%
1624 1 4.8% 2549days 1 4.8%
2544 5 23.8% 50100days 0 0.0%
4564 10 47.6% Morethan100days 4 19.0%
Howdidyougettothetrailtoday? conditionsorgeneralconcernsabouttrailmaintenance?
Drove 19 90.5%
Yes 1 4.8%
Bicycle 1 4.8%
No 20 95.2%
Walk/Run 1 4.8%
Other 0 0.0%
home?
Yes 1 4.8%
Drove 19 90.5%
No 20 95.2%
Bicycle 1 4.8%
Walk/Run 1 4.8% Howwouldyourateyourcurrenthealthstatus
Other 0 0.0% Excellent 6 28.6%
Whatisyourprimarypurposeforusingthistrail? VeryGood 9 42.9%
Recreation 10 47.6% Good 5 23.8%
Health/Exercise 17 81.0% Fair 0 0.0%
Commutetoschool/work 0 0.0% Poor 0 0.0%
Other 1 4.8%

yourpropertyneartheTrail? Whatistheapproximatecurrentvalueofyourproperty
Itisunoccupied 1 5.9% $400,000$499,999 3 17.6%
Other 0 0.0% $500,000ormore 1 5.9%
Whereisthetrailinrelationtoyourpropertyline? Noanswer 1 5.9%
Thetrailrunsthroughmy Howwouldyoudescribethesettingofyourhousenearthe
property 1 5.9% trail?
thetrailrunsalongtheedge Urban 0 0.0%
ofmyproperty 13 76.5% Suburban 9 52.9%
Thetrailisnearmyproperty Rural 7 41.2%
butnottouchingit 3 17.6% Noanswer 1 5.9%
Don'tknow 0 0.0% Whendidyouacquireyourhouse?
Approximatelyhowfar(infeet)istherailtrailfromyourhouse? Afterthetrailwasbuilt 6 35.3%
Lessthan100ft. 4 23.5% BeforetheTrailwasbuilt 11 64.7%
100ft.to199ft. 7 41.2% Compareyourinitialreactiontotheideaoflivingnearthetrail
500ft.ormore 2 11.8% thatlivingnearthetrailisbetterorworsethanyouexpectedit
Noanswer 1 5.9% tobe?
Lessthan1/2acre 7 41.2% Better 3 17.6%
Between1/2and1acre 1 5.9% Same 6 35.3%
Between1and3acres 0 0.0% Worse 2 11.8%
3acresormore 9 52.9% Muchworse 1 5.9%
Noanswer 1 5.9%

Yes 2 11.8%
neighborhood?
No 14 82.4%
Noopinion 1 5.9%
Improved 8 47.1%
Ifyouweretotryandsellyourproperty,doyouthinkbeing Noimpact 6 35.3%
Worsened 1 5.9%
Mucheasier 1 5.9% Completelydeteriorated 0 0.0%
Easier 6 35.3% Doyoufeelyourproximitytothetrailhasimprovedyour
Same 6 35.3% physicalactivitylevels?
Harder 3 17.6% Yes 9 52.9%
Muchharder 0 0.0% No 7 41.2%
Noanswer 1 5.9% Notsure 1 5.9%
value 6 35.3%
Noopinion 5 29.4%
Daily 2 11.8%
Frequently 7 41.2%
neighbor?
Indifferent 3 17.6%
Unsatisfied 2 11.8%

Usersharassmypets
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18

Figure96Towhatextentdoyoufeelthatthetrailisimportantinprovidingthefollowingbenefitstothesurroundingcommunity?

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18
Trail Maintenance
Unlike road and bridge maintenance, trail maintenance practices and costs are rarely tracked. As part of the Regional Trail Perspectives, CDTC distributed a
comprehensive trail maintenance survey to Capital Region trail owners and maintainers to better understand maintenance issues and costs. The survey
distributedwasborrowedfromtheRailstoTrailsConservancyfroma2015reportonMaintenancePracticesandCostsofRailTrails.RailstoTrailsfoundthat
the perceived maintenance costs of trails were deterring communities from building trails and being leveraged by trail opponents to speak against trail
development.1CDTCusedSurveyMonkeytoconductthesurveyanddistributeditto12trailownersandmaintainers,7completedsurveyswerereturned.
Basedonsurveyresponses,notrailownerormaintainerhasaformaltrainmaintenanceplanbutrelyonstateandlocalfundingtopayfortrailimprovements,
repairs,andregularmaintenance.Mosttrailsaremaintainedbythelocalmunicipality,othersegmentsaremaintainedbystateagenciesorvolunteergroups.
Therewere5differenttrailownershipandmaintenancepartnershipmodelsrepresentedintheresponses.Basedonsurveyresponses,thepredominantcause
ofdamagetomosttrailsiswaterthefreezeandthawcyclesanderosion.Thedatareceivedisinsufficienttomakeanybestpracticerecommendationsbut
providesagoodstartingpointforaregionaldiscussiononthecostsoftrailmaintenanceandhowitcanbeincorporatedintotrailplanningpractices.
Thenextseveralpagesprovideasummaryofthetrailmaintenancesurveyresults.
1
RailstoTrailsConservancy,MaintenancePracticesandCostsofRailTrails,2015,https://www.railstotrails.org/resourcehandler.ashx?id=6336
Trail Maintenance Survey Summary
Whichtrail(s)doyoumaintain?Checkallthatapply: Whatisthepredominantsurroundingenvironmentforthe
portionofthetrailyoumaintain?
MohawkHudsonBikeHikeTrail 3 42.9%
Rural Suburban Urban Mixed
ZimSmithTrail 1 14.3%
MohawkHudson
SpringRunTrail 1 14.3% 0 2 1 0
BikeHikeTrail
RailroadRun 1 14.3%
ZimSmithTrail 0 1 0 0
UncleSamBikeway 0 0.0%
SpringRunTrail 0 0 1 0
AlbanyCountyHelderbergRailTrail 0 0.0%
RailroadRun 0 0 1 0
AlbanyShakerTrail 0 0.0%
UncleSamBikeway 0 0 0 0
BallstonVeteransTrail 1 14.3%
AlbanyCounty
DelawareAvenueTrail/BlackBridge 2 28.6% 0 0 0 0
HelderbergRailTrail
OwnershipModels
Ownership Maintenance AlbanyShakerTrail 0 0 0 0
Utility Town/City/Village BallstonVeterans
0 0 0 1
State State Trail
County County DelawareAvenue
1 1 0 0
Town/City/Village Town/City/Village Trail/BlackBridge
State Town/City/Village Whatarethepermittedusesonyourtrail(s)?Checkallthat
Pleaseindicatethemileageofthetrail(s)youmaintain: apply:
MohawkHudsonBikeHikeTrail 11.2 Walking 7 100.0%
ZimSmithTrail 9 Cycling 7 100.0%
SpringRunTrail 1.1 ATV 0 0.0%
RailroadRun 1.3 CrossCountrySkiing 5 71.4%
UncleSamBikeway Fishing 2 28.6%
AlbanyCountyHelderbergRailTrail HorsebackRiding 2 28.6%
AlbanyShakerTrail InlineSkating 4 57.1%
BallstonVeteransTrail 4 MountainBiking 4 57.1%
DelawareAvenueTrail/BlackBridge 2 Snowmobile 1 14.3%
WheelchairAccess 5 71.4%
Other(pleasespecify) 1 14.3%
Onageneralbasis,whoPERFORMSmaintenanceofthe Ifknown,pleaseprovidethedollaramountsforthe
trail?Checkallthatapply: followingwithinyourmaintenanceprogram.
TrailGroupVolunteers 2 28.6%
ResponseAverage ResponseTotal
Othervolunteercommunity
groups(pleasespecifyin $ $
"Other"commentfield) 1 14.3% Labor 2,100.00 4,200.00
Individualswithmandatory $ $
communityservice 0 0.0% Equipment 5,000.00 10,000.00
Federalgovernment 0 0.0% $ $
Stategovernment 1 14.3% Supplies 500.00 1,000.00
Countygovernment 2 28.6% Isthetrailcoveredbyliabilityinsurance?
Municipalgovernment 4 57.1%
Yes 3 50.0%
Nonprofitentity(paidstaff) 0 0.0%
No 3 50.0%
Whatisyourcoverageamount?
DoyouhaveawrittenTrailMaintenancePlan?
TheCityhasacomprehensiveinsuranceprograminwhichthe
Yes 0 0.0%
trailsarecoveredaspartoftheprogramming.Commercial
No 7 100.0%
GeneralLiabilityLimitsare$1Millionperoccurrencewitha
WhoFUNDSmaintenanceofthetrail?
$3Millionaggregate.Additionally,thecitymaintainsa
Federalgovernment 0 0.0%
comprehensiveexcessprogramof$12Million
Countygovernment 2 28.6%
TownisSelfInsured
Nonprofitentity 0 0.0%
3,000,000.00
Stategovernment 1 14.3%
1,000,000.00
Municipalgovernment 4 57.1%
Whatisyourannualcost?
Donations 0 0.0%
N/A
Nomonetarybreakoutforthetrailsw/intheCity's
departmentalpricing
itisbundledintoacountywidepolicy
7500to10,000
Doyoutrackannualusers?
Yes 0 0.0%
No 7 100.0%
Doyoutrack,receiveand/orcollectpolicereportsrelatedto Hasyourtrailbeenrepavedorresurfacedsincetheoriginal
trailactivity(ex.crashes,crime,etc.)? pavingconstruction?
Yes 5 71.4% Yes 3 50.0%
No 2 28.6% No 1 16.7%
Howmanycrasheshavebeenreportedonyourtrailinthe Unsure 2 33.3%
last5years(notincludingatroadintersections)? Atwhatfrequency(years)?
Total 2 Recurring 0 0.0%
Howmanycrasheshavebeenreportedatroadintersections 35 0 0.0%
onyourtrailinthelast5years? 610 1 33.3%
Total 1 10ormore 2 66.7%
Howmanycrimeswerereportedonyourtrailinthelast5 Hasyourtrailbeensealcoatedsincetheoriginalpaving?
years? Yes 1 16.7%
Total 45 No 3 50.0%
Whatarethehoursofoperationofyourtrail? Unsure 2 33.3%
Dawnuntildusk 4 57.1% Atwhatfrequency(years)?
24/7/365 3 42.9% Recurring 0 0.0%
Whatisthewidthofyourtrail(ft.)? 35 0 0.0%
6ft. 1 14.3% 610 1 50.0%
8ft. 4 57.1% 10ormore 1 50.0%
10ft. 1 14.3% Doyouhaveacracksealingprogramforyourtrail?
12ft. 0 0.0% Yes 0 0.0%
Other 1 14.3% No 4 66.7%
Whatsurfacematerialexistsonyourtrail? Unsure 2 33.3%
Asphalt 6 85.7% Atwhatfrequency(years)?
Concrete 0 0.0% Recurring 1 50.0%
Both 0 0.0% 35 0 0.0%
Other(pleasespecify) 1 14.3% 610 0 0.0%
Pleaseindicateanyreusedorrecycledmaterialsusedinthe 10ormore 1 50.0%
surfaceofyourtrail:
None 6 100.0%
Tiresorotherrubber 0 0.0%
Glassphalt 0 0.0%
Whatarethemajorcausesofdamagetoyourasphalt Pleaseindicateanyreusedorrecycledmaterialsusedinthe
surfacedtrail?Checkallthatapply: surfaceofyourtrail:
Water/erosion 2 33.3% None 1 100.0%
Treeroots 1 16.7% Tiresorotherrubber 0 0.0%
Vegetation(grass,weeds) 0 0.0% Glassphalt 0 0.0%
Subsurfacefailure 1 16.7% Other(pleasespecify) 0 0.0%
Freeze/thawcycle 5 83.3% Skipped 6 85.7%
Other(pleasespecify) 0 0.0% Havesectionsofyourtrailbeenrepouredorresurfacedsince
Issnowremovedfromyourtrail? theoriginalpavingconstruction?
Yes 3 50.0% Yes 1 100.0%
No 3 50.0% No 0 0.0%
Howisthesurfaceofyourtrailkeptclearoftrashand Unsure 0 0.0%
debris?Checkallthatapply: Skipped 6 85.7%
Streetsweeper 0 0.0% Atwhatfrequency(years)?
Rotarybrush 0 0.0% Recurring 0 0.0%
Blower 0 0.0% 35 0 0.0%
Manual(broom,rake,etc.) 4 100.0% 610 0 0.0%
Other(pleasespecify) 0 0.0% 10ormore 1 100.0%
Skipped 3 42.9% Skipped 6 85.7%
Doesyourtrailemploypavementmarkings? Howisthesurfaceofyourtrailkeptclearoftrashanddebris?
Yes 1 16.7% Checkallthatapply:
No 5 83.3% Streetsweeper 0 0.0%
Skipped 1 14.3% Rotarybrush 0 0.0%
Doyouindicateacentrallineoftrail? Blower 0 0.0%
Yes,painted 0 0.0% Manual(broom,rake,etc.) 1 100.0%
Yes,thermaltransfer 0 0.0% Other(pleasespecify) 0 0.0%
No 6 100.0% Skipped 6 85.7%
Skipped 1 14.3% Doesyourtrailemploypavementmarkings?
Doyouemployothersafetymarkings? Yes 1 100.0%
Yes,painted 2 33.3% No 0 0.0%
Yes,thermaltransfer 0 0.0% Skipped 6 85.7%
No 4 66.7%
Skipped 1 14.3%
Doyouindicateacentrallineoftrail? Pleaseindicateanyactivitiesthatareperformedrelativeto
Yes,painted 1 100.0% trailsidevegetation.Checkallthatapply:
Yes,thermaltransfer 0 0.0%
Littercleanup 6 85.7%
No 0 0.0%
Treepruning 4 57.1%
Skipped 6 85.7%
Treeandshrubplanting 0 0.0%
Doyouemployothersafetymarkings?
TreeremovalSafety 4 57.1%
Yes,painted 0 0.0%
TreeremovalHealth 2 28.6%
Yes,thermaltransfer 0 0.0%
TreeremovalFallen 6 85.7%
No 1 100.0%
TreeremovalAesthetics(improve
Skipped 6 85.7%
viewshed) 0 0.0%
Doesannualorperennialvegetationgrowalongyourtrail? Mowing 6 85.7%
Yes 7 100.0% Leafremoval 4 57.1%
No 0 0.0% Invasivespeciesremoval 0 0.0%
Doyouuseanyherbicidesorpesticidesinyourtrail Flowerandgroundcoverplanting 1 14.3%
maintenance? Other(pleasespecify) 0 0.0%
Yes 0 0.0% Howisdrainageaccommodated?Checkallthatapply:
No 6 85.7% Trailsurfaceiscrownedorsloped 3 42.9%
Unsure 1 14.3% Trailsidedrainagechannels
Dotreesgrowalongyourtrail? (ditches,gullies) 0 0.0%
Yes 6 85.7% Culverts 2 28.6%
No 1 14.3% Other(pleasespecify) 2 28.6%
Ifplantingnewtrees,whatisthedistancebetweenthe
treesandtheedgeofthetrail(feet)?
8 1 33.3%
10 0 0.0%
12 0 0.0%
20 0 0.0%
Skipped 4 57.1%

Howaredrainageareaskeptclear?Checkallthatapply:
Powerequipment 1 14.3% Whatistheprimarysurfacematerialforyourtrailhead
Manual 5 71.4% parkingarea(s)?
Flushwithwater 0 0.0% Asphalt 3 42.9%
Selfcleaningdesign 1 14.3% Crushedstone 3 42.9%
Other(pleasespecify) 0 0.0% Cinders 0 0.0%
Howmanytrailheadsaretherealongyourtrail? Dirt/Soil 0 0.0%
None 1 14.3% Other(pleasespecify) 1 14.3%
13 2 28.6% Issnowremovedfromyourtrailheadparkinglots?
35 1 14.3% Yes 5 71.4%
510 1 14.3% No 2 28.6%
1015 1 14.3% Asidefromtrailheads,areanyoftheseamenitiesprovided
Other(pleasespecify) 1 14.3% alongyourtrail?Checkallthatapply:
Pleaseindicatethefeaturesofyourtrailheads.Checkall Permanenttoiletfacility 0 0.0%
thatapply: Informationalkiosk 0 0.0%
Parkinglotjustfortrailusers 5 71.4% Potablewater 0 0.0%
Sharedpublicparkinglot 4 57.1% Anyothercommercial
Onstreetparking 3 42.9% concession 0 0.0%
Sharedprivate/commercialparkinglot 1 14.3% Interpretivesignage 1 16.7%
Permanenttoiletfacility 2 28.6% Portabletoiledfacility 0 0.0%
Informationkiosk 2 28.6% Trashreceptacles 3 50.0%
Potablewater 2 28.6% Vendingmachines 0 0.0%
Commercialconcession(s) 1 14.3% Picnictables/benches 1 16.7%
Portabletoiletfacility 2 28.6% Other(pleasespecify) 1 16.7%
Trashreceptacles 4 57.1% Skipped 1 14.3%
Vendingmachines 0 0.0%
Picnictables/benches 4 57.1%
Whattypesofsignsdoyouuse?Checkallthatapply:
Trailidentificationsign 2 28.6%
Milemarker 1 14.3% Policeagencytype:
Trafficcontrolfortrailusers Statepoliceorsheriff 3 50.0%
(stop,yield) 0 0.0% Municipalpolice 3 50.0%
Trafficcontrolforcarsat Parkortrailrangers 0 0.0%
crossings 0 0.0% Other(pleasespecify) 0 0.0%
Trailrulesandregulations 0 0.0% Skipped 1 14.3%
Propertyboundarysign(no Isyourtrailpatrolledbyavolunteeroranonpolicegroup
trespassing) 0 0.0% (e.g.neighborhoodwatch)?
Interpretivesigns 0 0.0% Yes 0 0.0%
Wayfindingontrail 0 0.0% No 7 100.0%
Wayfindingofftrail 0 0.0% Doyouhaveanongoingproblemwithanyofthefollowing
Notrailspecificsignage 2 28.6% activitiesonthetrail?Checkallthatapply:
Other(pleasespecify) 2 28.6% Dumping 3 50.0%
Doyouexperiencevandalismofyoursigns? Crimesagainstpersons 0 0.0%
Yes 5 71.4% Afterhoursuse 1 16.7%
No 2 28.6% Trespass 0 0.0%
Pleaseindicateanytechniquesyouusetoseparateusersby Vandalism 0 0.0%
directionoftraveloruse(e.g.pedestrianvs.bicycle).Check Crimesagainstproperty 0 0.0%
allthatapply: Neighborsencroachingontotrail
None 6 85.7% property 1 16.7%
Pavementmarkings 0 0.0% Other(pleasespecify) 1 16.7%
Signs 1 14.3% Skipped 1 14.3%
Physicalseparation 0 0.0% Areyourtrailheadslighted?
Differentsurfacetypes 0 0.0% Yes 3 42.9%
Separatedtreat(bridleor No 4 57.1%
carriagepath) 0 0.0% Duringwhattimes?
Other(pleasespecify) 0 0.0% Duskuntildawn 3 75.0%
Isyourtrailpatrolledbyanyprofessionalpolicing Other(pleasespecify) 1 25.0%
authority? Skipped 3 42.9%
Yes 3 42.9%
No 4 57.1%
Howarethelightscontrolled?Checkallthatapply:
Alwayson 0 0.0%
Manualswitch 0 0.0% Whattypesoffencingdoyouuse?
Clock/timer 1 25.0% Chainlink 3 50.0%
Lightsensor 2 50.0% Splitrail 2 33.3%
Motionsensor 0 0.0% Wovenwire 0 0.0%
Other(pleasespecify) 1 25.0% Stockade 0 0.0%
Skipped 3 42.9% Other(pleasespecify) 1 16.7%
Howarethelightspowered? Skipped 1 14.3%
Municipalpowersupply 1 1.6% Whatistheaverageheightofthefence(feet)?
Solarpanel 0 0.0% 4feet 2 40.0%
Battery 0 0.0% 6feet 1 20.0%
Other(pleasespecify) 2 3.2% 8feet 2 40.0%
Skipped 4 57.1% Skipped 2 28.6%
Doyouhaveemergencycallboxesalongyourtrailor InwhatareashaveyoumadeaccommodationforADA
trailhead? standardsorhandicappedaccessibility?Checkallthat
Yes 0 0.0% apply:
No 6 100.0% Parking 3 42.9%
Skipped 1 14.3% Restrooms 2 28.6%
Howisvehicularaccesstoyourtrailcontrolled?Checkall Picnictables 3 42.9%
thatapply: Visitor'sCenter 1 14.3%
Vehicleaccessisnotcontrolled 1 14.3% Interpretiveareas 0 0.0%
Gates 3 42.9% Gradeoftrail 2 28.6%
Fixedbollards 0 0.0% Gradeofaccesstotrail 3 42.9%
Removablebollards 2 28.6% Trailsurface 2 28.6%
Other(pleasespecify) 1 14.3% Ourtrailhasspecificfeaturesfor
Doyouusefencingalongyourtrail? individualswithsight,hearing,or
Yes 5 71.4% otherimpairments. 0 0.0%
No 2 28.6% Other(pleasespecify) 2 28.6%
Doyouhaveanybridgesonyourtrail?
Yes 5 71.4%
No 2 28.6%

Whattypesofbridgesdoyouhave?Checkallthatapply:
Atwhatfrequency(years)?
Existingrailroadbridge 2 28.6%
Recurring 1 33.3%
PreFabricated 1 14.3%
23 1 33.3%
NewBike/Ped(novehicular
45 0 0.0%
capacity) 2 28.6%
610 0 0.0%
NewBike/Ped(withvehicle
capacity) 1 14.3%
Skipped 4 57.1%
Smallfootbridge(lessthan5ft.
wide) 1 14.3% Doyouhaveanytunnelsorculvertsforuserpassageunder
Other(pleasespecify) 3 42.9% roadsetc.
Yes 2 28.6%
Whatisthedeckmaterialonyourbridges?Checkallthat
No 5 71.4%
apply:
Areyourtunnelslit?
Wood 4 66.7%
Yes 1 16.7%
Syntheticlumber 1 16.7%
No 5 83.3%
Rubber 1 16.7%
Skipped 1 14.3%
Metal 2 33.3%
Howarethelightscontrolled?
Asphalt 2 33.3%
Alwayson 0 0.0%
Concrete 0 0.0%
Manualswitch 0 0.0%
Stone/dirt/cinders 0 0.0%
Clock/timer 1 33.3%
Light/darksensor 1 33.3%
Skipped 1 14.3%
Motionsensor 0 0.0%
Doyouhaverailingsonyourbridge?
Yes 5 83.3%
Skipped 4 57.1%
No 1 16.7%
Howarethelightspowered?
Skipped 1 14.3%
Municipalpowersupply 0 0.0%
Areyourbridgesinspectedonaregularbasisbyacertified Solar 0 0.0%
inspectororprofessionalengineer? Battery 0 0.0%
Yes 2 40.0% Other(pleasespecify) 3 100.0%
No 3 60.0% Skipped 4 57.1%
Skipped 2 28.6%
Doyoupaint/stain/treatbridgestructuresordecks,
tunnel/underpasswalls,etc?
Yes 1 16.7%
No 5 83.3%
Skipped 1 14.3%
Atwhatfrequency(years):
Recurring 2 66.7%
23 0 0.0%
45 0 0.0%
610 0 0.0%
Skipped 4 57.1%
Howareatgradecrossingsofroadscontrolled?Checkall
thatapply:
Stopsignfortrailusers 5 71.4%
Yieldsignfortrailusers 1 14.3%
Trafficsignal 0 0.0%
Ped/bikecrossingsign 2 28.6%
Stopsignforroadusers 1 14.3%
Yieldsignforroadusers 0 0.0%
Pedestriancrossingsignal 2 28.6%
Pavementmarkings(e.g.crosswalk) 3 42.9%
Comments
Mostofourpolicecallsregardingthebikepatharefor
motorizedvehiclescomplaints,abandonedvehiclesattrail
heads,andsuspicioussubjectsonthepathintheearly
morninghours.
Next Steps
ThedatacollectedfortheRegionalTrailPerspectivesisusefulformeasuringchangesanddevelopingbaselineconditionsforCapitalRegiontrails.Itcanalsobe
usedbyprojectsponsorstodevelopfundingrequestsfornewtrails,trailimprovementsandexpansion.BasedonrecommendationsbyPTNYinTrailCounts
Report,CDTCwilldevelopamoreregularandfrequenttrailcountprogrammaintainingtheNBPDPmethodologybutexpandingthenumberofobservedcount
periods.CDTCwillalsoincreasetheuseofautomatedcountingtechnologiesasresourcesallow.Thegoalistoimprovedataaccuracyandmoreconfidently
determinepeakusageperiodsandotherusagepatternsthatmaynotbediscoverableoverthecourseofaweeklongcount.Maintainingandimprovingthis
datawillbenefitCDTCsmembers,helppromotethetrailnetwork,andmaketrailconstructionprojectsmoreattractiveforinvestment.
Regularlyconductingtrailusersurveyscanhelpmeasurechangesintrailuseandattitudesandidentifytrends.OnepieceoftheCapitalRegionstrailnarrative
thatisstillmissingistheeconomicimpacts.Someanecdotalspendingdatawascollectedfromtrailusersaspartofthiseffortbutthedataisinsufficientfora
comprehensiveeconomicanalysis.Thereareseveralstudiesthatdemonstratethepositiveeconomicimpactofmultiusetrails.Tworecentstudiesconducted
inNewYorkbyPTNYandCamoinAssociatesreportedincreasesales,jobs,laborincome,andtaxrevenuerelatedtotrails.PTNYs2014reportTheEconomic
Impactof theErieCanalwayTrail,estimated$253Mintotalsales,$28.5Mintotaltaxes andover3,000jobsgeneratedeachyearbythe ErieCanalwayTrail
whichstretchesfromBuffalotoAlbany.2Similarly,CamoinprojectedtheWalkwayOvertheHudsonwouldgenerate$21millioninnewsales,$7.9Minnew
wagesandcreate258newjobswhenitwasbuilt.SincetheWalkwayopenedin2009ithassurpassedexpectations,generatingnearly$24millionineconomic
activity,creating383newjobs,$9.4millioninnewwages,and$779,000innewcountytaxrevenue.3Futurestudiesshouldincludeacomprehensiveeconomic
impactsurveytolocalbusinessesincloseproximitytoamultiusetrail.
The2006RegionalTrailPerspectiveswasusedtodeveloptheTechValleyTrails:AGreenwaysConceptPlanfortheCapitalRegion.Thisplanisavisionforthe
CapitalRegionstrailsystem.Theplanshowsapotentialregionalnetworkofgreenwaysandtrailsbasedonpreviousstudies,availablerightofway,andvital
connections. It was framed around CDTCs Big Idea Initiatives in New Visions 2030. Since the plan was released in 2007CDTC has updated its long range
transportation plan, New Visions 2040, and both political and economic conditions have changed. Communities have aggressively pursued funding for
expandingexistingtrailsbuildingconnectionstoneighborhoods,closinggapsandconstructingnewtrails.In2017GovernorAndrewCuomoannouncedfunding
fortheEmpireStateTrail,a750miletrailfromNewYorkCitytoCanadaandfromAlbanytoBuffalo,anticipatedtobecompletedby2020.CDTCwillrevisit
TechValleyTrailsanddevelopanupdatedregionalgreenwaysandtrailplanthatidentifiesgapsbetweentheexistingtrailsystem,plannedtrailprojects,and
majoractivityandemploymentcenters.TheEmpireStateTrailcreatesanorthsouthandeastwestspinebutdoesnotconnectallcommunities,whichisCDTCs
goal.Theupdatetothegreenwayplanwillbeginin2017.
2
Parks&TrailsNewYork,TheEconomicImpactoftheErieCanalwayTrail,2014www.ptny.org
3
CamoinAssociates,WalkwayOvertheHudson:Economic&FiscalImpact,2008&2011,https://walkway.org/impact
APPENDIXA
TrailCountReport
|
|
|
|
|
1
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00
|
|
|
Northbound Southbound
Northbound Southbound
|
|
Name: _________________________________________ Location: _____________________________________
Date: _______________________ Start Time: ______________________ End Time: ________________________
Weather: ______________________
Please fill in your name, count location, date, time period, and weather conditions (fair, rainy, very cold). Count all
bicyclists and pedestrians crossing your screen line under the appropriate categories.
Count for two hours in 15 minute increments.
Count the number of people on the bicycle, not the number of bicycles.
Pedestrians include people in wheelchairs or others using assistive devices, children in strollers, etc.
People using equipment such as skateboards or rollerblades should be included in the Other category.
Contact Greg Francese at (O) 518-434-1583 or (C) 518-248-2116 with any questions or issues.
Bicycles Pedestrians Others

Female Male Female Male Indicate Type
00:15
15:30
30:45
451:00
1:001:15
1:151:30
1:301:45
1:452:00
Total
Return completed forms by September 30, 2016 to
Greg Francese, Parks & Trails New York, 29 Elk St., Albany, NY 12207
|
|
Capital District Trail Counts | Observational Count Schedule
Sat, Sep 10 Tue, Sep 13 Wed, Sep 14 Thu, Sep 15 Sat, Sep 17 Tue, Sep 20 Wed, Sep 21 Thu, Sep 22 Fri, Sep 24
Excelsior Excelsior Shenantaha
Spring Ave Spring Ave East Ave Outlet Rd East Ave Creek Park Kiwanis Pk 114 St 114 St
Corning
Preserve
Saratoga Saratoga Admiral's Barge SCCC
YMCA YMCA Walk Garden Ct Outlet Rd Restaurant 4 St Parking Lot Kiwanis Pk
Corning
Main St / Rte Main St / Rte Preserve Shenantaha SCCC
146A 146A S Pearl St Quay St Creek Park Lions Pk Parking Lot
Shaker Ridge Hudson Colonie
Curry Ave Curry Ave CC Ave Town Pk Lions Pk
Admiral's
Walk Hudson Ave Nott St S Pearl St
Corning
Preserve Colonie
Garden Ct Boat Launch Town Pk
Shaker Ridge
CC 4 St
Corning
Preserve
Barge
Nott St Restaurant
Corning Corning
Preserve Preserve
Boat Launch Quay St
|
|
Location Install date Take down date
Week One - 9.2 - 9.8
Kiwanis Pk, ECT Friday, Sep 2 Friday, Sep 9
SCCC, ECT Thursday, Sep 1 Friday, Sep 9
Nott St, ECT Friday, Sep 2 Friday, Sep 9
Lions Park, ECT Friday, Sep 2 Friday, Sep 9
Colonie Town Park, ECT Friday, Sep 2 Friday, Sep 9
4 St, ECT Thursday, Sep 1 Friday, Sep 9
114 St, Uncle Sam Thursday, Sep 1 Friday, Sep 9
Garden Ct, Uncle Sam Thursday, Sep 1 Friday, Sep 9
Week Two - 9.12 - 9.18

East Ave, Spring Run Monday, Sep 12 Monday, Sep 19
Excelsior Spring Ave, Spring Run Monday, Sep 12 Monday, Sep 19
YMCA, Railroad Run Monday, Sep 12 Monday, Sep 19
Shenantaha Creek Pk, Zim Smith Monday, Sep 12 Tuesday, Sep 20
Goldfoot Rd, Zim Smith Monday, Sep 12 Tuesday, Sep 20
Outlet Rd, Ballston Vets Monday, Sep 12 Tuesday, Sep 20
Main St, Ballston Vets Monday, Sep 12 Tuesday, Sep 20
Admirals Walk, Delaware Ave Trl Monday, Sep 12 Monday, Sep 19
Week Three - 9.20 - 9.26

Shaker CC, Albany Shaker Trl Wednesday, Sep 21 Wednesday, Sep 28
Corning Preserve N, ECT Wednesday, Sep 21 Wednesday, Sep 28
Corning Preserve M, ECT Wednesday, Sep 21 Wednesday, Sep 28
Corning Preserve S, ECT Thursday, Sep 22 Thursday, Sep 29
S Pearl St, ACRT Wednesday, Sep 21 Wednesday, Sep 28
Hudson Ave, ACRT Wednesday, Sep 21 Wednesday, Sep 28
|
|
*
|
|
|

APPENDIXB
OnTrailUserSurvey

RegionalTrailsPerspective
OnSiteTrailUserSurvey
[InsertTrailName]UserSurvey
1. Gender: a.Male b.Female c.Other

2. Age: a.under16 b.1624 c.2544 d.4564 e.65orover

3. Zipcode?_______________

4. Howdidyougettothetrailtoday? a.Droveb.Bicyclec.Walk/Rund.Other:________________

5. Abouthowmuchtimedoyouplantospendonthetrailtoday?___________________________

6. Whatactivitydidyouengageinwhileonthetrailtoday?
a.Walkingb.Running/Joggingc.Bicyclingd.Inlineskatinge.Other:_______________

7. Whatisyourprimarypurposeforusingthistrail?
a. Recreation b.Health/Exercisec.Commutetoschool/workd.Other(e.g.shopping,etc.)

8. Abouthowmanytimeshaveyouusedthetrailduringthepasttwelvemonths?Pleasecheckone:
a. Lessthan5daysb.510daysc.1124daysd.2549dayse.50100daysf.Morethan100days

9. Onascaleof15,towhatextentdoyoufeelthefollowingitemsareproblemsonthe[insertnameoftrail]?
Pleasechoosethenumberthatbestdescribeshowyoufeel:
a. Toocrowded 12 3 4 5
b. Conflictswithothertrailactivities12 3 4 5
c. Behavioroftrailusers 12 3 4 5
d. Trailsurfaceconditions 12 3 4 5
e. Trailwidth 12 3 4 5
f. Petsoffleashes/animalwaste12 3 4 5
g. Litter,glass&debris 12 3 4 5
h. Dangerousroadintersections 12 3 4 5
i. Directionalsignage 12 3 4 5
j. Personalsafety(crime) 12 3 4 5
k. Lackofservices(restrooms,etc.)12 3 4 5
l. Parking&/oraccess 12 3 4 5
m. Other:_____________________________________________________________________________

TURNOVERPLEASE
Date________________

10. Aretheresectionsofthe[insertnameoftrail]thatyouavoidduetopoortrailconditionsorgeneralconcerns
abouttrailmaintenance?Pleasechooseone: a.Yes b.No
Ifyes,pleasetelluswherethesesectionsarelocated:____________________________________________

11. Isyourvisittothistrailpartofanovernighttripawayfromhome?Pleasechooseone: a.Yes b.No

12. Howwouldyourateyourcurrenthealthstatus?Pleasechooseone:
a. Excellent b.VeryGood c.Good d.Fair e.Poor
13. AdditionalComments:
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________

APPENDIXC
OnlineTrailUserSurvey

Trail User Information
The Capital District has over 100 miles of multi-use trails. These facilities bring recreational and
health qualities to the region while also serving as alternative transportation networks. They
connect communities and neighborhoods with commercial centers, parks, and jobs. The Regional
Trails Perspective looks into how the Capital District and local communities have benefited from
multi-use trails. This is an update to the 2006 study that collected trail use data and surveyed both
adjacent property owners and trail users. The survey contains questions about 9 multi-use trails in
the Capital District. To see where these trails are located, and where trail user surveys are being
conducted, visit this map.
1. In what ZIP code is your home located? (enter 5-digit ZIP code; for example, 12205 or 12065)
2. Did you use a Capital Region trail as part of an overnight trip away from home?
Yes
No
1
Trail Tourism
3. Which Capital Region multi-use trail(s) did you visit during your trip? Please choose all that apply:
Mohawk-Hudson Bike-Hike Trail a/k/a Erie Canalway Trail
Zim Smith Trail
Uncle Sam Bikeway
Albany County Helderberg Rail Trail
Railroad Run
Spring Run Trail
Delaware Avenue / Black Bridge Trail
Albany Shaker Trail
Other (please specify)
4. How long was your trip?
Days
Nights
2
5. On a scale of 1-5, to what extent do you feel the following items are problems on the Capital Region
trail(s)? Plase choose the number that best describes how you feel:
1 (not a problem) 2 3 (no opinion) 4 5 (major problem)
Too crowded
Conflicts with other trail

activities
Behavior of trail users
Trail surface conditions
Trail width
Pets off leashes / animal

waste
Litter, glass, & debris
Dangerous road
intersections
Directional signage
Personal safety (crime)
Lack of services (water,

restrooms, etc.)
Parking and/or access
Bike Parking
3
6. If you used a Capital Region multi-use trail as part of an overnight trip away from home, how much did
you spend during your trip on the following:
Motel, hotel, cabin, or
B&B
Camping fees
Restaurants and bars
Groceries and takeout

food and drinks
Vehicle expenses (fuel and

maintenance)
Local transportation
(transit, cabs, etc.)
Admission fees
(amusement parks,
entrance fees to state
parks, etc.)
Used or new bicycle
Bike repairs or
maintenance
Clothing
Sporting goods and gear

related to my trail use
Gambling
Souvenirs and other gifts
Other
4
Which Capital Region trail(s) have you visited?
7. Have you visited the Mohawk-Hudson Bike-Hike Trail (a/k/a Erie Canalway Trail)?
Yes
No
Not sure
5
Mohawk-Hudson Bike-Hike Trail Conditions
8. On a scale of 1-5, to what extent do you feel the following items are problems on the Mohawk-Hudson
Bike-Hike Trail? Please choose the number that best describes how you feel:
Too crowded

activities
Trail width

waste
Dangerous road
intersections
Directional signage

restrooms, etc.)
Bike Parking
9. Are there sections of the Mohawk-Hudson Bike-Hike Trail that you avoid due to deficient trail conditions
or general concerns about trail maintenance? Please choose one:
Yes
No
If yes, please tell us where these sections are located:
6
10. Have you visited the Zim Smith Trail?
Yes
No
Not sure
7
Zim Smith Trail Conditions
11. On a scale of 1-5, to what extent do you feel the following items are problems on the Zim Smith Trail?
Please choose the number that best describes how you feel:
Too crowded

activities
Trail width

waste
Dangerous road
intersections
Directional signage

restrooms, etc.)
Bike Parking
12. Are there sections of the Zim Smith Trail that you avoid due to deficient trail conditions or general
concerns about trail maintenance? Please choose one:
Yes
No
8
13. Have you visited the Uncle Sam Bikeway?
Yes
No
Not sure
9
Uncle Sam Bikeway Conditions
14. On a scale of 1-5, to what extent do you feel the following items are problems on the Uncle Sam
Bikeway? Please choose the number that best describes how you feel:
Too crowded

activities
Trail width

waste
Dangerous road
intersections
Directional signage

restrooms, etc.)
Bike Parking
15. Are there sections of the Uncle Sam Bikeway that you avoid due to deficient trail conditions or general
Yes
No
10
16. Have you visited the Albany County Helderberg Rail Trail?
Yes
No
Not sure
11
Albany County Helderberg Rail Trail Conditions
17. On a scale of 1-5, to what extent do you feel the following items are problems on the Albany County
Helderberg Rail Trail? Please choose the number that best describes how you feel:
Too crowded

activities
Trail width

waste
Dangerous road
intersections
Directional signage

restrooms, etc.)
Bike Parking
18. Are there sections of the Albany County Helderberg Rail Trail that you avoid due to deficient trail
conditions or general concerns about trail maintenance? Please choose one:
Yes
No
12
19. Have you visited Railroad Run?
Yes
No
Not sure
13
Railroad Run Conditions
20. On a scale of 1-5, to what extent do you feel the following items are problems on the Railroad Run?
Too crowded

activities
Trail width

waste
Dangerous road
intersections
Directional signage

restrooms, etc.)
Bike Parking
21. Are there sections of Railroad Run that you avoid due to deficient trail conditions or general concerns
about trail maintenance? Please choose one:
Yes
No
14
22. Have you visited Spring Run Trail?
Yes
No
Not sure
15
Spring Run Trail Conditions
23. On a scale of 1-5, to what extent do you feel the following items are problems on the Spring Run Trail?
Too crowded

activities
Trail width

waste
Dangerous road
intersections
Directional signage

restrooms, etc.)
Bike Parking
24. Are there sections of Spring Run Trail that you avoid due to deficient trail conditions or general
Yes
No
16
25. Have you visited the Ballston Veterans Trail?
Yes
No
Not sure
17
Ballston Veterans Trail Conditions
26. On a scale of 1-5, to what extent do you feel the following items are problems on the Ballston Veterans
Trail? Please choose the number that best describes how you feel:
Too crowded

activities
Trail width

waste
Dangerous road
intersections
Directional signage

restrooms, etc.)
Bike Parking
27. Are there sections of the Ballston Veterans Trail that you avoid due to deficient trail conditions or
general concerns about trail maintenance? Please choose one:
Yes
No
18
28. Have you visited the Deleware Avenue / Black Bridge Trail?
Yes
No
Not sure
19
Delaware Avenue / Black Bridge Trail Conditions
29. On a scale of 1-5, to what extent do you feel the following items are problems on the Delaware Avenue
/ Black Bridge Trail? Please choose the number that best describes how you feel:
Too crowded

activities
Trail width

waste
Dangerous road
intersections
Directional signage

restrooms, etc.)
Bike Parking
30. Are there sections of the Deleware Avenue / Black Bridge Trail that you avoid due to deficient trail
conditions or general concerns about trail maintenance? Please choose one:
Yes
No
20
31. Have you visited the Albany Shaker Trail?
Yes
No
Not sure
21
Albany Shaker Trail Conditions
32. On a scale of 1-5, to what extent do you feel the following items are problems on the Albany
Shaker Trail? Please choose the number that best describes how you feel:
Too crowded

activities
Trail width

waste
Dangerous road
intersections
Directional signage

restrooms, etc.)
Bike Parking
33. Are there sections of the Albany Shaker Trail that you avoid due to deficient trail conditions or general
Yes
No
22
How do you use the trail(s)?
34. Ho do you usually get to the trail? Please choose all that apply:
Drive
Bike
Walk/Run
35. What is your primary purpose for using the trail(s)? Please choose all that apply:
Health / exercise
Commute to school / work
Run errands and visit friends
Visit the library, community center, or other civic spaces
36. About how many times have you used the trail during the past 12 months? Please choose one:
Less than 5 days
5-9 days
10-24 days
25-49 days
50 - 100 days
More than 100 days
37. How much time do you typically spend on the trail per visit?
38. Do you exit the trail from the same place you started?
Yes
No
23
39. How many people do you generally use the trail(s) with? Please choose one of the following:
0, I travel alone
2-3
3-5
5 or more
40. Do you use the trail with any children under the age of 15?
Yes
No
41. Which activity(ies) do you engage in while on the trail? Please choose all that apply:
Bicycling
Running / Jogging
Walking
In-line skating
24
Bicycling Costs
42. What type of bike do you use on the trail(s)? Please choose all that apply:
Road bike
Mountain bike
Cruiser bike
Hybrid bike
Adult trike
Tandem bike
Buggy / Trailer / Child seat
43. Approximately how much do you spend annually on a new or used bike? Please choose one:
Less than $100
$100 - $199
$200 - $499
$500 - $999
$1,000 or more
44. How much do you spend annually on bike maintenance and/or repairs? Please choose one:
Less than $25
$25 - $49
$50 - $99
$100 or more
25
Spending related to trail use
45. How much do you spend annually on footwear, accessories, or other gear related to your trail use,
excluding the cost of your bicycle or bicycle repairs/maintenance. Please choose one:
Less than $50
$50-$99
$100-199
$200-$499
$500 or more
46. While using the trail(s), how much do you spend at the following types of places on or near the trail?
Restaurants and bars
Grocery and takeout food

and drinks
Souvenirs and other gifts
Farmers Markets
Other
26
Quality of life
47. Do you believe trail building and maintenance is a good use of public funds?
Yes
No
No opinion
48. Do you believe multi-use trails have a positive impact on quality of life in the Capital Region?
Yes
No
No opinion
49. On a scale of 1-5, how important are the following to you:
1 (not important) 2 3 (no opinion) 4 5 (very important)
Living or working near a

trail
Being able to walk or

bike to work or school
Access to recreation
Being physically active
Secure bike parking
Benches and/or rest

areas
Places to shop along

trail(s)
Places to eat
(restaurants and cafes)
along trail(s)
Bike shops /
maintenance along
trail(s)
Parking at trailheads
27
50. How did you learn about Capital Region trails?
Local running / cycling club
I live near one
My town / city / village
CDTC trail maps
A friend
Trail organization
Google maps
28
Tell us about yourself
51. Are you male or female?
Male
Female
Other
52. What is your age?
17 or younger
18-20
21-29
30-39
40-49
50-59
60 or older
53. How would you rate your current health status? Please choose one:
Excellent
Very good
Good
Fair
Poor
54. What is the highest level of school you have completed or the highest degree you have received?
Less than high school degree
High school degree or equivalent (e.g., GED)
Some college but no degree
Associate degree
Bachelor degree
Graduate degree
Prefer not to answer
29
55. How much total combined money did all members of your HOUSEHOLD earn last year?
$0 to $9,999
$10,000 to $24,999
$25,000 to $49,999
$50,000 to $74,999
$75,000 to $99,999
$100,000 to $124,999
$125,000 to $149,999
$150,000 to $174,999
$175,000 to $199,999
$200,000 and up
56. Which of the following categories best describes your employment status?
Employed, working full-time
Employed, working part-time
Not employed, looking for work
Not employed, NOT looking for work
Retired
Disabled, not able to work
30
57. Are you White, Black or African-American, American Indian or Alaskan Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian or
other Pacific islander, or some other race?
White
Black or African-American
American Indian or Alaskan Native
Asian
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander
Mexican, Puerto Rican, or other Hispanic, Latino, Spanish origin
From multiple races
Some other race (please specify)
58. Any additional comments:
31

APPENDIXD
AdjacentResidentialPropertyOwnerSurvey

June2016
No.______
2016[InsertNameofTrail]
ADJOININGRESIDENTIALPROPERTYSURVEY
The Capital District Transportation Committee (CDTC) is the designated Metropolitan Planning
Organization (MPO)for theAlbanyRensselaerTroyandSaratogaSpringsmetropolitanareas.CDTCis
responsible for ensuring that any transportation projects utilizing federal transportation funds are the
productofacontinuous,comprehensive,andcooperativeplanningprocess.
In20056,CDTCconductedsurveysoftrailusersandpropertyownersadjacenttothreeoftheRegions
majormultiusetrail.ThosesurveyshelpeddevelopthereportRegionalTrailPerspectives:ASurveyof
CapitalDistrictTrailFacilities.Thatreportcanbefoundatwww.cdtcmpo.org/trails.TheCapitalRegion
hassinceexpandeditsmultiusetrailnetworktoover100milesofmultiusetrails.CDTCissurveying
trailusersandpropertyandbusinessownersadjacenttoninemajortrailsthissummerinaneffortto
updatetheRegionalTrailPerspectivesreport.
Please let us know how living adjacent to a trail affects your property and quality of life. Your
participationinthissurveyisvoluntary;however,yourcooperationisextremelyimportant.Allofyour
responses are confidential and no files containing names and addresses willbe shared. Please return
completedsurveystoCDTCintheenclosedenvelopebyFriday,September 2,2016.Propertyowners
thatreturnthesurveywillbeenteredintoarafflefora$100VisaGiftCard.
TolearnmoreabouttheRegionalTrailPerspectivesprojectpleasevisitwww.cdtcmpo.org/trails.Ifyou
have any questions do not hesitate to contact CDTC at (518) 4582161 or via email at
trails@cdtcmpo.org.
THANKYOU!
Page1of6

June2016
AdjoiningResidentialPropertyOwnerSurvey
1. WhichofthefollowingmostaccuratelydescribeshowyouuseyourpropertyneartheTrail?
Pleasecheckone:
a. Itismyprimaryresidence
b. Irenttoatenant,anddonotoccupytheresidence
c. Itismysecondhome(Ifso,whendoyouresidethere?)
d. Itisunoccupied
e. Other(pleasedescribe):________________________________

2. Whereisthetrailinrelationtoyourpropertyline?
a. Thetrailrunsthroughmyproperty
b. Thetrailrunsalongtheedgeofmyproperty
c. Thetrailisnearmypropertybutnottouchingit
d. Dontknow

3. Approximatelyhowfar(infeet)isthetrailfromyourhouse?
a. Lessthan100ft.
b. 100ft.to199ft.
c. 200ft.to499ft.
d. 500ft.ormore

4. Approximatelyhowlargeisyourproperty?
a. Lessthanacre
b. Betweenand1acre
c. Between1and3acres
d. 3acresormore

5. Whatistheapproximatecurrentvalueofyourproperty?
a. Lessthan$99,999
b. $100,000to$199,9999
c. $200,000to$299,999
d. $300,000to$399,999
e. $400,000to$499,999
f. $500,000ormore
Page2of6

June2016
6. Howwouldyoudescribethesettingofyourhousenearthetrail?Pleasecheckone:
a. Urban
b. Suburban
c. Rural

7. Whendidyouacquireyourhouse?
a. Afterthetrailwasbuilt
b. Beforethetrailwasbuilt

8. Compareyourinitialreactiontotheideaoflivingnearthetrailtohowyoufeelaboutlivinghear
thetrailtoday.Wouldyouthatlivingnearthetrailisbetterorworsethanyouexpectedittobe?
Pleasecirclethenumberthatbestindicateshowyoufee:
a. MuchbetterthanIexpected
b. Better
c. Same
d. Worse
e. MuchworsethanIexpected

9. Onascaleof1to5,towhatextentdoyoufeelthefollowingitemsareproblemsforyour
householdasaresultofthetrailanditsusers?Pleasecirclethenumberthatbestindicateshow
youfeelabouteachitem:
a. Illegalmotorvehicleuse 1 2 3 4 5
b. Litteron/nearmyproperty 1 2 3 4 5
c. Loiteringon/nearmyproperty 1 2 3 4 5
d. Trespassingontomyproperty 1 2 3 4 5
e. Usersharassmypets 1 2 3 4 5
f. Vandalismofmyproperty 1 2 3 4 5
g. Carsparkingon/nearmyproperty 1 2 3 4 5
h. Petwasteon/nearmyproperty 1 2 3 4 5
i. Unleashedandroamingpets 1 2 3 4 5
j. Discourteous,rudeusers 1 2 3 4 5
k. Burglaryofmyproperty 1 2 3 4 5
l. Disruptivenoisefromthetrail 1 2 3 4 5
m. Other(pleasespecify):
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

Page3of6

June2016
10. Doyoufeelthetrailposesarisktoyourownoryourfamilyssafetyduetotheactivitiesoftrail
users?Pleasecheckone:
a. Yes
b. No
c. Noopinion

11. Ifyouweretotryandsellyourproperty,doyouthinkbeingnearthetrailwillmakeitharderor
easiertosell?Pleasecheckone:
a. Mucheasiertosell
b. Easier
c. Same
d. Harder
e. Muchhardtosell

12. Howdoyouthinkbeinglocatednearthetrailhasaffectedtheresalevalueofthisproperty?
a. Thetrailhasloweredtheresalevalueofthisproperty
b. Thetrailhasincreasedtheresalevalueofthisproperty
c. Thetrailhashadnoeffectontheresalevalueofthisproperty
d. Noopinion

13. Overall,howsatisfiedareyouwithhavingthetrailasaneighbor?Pleasechooseone:
a. Verysatisfied
b. Satisfied
c. Indifferent
d. Unsatisfied
e. Verysatisfied

14. Howdoyoufeelthetrailhasaffectedthequalityofyourneighborhood?Pleasechooseone:
a. Highlyimprovedthequalityofmyneighborhood
b. Improvedthequalityofmyneighborhood
c. Hashadnoimpactonthequalityofmyneighborhood
d. Worsenedthequalityofmyneighborhood
e. Thequalityofmyneighborhoodhascompletelydeteriorated
Page4of6

June2016
15. Doyoufeelyourproximitytothetrailhasimprovedyourphysicalactivitylevels?Pleasechoose
one:
a. Yes
b. No
c. Notsure

16. Doyoufeelthatthedevelopmentandmanagementoftrailisagooduseofpublicfunds?
Pleasechooseone:
a. Yes
b. No
c. Noopinion

17. Towhatextentdoyoufeelthatthetrailisimportantinprovidingthefollowingbenefitstothe
surroundingcommunity?Pleasecirclethenumberthatbestindicateshowyoufeelabouteach
item:
Notimportant Noopinion Veryimportant
a. Safeopportunitiesforpublicrecreation 1234 5
b. Safeopportunitiesforhealthandfitness 1234 5
c. Tourism&relatedeconomicbenefits 1234 5
d. Waterfrontaccess/revitalization 1234 5
e. Openspaceconservation 1234 5
f. Environmentaleducationopportunities 1234 5
g. Transportationalternatives 1234 5
h. Locationforspecialevents 1234 5
i. Other(pleasespecify):
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

18. Howoftendothemembersofyourhouseholdusethetrail?Pleasechooseone:
a. Daily
b. Frequently(12timesperweek)
c. Occasionally(12timespermonth)
d. Rarely(12timesperyear)
e. Never

19. Pleaseusethefollowingpageforanyadditionalcommentsyoumighthaveaboutthetrailorits
management.
Page5of6

June2016
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
THANKYOUFORYOURCOOPERATION!
Pleasesendusyourcompletedsurveyinthestamped,addressedenvelopeprovided.
Page6of6

APPENDIXE
TrailMaintenanceSurvey
Regional Trail Perspectives: Trail Maintenance Survey
Administrative
The Capital District has over 100 miles of multi-use trails. These facilities bring recreational and
health qualities to the region while also serving as alternative transportation networks. They
connect communities and neighborhoods with commercial centers, parks, and jobs. The Regional
Trails Perspective looks into how the Capital District and local communities have benefited from
multi-use trails. This is an update to the 2006 study that collected trail use data and surveyed both
adjacent property owners and trail users.
This survey is collecting data for the following multi-use trails:

1. Mohawk-Hudson Bike-Hike Trail a/k/a Erie Canalway Trail
2. Zim Smith Trail
3. Spring Run Trail
4. Railroad Run
5. Uncle Sam Bikeway
6. Albany County Helderberg Rail Trail
7. Albany Shaker Trail
8. Ballston Veterans Trail
9. Delaware Avenue Trail / Black Bridge
If you maintain any portion of any of the above listed trails, please answer the following questions
as completely and accurately as possible. If it is necessary to have more than one person in your
organization answer different questions based on their personal areas of experience and expertise,
please do so.
Please provide accurate information about the person to be contacted if any follow-up information
is needed.
For more information about these trails and the Regional Trail Perspective please visit
www.cdtcmpo.org/trails.
1. Name
2. Title / Agency
3. Email
1
4. Phone
5. Which trail(s) do you maintain? Check all that apply:
Mohawk-Hudson Bike-Hike Trail
Zim Smith Trail
Spring Run Trail
Railroad Run
Uncle Sam Bikeway
Albany County Helderberg Rail Trail
Albany Shaker Trail
Delaware Avenue Trail / Black Bridge
6. Please indicate the mileage of the trail(s) you maintain:

Mohawk-Hudson Bike-
Hike Trail
Zim Smith Trail
Spring Run Trail
Railroad Run
Uncle Sam Bikeway
Albany County Helderberg

Rail Trail
Albany Shaker Trail
Delaware Avenue Trail /

Black Bridge
2
7. What is the predominant surrounding environment for the portion of the trail you maintain?
Mohawk-Hudson Bike-
Hike Trail
Zim Smith Trail
Spring Run Trail
Railroad Run
Uncle Sam Bikeway
Albany County
Helderberg Rail Trail
Albany Shaker Trail
Delaware Avenue Trail/

Black Bridge
8. What are the permitted uses on your trail(s)? Check all that apply:
Walking
Cycling
ATV
Cross Country Skiing
Fishing
Horseback Riding
Inline Skating
Mountain Biking
Snowmobile
Wheelchair Access
3
9. Who owns the land under the trail: federal/state/municipal/county government, railroad, private owner(s),
non-profit entity, utility, or other? If more than one, please indicate a percentage:
10. On a general basis, who PERFORMS maintenance of the trail? Check all that apply:
Trail Group Volunteers
Other volunteer community groups (please specify in "Other" comment field)
Individuals with mandatory community service
Federal government
State government
County government
Municipal government
Non-profit entity (paid staff)
11. Do you have a written Trail Maintenance Plan?
Yes
No
4
12. Who FUNDS maintenance of the trail? If more than one, please indicate an approximate percentage in
the "Other" comment field.
Federal government
County government
Non-profit entity
State government
Municipal government
Donations
13. What is the annual maintenance budget for this trail?
14. If known, please provide the dollar amounts for the following within your maintenance program.
Labor
Equipment
Supplies
15. Is the trail covered by liability insurance?
Yes
No
16. What is your coverage amount?
17. What is your annual cost?
18. In what year was the trail first opened for public use?
5
19. Do you track annual users?
Yes
No
Unsure
20. How do you track annual users?
Estimate/Guess
Manual Counts
Automated Counts
21. How many users does your trail have on an annual basis?
22. Do you track, receive and/or collect police reports related to trail activity (ex. crashes, crime, etc.)?
Yes
No
23. How many crashes have been reported on your trail in the last 5 years (not including at road
intersections)?
24. How many crashes have been reported at road intersections on your trail in the last 5 years?
25. How many crimes were reported on your trail in the last 5 years?
26. What are the hours of operation of your trail?
6
Surface - General
27. What is the width of your trail (ft.)?
10
12
28. What surface material exists on your trail?
Asphalt
Concrete
Both
7
Surface - Asphalt
29. Please indicate any reused or recycled materials used in the surface of your trail:
None
Tires or other rubber
Glassphalt
30. Has your trail been repaved or resurfaced since the original paving construction?
Yes
No
Unsure
31. At what frequency (years)?
Recurring
3-5
6-10
10 or more
32. Has your trail been seal-coated since the original paving?
Yes
No
Unsure
Recurring
3-5
6-10
10 or more
8
34. Do you have a crack sealing program for your trail?
Yes
No
Unsure
Recurring
3-5
6-10
10 or more
36. What are the major causes of damage to your asphalt surfaced trail? Check all that apply:
Water/erosion
Tree roots
Vegetation (grass, weeds)
Sub surface failure
Freeze/thaw cycle
37. Is snow removed from your trail?
Yes
No
38. How is the surface of your trail kept clear of trash and debris? Check all that apply:
Street sweeper
Rotary brush
Blower
Manual (broom, rake, etc.)
9
39. Does your trail employ pavement markings?
Yes
No
40. Do you indicate a central line of trail?
Yes, painted
Yes, thermal transfer
No
41. Do you employ other safety markings?
Yes, painted
No
10
Surface - Concrete
42. Please indicate any reused or recycled materials used in the surface of your trail:
None
Tires or other rubber
Glassphalt
43. Have sections of your trail been re-poured or resurfaced since the original paving construction?
Yes
No
Unsure
Recurring
3-5
6-10
10 or more
45. What are the major causes of damage to your asphalt surfaced trail? Check all that apply:
Water/erosion
Tree roots
Vegetation (grass, weeds)
Sub surface failutre
Froze/freeze cycle
11
46. Is snow removed from your trail?
Yes
No
47. How is the surface of your trail kept clear of trash and debris? Check all that apply:
Street sweeper
Rotary brush
Blower
Manual (broom, rake, etc.)
48. Does your trail employ pavement markings?
Yes
No
49. Do you indicate a central line of trail?
Yes, painted
No
50. Do you employ other safety markings?
Yes, painted
No
12
Adjacent Lane & Vegetation
51. Does annual or perennial vegetation grow along your trail?
Yes
No
52. Do you use any herbicides or pesticides in your trail maintenance?
Yes
No
Unsure
53. Do trees grow along your trail?
Yes
No
54. If planting new trees, what is the distance between the trees and the edge of the trail (feet)?
10
12
20
13
55. Please indicate any activities that are performed relative to trail side vegetation. Check all that apply:
Litter clean-up
Tree pruning
Tree and shrub planting
Tree removal - Safety
Tree removal - Health
Tree removal - Fallen
Tree removal - Aesthetics (improve view shed)
Mowing
Leaf removal
Invasive species removal
Flower and ground cover planting
56. How is drainage accommodated? Check all that apply:
Trail surface is crowned or sloped
Trail-side drainage channels (ditches, gullies)
Culverts
57. How are drainage areas kept clear? Check all that apply:
Power equipment
Manual
Flush with water
Self-cleaning design
14
Parking, Trailheads, & Sanitation
58. How many trailheads are there along your trail?
None
1-3
3-5
5-10
10-15
59. Please indicate the features of your trailheads. Check all that apply:
Parking lot just for trail users
Shared public parking lot
On-street parking
Shared private / commercial parking lot
Permanent toilet facility
Information kiosk
Potable water
Commercial concession(s)
Portable toilet facility
Trash receptacles
Vending machines
Picnic tables / benches
15
60. What is the primary surface material for your trailhead parking area(s)?
Asphalt
Crushed stone
Cinders
Dirt / Soil
61. Is snow removed from your trailhead parking lots?
Yes
No
62. Aside from trailheads, are any of these amenities provided along your trail? Check all that apply:
Permanent toilet facility
Informational kiosk
Potable water
Any other commercial concession
Interpretive signage
Portable toiled facility
Trash receptacles
Vending machines
Picnic tables / benches
16
Signs, Access Control & Public Safety
63. What types of signs do you use? Check all that apply:
Trail identification sign
Mile marker
Traffic control for trail users (stop, yield)
Traffic control for cars at crossings
Trail rules and regulations
Property boundary sign (no trespassing)
Interpretive signs
Wayfinding on trail
Wayfinding off trail
No trail specific signage
64. Do you experience vandalism of your signs?
Yes
No
17
65. Please indicate any techniques you use to separate users by direction of travel or use (e.g. pedestrian
vs. bicycle). Check all that apply:
None
Pavement markings
Signs
Physical separation
Different surface types
Separated treat (bridle or carriage path)
66. Is your trail patrolled by any professional policing authority?
Yes
No
67. Police agency type:
state police or sheriff
Municipal police
Park or trail rangers
68. Is your trail patrolled by a volunteer or a non-police group (e.g. neighborhood watch)?
Yes
No
18
69. Do you have an on-going problem with any of the following activities on the trail? Check all that apply:
Dumping
Crimes against persons
After hours use
Trespass
Vandalism
Crimes against property
Neighbors encroaching onto trail property
70. Are your trailheads lighted?
Yes
No
71. During what times?
Dusk until dawn
72. How are the lights controlled? Check all that apply:
Always on
Manual switch
Clock / timer
Light sensor
Motion sensor
19
73. How are the lights powered?
Municipal power supply
Solar panel
Battery
74. Do you have emergency call boxes along your trail or trailhead?
Yes
No
75. How is vehicular access to your trail controlled? Check all that apply:
Vehicle access is not controlled
Gates
Fixed bollards
Removable bollards
76. Do you use fencing along your trail?
Yes
No
77. What types of fencing do you use?
Chain link
Split rail
Woven wire
Stockade
20
78. What is the average height of the fence (feet)?
79. In what areas have you made accommodation for ADA standards or handicapped accessibility? Check
all that apply:
Parking
Restrooms
Picnic tables
Visitor's Center
Interpretive areas
Grade of trail
Grade of access to trail
Trail surface
Our trail has specific features for individuals with sight, hearing, or other impairements.
21
Bridges, Tunnels & Road Crossings
80. Do you have any bridges on your trail?
Yes
No
81. What types of bridges do you have? Check all that apply:
Existing railroad bridge
Pre-Fabricated
New Bike / Ped (no vehicular capacity)
New Bike / Ped (with vehicle capacity)
Small foot bridge (less than 5 ft. wide)
82. What is the deck material on your bridges? Check all that apply:
Wood
Synthetic lumber
Rubber
Metal
Asphalt
Concrete
Stone / dirt / cinders
83. Do you have railings on your bridge?
Yes
No
22
84. Are your bridges inspected on a regular basis by a certified inspector or professional engineer?
Yes
No
Recurring
2-3
4-5
6-10
86. Do you have any tunnels or culverts for user passage under roads etc.
Yes
No
87. Are your tunnels lit?
Yes
No
88. How are the lights controlled?
Always on
Manual switch
Clock / timer
Light / dark sensor
Motion sensor
23
89. How are the lights powered?
Municipal power supply
Solar
Battery
90. Do you paint / stain / treat bridge structures or decks, tunnel/underpass walls, etc?
Yes
No
91. At what frequency (years)
Recurring
2-3
4-5
6-10
92. How are at-grade crossings of roads controlled? Check all that apply:
Stop sign for trail users
Yield sign for trail users
Traffic signal
Ped / bike crossing sign
Stop sign for road users
Yield sign for road users
Pedestrian crossing signal
Pavement markings (e.g. crosswalk)
24
Thank You!
93. Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey. If you have any other comments or feedback
regarding trail maintenance please provide them below.
25

APPENDIXF
SurveyComments
OnTrailUserSurvey
Trail Comment
ACHHRT Thistrailisexcellent.Offeringresidentstogetroutineexercise.
ACHHRT Loveit
ACHHRT Maybesomesignagessayinglocalrestaurants/shops
ACHHRT PleaseconnectRailtrailtoCorningtrail.
ACHHRT PleaseconnectthetrailtoCorningPreserveTrailorthetrailtoSchenecdady
ACHHRT Lovethetrail
ACHHRT Greatprojectbyall!!
ACHHRT Signagetoalertwalkerstomovetotherightwhenbicyclistscomeupontraffic.
ACHHRT peopleneedtobemoreawareofothersonthetrail
ACHHRT getitdonetoVoohresville.ConnectwithHudsontrail.Keepitmaintained.
ACHHRT Welovethetrail!MoreaccesspointsneededviaAlbany
ACHHRT Iwouldrecommendgarbagecanssopeoplecouldthrowawaytrash
ACHHRT Allgoog.lovethetrail.
ACHHRT wouldlikemorepavedtrail.
ACHHRT Ihavebeenonrailtrailsinothertownsandalwaysthoughtitwouldbenicetohaveonehere,andnowwedo!Iappreciateit
beingpavedbecauseIcanreallyenjoybikingonit,thanks.
ACHHRT MywifeandIusethetrailallthetimenowthatitispaved.Itisagreatadditiontothetown.
ACHHRT Hopeitgoesfurther.
ACHHRT Veryclean.Greatforgettingacrosstown.Safe.Suggestion:ingroundlightstoenjoythetrailatnight.
ACHHRT Lovethetrail.
cannotwaitforsectiontoVourheesvilletobepaved.Lovethetrail,itisawesome!Hydrationstation,trash,lightsatnight,
ACHHRT
bathrooms,food,benchesandlinesonroad.
ACHHRT finishtheconnectiontoVourheesville.
ACHHRT Bathroomsandparkingwouldbegreat.
ACHHRT Greatworkthanks!
ACHHRT Crosswalkswouldbegreat.
ACHHRT Thankyou.
ACHHRT suggestion:picnictablesnearwaterfallsandPaintmuralsmaybestudentscanpaintthem?
ACHHRT Loveit!cannotwaittillallofitpaved.
Ihaveneverhadanyissuesbutagoodfrienddescribedasituationinwhichteenagerstookthewidthofthelaneandgave
ACHHRT
peopleahardtimewhenridingtheirbikes.Itwouldbenicetohavesafetyboxestocallwheninasituatio.
ACHHRT Restrooms.
ACHHRT IamfromnearWhitePalmsNY.Justvisitingfamilyhere.Wehavedonesomewalking,bikepathisalsoverynice.
IwouldliketoseethetrailconnectedtotheHudsonlinesoIdonothavetobikethroughthebumpersouthendofAlbanyto
ACHHRT
getthere.Thanks.
ACHHRT IamavisitorfomIrelandabsolutelybeautifultrail.Youshouldbeveryproud.Thanks
ACHHRT Thetrailisagreatuseofmytaxdollars.
ACHHRT Thankyousomuch!
ACHHRT Whatgovernmentshoulddoforthecommunity.
ACHHRT Thankyouforthetrail.
ACHHRT Loveit!
ACHHRT Greatplace.
ACHHRT Iwillbehappierwhenmoreofthetrailispaved.ButIloveitsofar.Thankyou.
Trailwidthandslopeofsidesofpath.BiBikeraders.Lackknowledgeofruleofroad.Dogsnotonleash/wastenotcleaneup.
ACHHRT
Lackoftoiletsandbenches.HiltonBarnshouldbeatoiletstop.
ACHHRT Ifbikeriderscannotslowdownorstop"pretending"thearetryingtobeattheirpersonaltimesinatimetrailthenyoushould
installaspeedlimit.Peopleshouldalsoknowwhichsideofthetrailshouldbeon.Alb.Co.shouldinstallconcessionstands
ACHHRT Welovethetrail.Greatjob!Tahnkyou.
ACHHRT Pleasepostnosmokingsigns.
ACHHRT Lovethistrail.Waterfountainneeded.Dog/petwastecanswithbagsneeded.
ACHHRT Thistrailisawesome!Sogladitisnearmyhome.Needwaterfountain.Petwastereceptacles.
ACHHRT Ithinkthereshouldbemoresignsalongthetrailsuchasnearbystreetsincaseofanemergrncyandsomeoneneedstotella
911operatorexactlywheretheyarealongthetrail.
ACHHRT loveit!CannotwaittillitgoescontinuouslytoVoorheesville!
ACHHRT bikesgoingtoofastneedbellsnotjustvoices.
Arecigarettesallowed?IsawawomenwalkingherbabyandsmokingacigaretteIonlyaskbecauseIalsowalkthekids
ACHHRT
"babies"onhereaswellandwouldhaveforthemtocatchthesmoke.
ACHHRT JohnClarksonandDanMcCoyareawesome.Thankyou!
ACHHRT Thistrailisthebestadditiontotothisplacein39years.CannotwaittogettoVoorheesville.
ACHHRT ThetrailisoneofmyfavoriteplaceinbethlehembecauseIamabletogrtacrosstimequicklyandwithoutdanger
ACHHRT Cannotwaitforfinishtovoorheesville.Awaytoeasilyjoincorningpath.
ACHHRT Lovetherailtrailthanksforthecountyforalltheirworkneedsigns.PeopleinBethlehemlovethetrail.
ACHHRT greattrailanditisanexcellentadditiontoourtown.
ACHHRT Ithinkaddingabikelaneonthetrailwouldbebeneficialforsafeandcomfort.Iusedtolovethetrailbutnowthetrailisnot
enjoyable.Thepavedpathislovelythough.Thankyou.
ACHHRT Needmaps.Connecttrail.
ACHHRT
Thereshouldbesigns.ThecrossingsofColonieh25.Signsinstructbikeridersandsignsthatdogsshouldbeonleash.
ACHHRT Ilovethetrail.CannotwaitfortheVoorheesvilleextention.
PrefertoseethenextsectiontoVoorheesvillenotpavedwithasphalt.Unpavedtrailsaregoodtoslowdownroadbikers,safer
ACHHRT
onfalls,betterforwalkingandrunning,andmostbikersarefatfires.
ACHHRT concernsaboutpotentialproblemsofbikershavellingtoofastandwalkerswearingheadphonesnothearingthemNotseen
yet.HopingintersectiononAdomswillnotbeaproblem.
Greatenjoyit.PolicemanonbicycleinAlbanyisawonderfulidea.Hewaspleasantandcheckedtoseeifwewereok.Havemet
ACHHRT
manyfriendlypeople.Goodidea.
ACHHRT LookingforwardtopavinginV'villeandbetterconnectiontoCorning.Happythisishere.
ACHHRT PeoplewalkorridethereacrossanddonotmoveevenwhenIannounce"onyourleft"(Havesignage)
ACHHRT Thankyou!Loveit!!
ACHHRT Loveit!Itraveledmilestogethere.AtAdamsarea,havecarsstopinsteadoftrailusers
ACHHRT Moretrees,moreshade.
ACHHRT GreattrailLoveit!
Iusedtogoonthistrailallofthetimebackwhenitwasgravelandyoucouldstillfindallrailroad.Tiesandlivealwayslovedit.
ACHHRT
Seeingmorepeopleusingitmakesmesohappy.Thankssomuch.
ACHHRT AbovegraffetiatCherrybridge.Addsafetybutton(bluelight)
ACHHRT Connecttrailswiththeportandprotectedbikelanes.
ACHHRT LinkupwithtrailatCorningpreserve.
ACHHRT Loveit.Needmilemarkers.
ACHHRT ThetrailisthebestthingAlbanycountyandtownofBethlahemhavedone.
ACHHRT MileMarkers.
Thistrailiswonderful,themostvaluableinvestmentandinadditiontothisareathelast40years.Thanksforallthekindefforts
ACHHRT
tomadeithappen.
ACHHRT Sohappytohaveinourcommunity.
ACHHRT Lovethetrail.Wealwayslovegoingforawalk/run/ride.
ACHHRT Loveit!Nicetoseepeopleoutusingit.Thanks
ACHHRT Ithinkthistrailisthegreatestchangeofmylife.Icannotwaituntiltherestisfinished(Voohresville).Iwishtheywouldmake85
throughNewScotlandtrailtoAlbanymorebikfriendly.
ACHHRT Ilikethis.It'sgoodforhealthandexcecise.Everyoneisniceandcaring.Polite.
AST Juststartedusingthetrailforlunchativity.Ilovetheconvenience,locationandcondition.
BVT Sometimesitisdifficulttopullinandoutoftheparkingarea.
BVT Wouldlovetoseetrailextendedconnectedtoothertrails.
BVT LiketorideonthetrailtoseetheEthanAllenExpress.TrainBuff.
BVT Wildflowersarebeautiful.Ihavebeenusingthistrailfor11years.
BVT LovethebenchesFairlyrecentaddition.Ihavebeenusingthistrailweeklyforalmost20years.
DAT Bathrooms.
DAT Spedbumpsandrainshelters.
DAT Wouldlikemorepostedsignswhereyouare,bikepaths,etc
DAT Crossingontario/Delaware???
DAT StreetcrossingOntario/delawareCohoes.Bicyclesmakingwalkersawaretheyarecoming(maybesignsforbikers)
MHBHT Areal"jewel"indowntonAlbany.EvenSalontheErieCanalwouldbecomenostalgic!
MHBHT Thereareafewsectionsofthetrailthatneedtoberepaved.TherewasalsoatimewhenIlaidinthegrassafterarideandmy
skinbrokeoutinhivesandwasburning(chemicalburn).Maybeusenon=toxicchemicalorputupwarningsigns.
MHBHT IamvisitingfromoutoftownandIlovethatthereisatrailwithinwalkingdistanceofthehotel.Fromthesmallamountoftime
Ihavebeenonthetrailtodayitlookscleanandwellmaintained.
MHBHT More/betteraccesspointstothetrailandbetterconnections.
MHBHT Goodtoseesomeoftherepairgoingonnow.
MHBHT LoveitnothinglikethisinsouthJersy.Icannotwaittovisitagain.
MHBHT IlovethetrailbytheHudson!ThemoretrailsinAlbanythebetter.
MHBHT Isnotnicetobeabletostopundertreessitbyriver,ridingsurface,excellent!!
MHBHT Greattrail!
MHBHT Needmorerestrooms.Thetrailisimporoving,nicechangesarebeingmadecleangeesemessmorefrequently.
MHBHT Ilovetrailsbestuseofmoneyeverspent.
MHBHT Trailneedstoberepairedclosertomenandsside.
Weneedmoreofthesetypeoftrails.WealsoneedaconnectionbetweentheAlbanyRailTrailandcorningpreserve.Allknown
MHBHT
astheSouthendlink.
MHBHT Veryniceforcapitalregion.
MHBHT Goosepoop.Iliketheartinstallation.
MHBHT Goosepoop.
ThankyouforsuchawonderfulwaytospendtimeawayfromPittsfieldMA,myhometown.Asatourititismuchfunmore
MHBHT
picnictablesandbathroomscouldbehelpful.
MHBHT TrailisonCrossAmericaroutefromSanFranciscotoPortsmouth,NHwithAmericabyBicycle.
MHBHT PartofAmericabybicyclecrosscountrytrailfromSanFranciscotoPortsmouthNH.
MHBHT Waterfountains.Creepyswampypart(Route55toRR)
MHBHT Onlyhereforthesummer
MHBHT Finishrepairstotrail(snakes)
Weuseyearroundduringtheweekandonweekends.Wehavesomeconcernswalkingaloneastherehavebeensomescary
MHBHT choroctersattime.Trailcangetverycrowdedontheweekendhardforbikestogetthrough.Wearehappytohavethetrailand
enjoyitr
MHBHT Lovethetrail!Hatetheroads.
MHBHT BewareNoheadaches,itisamajorasfetyissue.
MHBHT Loveitwellpaved+reasonabledistancefromSCCCtoRR.
MHBHT Excellenttrailsystem,verymuchenjoytouseit.
MHBHT Goingtothemall(Viaport)
MHBHT Lovethetrailsystem.
MHBHT Verynicetrail
MHBHT Greattrail
MHBHT Thankyouforallyoudo.
MHBHT Greateffort,bettermarkingswouldbegreat.
MHBHT Lovethetrail.Onitallthetimebutifitcouldgetplowedinthewinterwouldbenicetoo.
MHBHT Afterstorm,slowcleanup.
MHBHT Thispersonwasona2weekbikingtourvacation,onhisown.
MHBHT Therootsareasmallproblem.
MHBHT Lovethetrail.
MHBHT Ilovethetrail
MHBHT Wouldbewonderfulifthereweremapsalongthetrailforoutoftowners.Nowaboutanairpumpstation?!
MHBHT Thetrailisingreatshape
MHBHT Ilovethetrail.Willbeback.
MHBHT
Welovethebikepath!Ourwholefamilyenjoysusingiteveryyear.Pleasekeepupthegreatworkkeepingitmaintained.
MHBHT Thetrailisgreat!Inmyopinionawaterfountainortwowouldwouldmakethistrailperfect.
MHBHT Catchingpokemonusingthesetrails.SafepassagetoScotiaanddowntonSchenectady.(FromRotterdam)
MHBHT NeedbetteraccesstotrailmapsheretoBuffalo,Bikeshops,etc.
MHBHT LookingforwardtocompletionofpavingexetoZinSuite.
MHBHT keeothiswonderfultrail,itisamazingandIwichIhadoneasniceinVirginia!Keepupthegoodwork.
Lovethistrail.Useweekly(multipletimes)insummer/springandfall.Pleasecosidermaintainingandaddingadditionalrest
MHBHT
rooms,etc.
MHBHT Wonderfulresource.Thanks
MHBHT Itwouldbenicetohaveaplacetodeposeofpetwaste.
MHBHT Needmorebenchesonthewestend
MHBHT Cohoessectionneedswork.
MHBHT Ilovethistrail.Thelocationisgreat.Ilovetorunandbikehere.Myonlyisseisthecracksalongthetrailjustpastthe1.75mile
area.Thereareseveralsectionsthatarebumpingbecauseofcracks.Otherwisethistrailiswonderful.Iwouldlove
MHBHT Ienjoyedwalkingonthetrail.
MHBHT Weneedmorebiketrails
MHBHT Keepdevelopingbikepathsandencouragesothendresidentswithamarketingprogram
MHBHT Terrificjobkeepitgoingbiketrailsaroundcity.Thankyou.
MHBHT Biketrailsaregreat!Nottomentionenginesofeconomicdevelopment.
Itwouldbeniceiftherewasanoccassionalsecuritypresence(onbikemaybe).Alsoitwouldbegreatifsomevistastotheriver
MHBHT
wereopenedupwithbenches.Betterbathroomfacilities.
MHBHT
Icomehereacoupletimesayear.Ihavebeentoldtothatitisnotalwayssafe,althoughIfeelcomfortableforthemostpart.
RRR Whoisresponsibleformaintaining/trimmingsidesofthetrail"city"or"pedestrians"or'homeowners"
RRR verynicetrail.
RRR
Wouldweseemoreinstuctionalsignsforbikes.Comingupfrombehindisabitdangerousasyoudonotalwayshearthem.
RRR Iusethistrailregularlyondaily/weeklyrunsandalwayslookforwardtoitbecauseitissopeaceful.Onlyconcernofnoteis
pavementuprootingofthetrailnearBeckmanyCircularbutsofarIhavenottripped.
RRR Firttimeonthistrail,sharperthanexpectedbutoverallnicelyshadedforthemostpart.
RRR lovethetrail(RR)andtheothersthroughSaratogamakesiteasytoridearoundwithoutthehasslesoftrafficintown.Usedto
workinSchenectadyandlovethetrailalongtheMohawk(theoldrailroadbed).Thespring,runtrailisbeautifulwishitwa
RRR PavethesectionbetweentheAutomuseumandSPACparkinglot(nowdirt)SinceSPACclosesgatesonbothendsthetrail
nowcircumventsSPAC.Werideroadbikesdonotusethemondirttrails.
RRR
Greattrail,needbetterintersectionbyYMCAalsotheareaatCircularisprettybad.NoconnectivitytotherestofSaratoga.
RRR Imissedparkbenchinthemiddleofthetrailandthetrashcansallthewaydown.
RRR PleaseupkeepthistrailandaddmorethroughSaratoga.
RRR Greattrail.
RRR GreatadditiontoSS/important.
RRR Thetrailawonderfulassettothecity/neighborhood.
RRR Resurfacingshouldbebudgetedforinnearfuture.Wintersnowremovalisgoodbutabradingasphalt.DSNYtoreupsouthend
andneverrepaired.Policeresponsetocallsfromtrailusersshouldberequireofficerstogetoutofcarnotjustdoa"drivet
ZST Difficulttowalkwithfriends/childrensidebysideduetobikers.Wouldliketoseethetrailwider.
ZST Trailisawonderfulasset.Extenditinbothdirections.
ZST ShouldconncttoSaratogaStatePark.
ZST Greattrail.NeedmoreinCapitaldistict.
ZST TheZimSmithisoneofmyyfavoriteplacetorunandbike.Thetrailissecludedbutsafe.Therearerarelyanyissuesthatarenot
easilyavoided.IappreciatetheeffortstoextendthetrailtoBallstonSpaandIencouragefurtherexpansiontowardsSar
ZST Abathroomattheendoftheunpavedsectionwouldbewonderful.Ilovethistrail.Itiswellmaintained,clean.
ZST Stonedustpostisalittkletrickyafterrainotherwiseok.
ZST Lovethistrail.
ZST Ilovetheshadeinthistrail.ItmaygetcrowdedbutIavoidthebusytimeswhenIcan.
ZST Peoplelettheirdogsofftheleash.
ThecrossingsbyStewartsonmiddleisnotsafeespeciallywithkids.Ioftenrollerbladewithsroller,thesurfaceisroughdueto
ZST
snowmobiles.Mywheelshavetornup.Ourwholefamilyusethetrailweloveit.
ZST ConnectthetrailtoSaratogaStatePark.ConnectoraccessacrossEASTLiaRDtoZimSmithtrail.
OnlineTrailUserSurvey
Comments
I confused the paved Spring Run Trail parallel with Excelsior Av with the unpaved spring run hiking trail near the Saratoga National Golf Club. The
former is fine, the latter is very wet.
I value the Zim Smith trail very much. It is part of my daily exercise with my dogs. I am grateful for the lovely environment and access to the trail
Thanks for maintaining the trails. And thanks for using this survey to make me aware of the others that I didn't even know of. We value Zim
Smith, and will now certainly seek out other trails just for variety.
student should also be added for employment options
Allow businesses that can be seen from trail to post signs indicating what they are. Post "rules of the road" for walkers and bikers!!! Post trail
maps along trail showing access points and businesses along the route.
Commute using bike trails from March to November. Love the Helderberg trail and use it almost every day even though it takes me 20 mins
longer than going thru the city.
I love bike trails. I am an avid cyclist. If the Capital Region had a solid bike network with off-road trails connecting the Mohawk-Hudson, Zim
Smith, Albany County, and Champlain Canal Trails (among others), the Capital Region would be a more appealing place for people to live.
You should include the Champlain Canalway Trail.

I enjoy cycling and enjoy cycling along bike paths where I don't have to be constantly worried about a car or truck possibly running into me. I
enjoy the shaded park like settings that bicycle trails provide. I enjoy cycling and not having to breathe in car and truck exhaust fumes (although
some trails have smells from waste water treatments plants to contend with). I think it is important that bike trails have restroom facilities near by.
I also think that bike trails should have signage that identifies which streets that they are crossing so that cyclists can keep track of where they are
located in regards to the world outside of the bike trail. Above all, I believe that bike and pedestrian trails add to the quality of life of the people
who are willing to use them.
I have always been an outdoorsy type person and it is very important to have access to these beautiful trails. Closer to the water is always nice.
I believe having access to nature is important for all citizens as is opportunities to be physically active. Trails located close to residential areas
represents one way of creating this opportunity.
colonie bike trail should be extended across Route 7, There is currently a project before the Town PB- Cumberland farms which should address
the location of the bike trail. CDTC is urged to contact town of colonie to ensure that this trail connection occurs. BTW the Town of Colonie has
never adopted its bikepathways plan. New Comp Plan is being discussed on Aug. 24- CDTC should be involved with bikeway, additional
recreation and trails as part of the addendum to the comp plan.
I use the trails year round. In nice weather, I bicycle and when it's too cold to cycle, I walk. In the winter, I snowshoe or cross country ski.
The lead in pages to this survey are tedious. I never heard of several of the trails - they need promotion.
I use the Corkscrew Rail Trail in Stephentown, which was not an option in the survey
Highly encourage trail development to continue.
Bike trails are extremely positive additions to the community. I totally support public funds used for their upkeep. Please add signage explaining
rules of the road to users.
Love the new rail trail in Delmar! Hope to see this fully connected to downtown Albany waterfront.
The most important transportation infrastructure for the 21st century. Brings health, wealth and recreation to our communities
bike paths are fantastic,, i use them almost everyday, i see people enjoying them, please help fund more, make more connections and networks
Keep up the good work and help find ways to make the projects go faster. Bike Tourism can be a real thing - look at Burlington.
I appreciate seeing a Bethlehem police officer on a bicycle on occasion. Some parts of the trail can feel very isolated and their presence is
appreciated.
Rensselaer County, where I live, lacks biking trails and safe on road bike routes. I and my family would be trail users if more trails were available
close to home or work.
One of the nice things about the trails along the Hudson is that it is the most diverse community I have experienced in Albany.
Since the heldeberg trail has been paved, it's been so crowded that it's no longer pleasant to walk my dog there, which I've been doing for 12
years. Happy that so many people are enjoying a community resource but sad to be pushed off it myself.
i LOVE the trails, just want more bathrooms!! i'll take a portapotty!
I use the Heldeberg Rail Trail all the time & love it - my main complaint is there are not more paved entrance/exits. I use a stroller for my toddler
and my sister is in a wheelchair so paving/smooth surfaces are important for us. In the future it would also be nice to see more picnic areas or
open space areas along trail for families to picnic & play.
I WOULD stop at restaurants and food vendors along any and all trails, but in general they are too few in number, and too distant from the trail to
make me want to leave the trail.
AdjacentResidentialTrailSurvey
Trail Comments
Safetyisnumberoneconcern.Thetrafficisgettingsuchgreatusenowthatthereishardlyanytimewhenyouarenotinsiteof
ACHHRT otherusers.Youmustputsomesafetypostsfortrailusersandteensshouldbeawareofthedangeronthetrail.Parentsshould
alsobeawareofthat.
Therewasatrailalongwhichthetrackshadrun.Itwasnotpavedandwasnotmaintained.BytheendoftheSummer,bicycles,
walkersandfolkswithstrollerstravelledthetrailevenbeforeitwaspaved.Nowitispaved,theconstructioncompantycreated
suchasteepandirregularinclineafterthrowingthemakeshiftbridgewehadofftotheside.Soitneededtobeputback
together.Thereisalipontopsotheinclineiswaysteeperthanitwas.Asidefromthetrackrelativelyminor(Iguess),people
ridebicyclesveryfastanditishardforthemtostop_ortheyhavetoswerve_whenpeoplegetonandoffthetrailespecially
ACHHRT whencomingfromourpropert,especiallywithourdogwhocangetupthesteeptrailfasterthanIcan.Myhusbandwhoisinhis
early70'scannotgetupordownatall.Iwasscoldedbyaworkersupervisorwhenthetrailwasbeingbuilt.Mostofthework
wasdowninAlbanythenforgoingontothetrail(ata"propet'entrance)IimagineIamnotsupposedtogetontothetrail
exceptatplaceswherethereareentrancesbutitisannoyingtoberestrictedinthewaysmentionedabove.IknowIaminthe
minorityIhavecyclistfriends(andmydaughter)wholovethetrailandfeelithelpskeepthemsaferthanbikingontheroad
butitmakesmefeelmuchlesssafe.Walkingmaydog,Iworryaboutpeoplewithstrollerstoobuthaveheardnoincidents.
ACHHRT Garbageneedstobepickedupregularlyfromthetrail.
Regulationofmotorvehiclesonthetrailwouldincreasethesafetyofthetrailandmakethehouselevelsfromthetrailmore
ACHHRT
acceptable.Monitoringofthisissueshouldbeincreased.
ACHHRT Thetrailisgreatfortheneighborhood.
ACHHRT Thetrailisawonderfulassetforourcommunity.
Whenbuildingthetrail,asmuchofanaturalbufferaspossibleshouldbeleftbetweenitandotherproperties.Theareawas
brushhogged,killingmyhedgeandresultingintheinvasionofTaponeseKnotweed.Thereisnosignageormaporinfoavailable
ACHHRT totrailusersondistances,orwheretheymightfindappropriateparkingorapublicrestroom.Theedgegrassisnotcutvery
oftensopeopledonotpickupafterpets.Benchesshouldbeinstalledalongcommercialareasorforestedsectionstoencourage
peopletorestandcongregateinthoseareas.
ShrubswerepalntedattheAmericanlegionatnocosttothelegion.Iamamemberthere,andwouldliketoknowwhyyoudo
ACHHRT notplantanybehindmyhouse.Ihadagreenareathatisnownotgrownfromsomethingkillingit.Feelfreetocometomy
houseandplantsomeFerusPlenso.
EXISTINGBICYCLECOMMUTERFINISHIT!LINKITTOTHEOTHERTRAILS!EXPANDTHEENTIRENETWORK.DONTGETME
ACHHRT WRONG,ILOVEMYCARSTRUCKANDPOWERBOAT.MYBIKEISTHEBETTERTOOLFORMANYOFMYTRANSPORTATIONNEEDS
GOODLUCK!
Iama52yearoldwomanandIdonotadriverlicense.BecauseIsurvivedastrockinmy30's,withseizures.Icangooutofmy
ACHHRT houseledgeofmypropertyandgetonthetrailrightaway.Whattookme30minutestodotakesmeonly25minutestodo
now.Itisagreattimesaver!Whattookyousolong??
Iloveit.Keepupthegoodwork.GreatforKids.Thecountyisdoingagoodjobofmaintainingit.Observation:someareasalong
ACHHRT
thetrailhaveadropintotheravine.Afencewouldbeagoodideaalongthesefewareas.Thankyou!
Peoplewhoworkoutbike,walk,nowXcountrySk,tendtobemorehappythanpeoplewhodoless.Youjustfeelbetterby
BVT
workingout.
BVT Usersshouldcleanupdogwasteonthetrail.
BVT Notathouseinwinter,hencelowtailuse
WEAPPRECIATEACCESSTOMORETRAILSINTHECAPITALDISTRICTFROMOURTRAILACCESS.THEREAREOCCAISIONSWHERE
UNDERAGEDRINKINGONOURTRAIL,.COULDTHEWOODENPLANSBEREMOVEDFROMTHEACCESSPOINTSANDREPLACED
BVT
WITHPOSTSTOKEEPMOTORIZEDVEHICLESOFFTHETRAIL.IFEELGOINGAROUNDTHESEBOARDSISASAFETYISSUEONA
BIKE.
Thispropertyisahistoricpropertywhichisopentothepublicfortoursbyappointmentandholdsmanyspecialeventsthrought
DAT theyear.Theinstitutionofthetrailhasopenneduptheriverfrontviewandofferedabeautifulviewpointfromthetrail.Weare
verypleasedwiththetrailandfindittobeawonderfuladditionforthecommunity.
MHBHT Thehungersandfishermenusetheparkillegallybeforedawnandaredisruptive.
ThisisthemostbeautifultrailontheedgeofMohawkRiverInNiskayuna.Itissorelaxingandmesmerizingtotakeawalk
towardLock7.Itisverywellmaintainedandoffersbeautifulviewsoftheriveranditsnaturalhabitat.Peopleareatpeacehere
MHBHT regardlessofwhatishappening3milesawayinthecity.Ilovethistrail!!Itissafemagesticandhometothousandsofspeciesof
animals.Theparkingadequate,wellcaredfor,andaffordsveryeasyaccesstojustget"Hoofing".Therehasneverbeena
probleminourproperty'ssituationnearthetrail.Weloveitandalwayswill.
TheMohawkHudsonRiverTrailisaveryimportantandoflivingintheneighborhood.Itisusedfrequentlybymyselfandvisiting
MHBHT
familymembers.Myonysuggestionistocontinueandmaintainthesectionsthatareinneedofrepair.
IamconcernedaboutadditionaltrailsfromthenewParkRidgedevelopmentwherethismayaffectthesafetyofpeople
MHBHT
crossingthetrail.
TheSchenectadystretchthroughtheStackadesisperilousonaroadbike.Thebrickshavegaps.Thanksforputtingaramped
MHBHT curbneartheUnionCampus.ThewoodenpostsacrossthetrailneartheColonielimitsareratherdifficulttopickoutofthe
backgrounduntilyouarerightontopofthem.Somehighvisibilitypaintcouldgreatlyhelp.
MHBHT Thetrailisveryniceandscenicbutalotofmosquutosandticksmustbecarefulforyourselfandpets.
IllegalMotorVehicleuseistheworstproblem.Trailbikesand4wheelersarenoisy.Theygotoofastandmakethetrail
MHBHT
hazardousforsafety.
Ihaveonesafetyconcern.ThereisanaccessroadusedbyCSXthatusersneedtocross.Therearestopsignsonbothsides.As
MHBHT youknowyouneedtocrosstheroadbuttheremaynotbeenoughspacetostop.Onlyothercommentisthatsincethetrail
doesnotlinktootherpartsofthetrailwithoutusingthemainroad,thetrailisnotasutilizedasitlovedbe.
Itcouldbekeptupalittlebetter.Thegrassisalwayslongandwhenwalkingespeciallyafterrainthebugsarebad.Maybethey
MHBHT couldsprayformosquitos.Theareabehindmypropertyhasalotofsittingwater/swamparea.Theseareacouldalsoharbor
mosquitosthatwillaidetothenewZikavirusepidemicandwestnile
Wehavehadnoproblemwiththetrail.Itislocatedatthebottomofahillinthelockofmyproperty.Weseepeopleridebyon
MHBHT
bikesandwalkingtheirdogs.Itwasnoisywhenthetraintravelledthroughthereforsomanyyears.
Ithinkthatinthefuture,thebikepathshouldbepatrolled.Ifeelthatmorepeoplewoulduseitandtheywouldfeelsafe.Not
MHBHT
heavilypatrolledbutapresence.
MHBHT deadtreesnesttomypropertyshouldberemovedandhavecalledaboutthisbutnothinghasdone.
MHBHT Thetrailisslowlyfallingintomydriveway.
IenjoythenatureIseeinthebiketrail.Thewildlifeaswell.Smallissuewithteenagersusingthetrailat1:00amwhoseemto
bedrunksoanynoisetheymakeatthishourwouldbeconsideredloud.Itdisruptsthedogs.IenjoythatIdonothavea
MHBHT neighbordirectlybehindme;mypropertyisonthesmallsideandifthebiketrailwasnotbehindme,Iwouldnothave
purchasedthehome.Sincemyseconddogattack2yearsagowhilecycling,Ihavenotusedthebiketrail.PriorthisIwoulduse
cyclingasanadditiontomyregularworkoutcyclingatleast3timesaweek.IwouldalsocycletotheColonieTownpod.
Wherewelive,CohoesisfarworsethanColonie,Niskyunaandschenectadyinthattheyallowpropertryownerstodumpand
MHBHT fillonthepath.Thereisalwaysglassonthepathcouldbesweptmorefrequently.Finesshouldbeimposedonownerswho
dumponthebikepathornearit.Otherthanthatweloveourbikepathandaresohappytohaveitonaresource.
Centralrailroad.Believeornot,peoplestillfindcoalchunksonthistrail.Wemakefunofsaying(Imetyouagainonthetracks)/
Inthe60'sand70'stherewasacoalbusinesstwolotssouthofusDooleysCoalSandStoneCo.Therailroadcarswouldwould
MHBHT emptytheirmaterialsdownachuteandeventuallyfromtheCo.tohouses.Ourproblemwedohaveisthatthechutewasnever
closedandkidsusethatfortheirhangout.Policearecalledtherealot.MywifeandIarebothinoureighty'ssoitdoesnot
botherusatall.Inourarea,therearealotmoreroomfortrails.
Biggestfrustrationisthemaintainenceoftrail.Propertyboardersbiketailandtreesandfoliageprovideprivacy.Withoutnotice
theyoftencuttreesorfoliageleavinglittleprivacyandunnecessairlycuttingdowntrees.Asahomeownerwhoseproperty
MHBHT
bordersthebiketrailprivacyandrespectforourtreesandcoverageareimportant.Iwouldappreciatecontactaheadoftrail
maintainence.
Withalltheproblemscommunitiesarefacing(crumblinginfrastructure)itseemsthefundswouldbebetterusedfor
MHBHT
infrastructureitemsnottrailswhichareusedbyrelativelyfewpeople.
Biketrailisenjoyable.Ihaveneverwitnessedanythingbad.Inthe90's00'salotofkidspartiedonthenorthofManorAvebut
withthenewdevelopment,thepartinghasstopped.Neverreallycausedanytrouble.Iwishthecountywouldbemoreontop
oftheManoraveinCohoeslawn.Hadtocallmanytimes,lawnwasveryhighlookedhorribleandunkeptlookingmostlyduring
MHBHT thesummerandparticularlythesidewalkpartfromthetelephonepole.Forawhileback,Themapbillboardsignsofthebike
trail,wasgraffitied.Thisisaniceneighborhoodanditwasaggravatingtoseethat.Itstoppedafterplexyglasswasputoverit.I
suggestifitkeepsup,possiblemobilecamearaintreetocatchthepersonvandalisingthesign.Besidesthat,biketrailisnice
livingon.Inmyfrontyard(sidewalk)notsureifitisfrombiketrail,getalotoflittergarbage.
Promotingasafeplaceisimportantforthecommunity.Ithinkthetrailshouldbeaminimumof250ftfromhomes.Wehave
hadourhoseeggedfromthebikepathbeerbottlesthrownonourproperty.WehearATV'ssometimessnowmobilesinthe
winter.Wehaveverylittlescreeninginthewinetrwhenfoleageisgone,whenthetowncomesandcutsthebrushdown,feels
likeweareondisplayforthepeopleonthepath.InthepastIhavehaddogscomeonmypropertyfromthebikepath.Alsoa
fewyearsbackwehadstrangecarsparkinginourneighborhoodattheentrancetothepath.Suspeciouspeoplethatdidnot
MHBHT belong.Neighborshavealsohadthingsstolenfromtheirhomesprobablyfrompeopleaccessingtheirpropertyatnightand
usingthebikepathastheirescaperoute.Ihaveneverseenanypolicepresenceonthebikepath.Wehavebeenlivedatour
currentresidenceforover15yearsanditseemsthattherearealotmorepeopleusingthepaththanwhenwefirstmovedin.I
thinkthetownshouldprovidescreeningnaturalbarrierstohelpdetourtresspassingandprovidesomeprivacyforthoseofus
wholivesoclosefromthepath.Weofferedtoprovidesuchabarrierbutweweredeniedbythetownduetothetownneeding
emergncyvehicleaccess.
Lovelivingnearthetrail.Onlyfurstrationnotaddressedbystateistheeasementsplacedonpropertiesadjucenttothetrails
MHBHT
andtheextrahassletomakeadjustmentstoourproperty.
TrailleadswestofmypropertyintoTownofColoieParkdowntoMohawkRiver.Itwouldbenicetofishnearpark,butwateris
MHBHT
chokedbywatervegistation.
Iwouldlikearespondtoparking/safetyproblemoutlinedalone.Sufficienttoprovode:Noactionplannedandvisibleactionwill
betakenover.AlsoRiverroadspeedreductionto30mphisrediculous.Wolfroadwithalltheintersectionandparkinglot
MHBHT accessisfarmoredangerousandspeedlimitis40mph.youwoulddowelltostudyaccidenthistoryonRiverRoadandWolf
Roadanddrawyourownconclusion.Morever,whileIcannotsayforsre,IbelievespeedlimitonCentralAveishigherthan30
mphandyouarekillingpedestriansleft&right.Haveyousquarethat?
TheonlyissuesIhavebeingnearthetrailarethehunters.Youhaveduckhunterseveryfallfiringgunsatdawnjustfeetfrom
homeswithchildrenandpetsandofcourserightbythebikepathTghereisalsoahunterthatsetstrapstocatchmuskratsand
MHBHT
thattooisadanger.Severaldogsovertheyearshavecaughttheirheadsinthosetrapsitcouldjustaseasilybeahikerorchild
thatwandersoffthepavedpath.Huntingshouldnotbeallowed.
Thetrailparkingadjucenttoourhomeat230FortFerryhascreatedaggravationandsafetyconcerns.Trailusersuseourprivate
drivewayatacutthroughanddosoatexcesivespeed.Theygenerallydrivetofastintheneighborhood.Sometimes,duetothe
overflowofparkingarea,peopleparkinourpropertywhichblocksouruse.Havingaparkingareainaresidentialareahas
MHBHT
causedsafetyconcernsandheadachesfortheneighborhood.Thereisampleaccesstoparkalongriverroad.Wewouldaskthat
thisparkingareaberemoved.SignageshouldberecommendedtothetownofColonietoensuresproperparkingandsafe
driving.
Ourhouseislocatedat4235RiverRd,LathanborderingonMohawkbiketrail.Weandourtwoneighborsareconcernedwith
townofColonieactionstoinstallbencheswithlowbacksonthebiketrailbehindourhomes.Wearenotcomfortablewith
MHBHT peoplecongregatingonthesebencheswatchingourhomesaffectingourprivacy.Wesuggestthatanybencheshereshould
havehighbacks.Thatwillletpeopletoenjoythebeautyoftheriverandnotbefacingourbackgardens.Hopeourcommentwill
bereceivedandincorporatedinyourreport.Weenjoythebiketrailandwatchingpeoplewalkingandbiking.
IcompletedanannualroundtriptrailinspectiontouronaSchwinnTwintandemwithspousefromourhomenearthe
Colonie/NiskayunabordertotheAlbanyPumpStationSunday,August28th,2016.Generalobservationsareasfollows:Asphalt
pavementconditionsarehorrendousandposealifesafetyhazardtoinlineskatersfromFortsFerryRoadColoniethroughthe
CrescentBranchandCityofCohoes.VerydeterioratedLevelFpavementalsocurrentlyexistsinthesectionfromBuhrmaster
Road,ColonietotheNiskayunaTownboundary.ColonieandCohoesmunicipalofficialsshouldbeofferedassistancewith
applyingfortrailrehabilitationgrantsforbasicmillandfillasphaltoverlaypavementtomitigatethesemostcritically
deterioratedsectionsoftheMHB.
TheonroadsectionsoftheMHBfromAlexanderStreet,CohoesacrossStateRoute787toBridgeAvenue,GreenIsland
warrantsimprovedwayfindingsignage.ThecrosswalkacrossSR787requirescrossingStateRoute32whichismissinga
crosswalkandpedestriansignal.ApedestrianbridgesimilartoQuakerStreetontheGlensFallstoLakeGeorgeTrailwould
mitigatethishazardousMHB/SR787trailcrossing.Fatalpedestrianvehiclesaccidentsaredocumentedinthisareawarranting
publicfunding.
AlexanderStreetpavementisLevelDandrequiresasphaltmillandfilloverlaytocorrectseverepotholesandcracking.
SignagetotheCohoesFallsOverlookParkshouldbeplacedattheManorAvenuetrailcrossing.CohoesFallsisaninternationally
renownedattraction.AbikelaneshouldbeaddedontheManorAvenueshouldertopromotepedestrianaccesstotheCohoes
FallsOverlookPark.
TheentirelyonroadMHBthroughtheVillageofGreenIslandwarrantsimprovedwayfindingsignageandlanestriping
particularlyinthevicinityoftheGreenIslandBridgewhichconnectstotheUncleSamBikewayandpopulardestinationsin
downtownTroy/Lansingburgh.(Welostthetrailinthissectionheadingsouth.)TheWatervlietMHBsectionalongSR787and
MHBHT Arsenalcompletelylacksbikelanestripingandwayfindingsignage.Bikelanestripingandwayfindingsignsareaminimum
standardsafetyrequirement.Historic/roughsidewalkpanelsarenosubstituteforMHBstripedbikelanes.
SelectsectionsofthetrailinColonie,Cohoes,MenandsandAlbanyhavesevererootdegradationoftheMHBtrailsurface.
Thesetenselectsectionsneedtoberehabilitatedwithpavementbasereconstructionandgeogridtextileunderlaymentand
asphaltoverlaytocorrecttheunacceptablecondition;therootsposeasafetyhazard.
Inclosing,pleasenotethatunauthorizedmotorvehicles,snowmobiles,dronesanddischargingoffirearmsduringhunting
seasondegradesqualityoftrailsidelifeonlyafewtimesayear,buttheserecurringoffensiveeventswarrantconsiderationfor
improvedoversight,signagepublicawarenessraising/educationeffortstopromoteallowedanddiscouragedisallowedtrail
uses.
TheMHBhasbeenmuchimprovedsinceourfirstAlbanyandSchenectadyCountyPlanningDepartmentconceptplanning,
signageandregionalmappromotionin1984.Importantchallengesandopportunitiesforimprovementwarrantallocationof
resourcesasaprioritytopromotepublicsafetyandpreservequalityoflife.Thankyouforthisopportunitytocomment.
TheonroadsectionsoftheMHBfromAlexanderStreet,CohoesacrossStateRoute787toBridgeAvenue,GreenIsland
warrantsimprovedwayfindingsignage.ThecrosswalkacrossSR787requirescrossingStateRoute32whichismissinga
crosswalkandpedestriansignal.ApedestrianbridgesimilartoQuakerStreetontheGlensFallstoLakeGeorgeTrailwould
mitigatethishazardousMHB/SR787trailcrossing.Fatalpedestrianvehiclesaccidentsaredocumentedinthisareawarranting
publicfunding.
AlexanderStreetpavementisLevelDandrequiresasphaltmillandfilloverlaytocorrectseverepotholesandcracking.
Iloveaccesstothetrailanditdidattractmetohomeduringpurchase.Ithinkthetowndoesagreatjobofkeepingit
MHBHT maintained.Ithinkiftheydidntitwouldchangemyperspective.Ithinkitcanbeeasierforpeopletoburglarizemyhome,but
thatcanhappenanywhere.Ilovethebiketrail,andbenefitsoutweighcons.
policepatrolsafter9amandtill3pm,butkidsfromthenearbyschoolcometosmokepotbeforeandafterthattime.
Sometimestheythrowstionesanddamageproperties.Wewouldlovetoseethepolicepatroltheareamoreoften.Thetrailis
RRR heavilyusedbyconcertgoers.Theylitterandmakealotofnioiseparticularlyontheirwayhomelateratnight.Crosswalks(New
StandWestCircular)areveryviolatedbydrivers.Weneedstopsignsonbothofthem.Itmayhelptohaveacoupleoftrach
cans.
Ilikethetrail,Icanbikefrommyhousetothestateparkonthetrail.Wetotheextensionthatwasputin.Iwouldliketoseeall
RRR
thebiketrailsexpandedandconnectedthroughoutSaratoga.
Garbagecansthatareemptiedregularlywouldhelptremendously.Alsoregularpatrolsbymarkedpolicewouldhelpdeterthe
RRR
homelesspopulationthatlivealongthetrail.
SincethetrailtoSPAS.P.throughtheYMCApropertymorecyclistsareusingthetrail.Manyofthemtravelatunsafespeedsand
donotusebells.Certainconcertgoers,litterthetrailwithbearbottles.Aconstantproblemwithpetwaste,especiallyfrom
RRR
peoplewhoallowtheirpetsoffleash.Ihaveadopteda100'sectionofthemedianandplanteditwithshrubs.Peoplehave
vandalizedtheseplantings.
Manyofthelandownersmowthelandandplantflowersonornearnearthetrailwhichenhancesitsattractivenesstothe
RRR users.RailroadrunprovidescityresidentsaccesstoSPApark.Neighborsconsideraccessanamenity.Welovehavingthetrailin
oursideyard.
RRR Rairoadrun/SaratogaSpring.
Whilerailroadruniskeptupbythecity,itisbeautificationcomesfromthepeoplewholivealongthetrail.OneNeeighborin
particulartakesspecialcareinplantingflowersinthemiddlesectionthisyearwegavehimmoneytoplantflowersinthe
middlesectionbehindourhouse.Itissonice.Weallplantedthetrees.Ithinkthatofmoneywereavailabletopeoplealongthe
RRR trailtheywoulduseitforbeautificationandthatreallyhelpseveryone.AlsotheSaratodaSpringH.S.crosscountryteamusesit
intheirwintersoitgetsplouedIamhappytheyuseitbutitseemsschoolmightbeabletoclipinsomemoneytoo.Railroad
usersbringneighborstogether,affordsmeaplacetorunintothestatepark,allowedmetoteachmychildrenhowtoridea
bikeinasafeplace.Iloveit.Myfamilylovesit.Nowthatwehaveit,wedonotwanttolivewithoutit.
SRT Ihavebeenattackedbydogswithoutleash.
SRT Thecitydidapoorjobofnotifyinguswhenthetrailwasbuilt.
Weweredoubtfulatfirstbutwehaveturnedintofanofthetrail.Thereareunpleasantpeoplewholeavedogpooponthetrail
andsometimesbikeriders&skateboarderswhoarediscourteousandinconsiderate.Forthemostpart,However,trailusersare
SRT considerateandourinteractionswiththemarepositive.
Originaltraildesigndidnotincludetrailaccessadjacenttoourpropertybutovertimethepublichasmadeapracticeofcoming
SRT adjacent.
Mysonjogsthebikepathusually2to3timesperweekfromGurleyAvetoIngallsAveandbackapproximately4miles.Heis39
yearsold.MydaughterandherfamilygoontheAlbanytrailalongtheHudsonfromfromwaterfrontNYtoAlbanyNYonbike.
USB
Iamsoimpreasedandthrilledtoseehowniceourparks,trails,andplaygroundsaremaintained.Thisismuchappreciated.
ThereismuchtoseeabouttheCapitalDistrictthatinabitofdisrepair,buttheparks,trails,etcareverywellmaintained.
USB Thanksandpraisetoallwhoprovideanypartofofthesecivicservices.
USB Wishtheywouldfencethesidewherethehousesare,safetytokeepkidscuttingthrow.
Betweenthedrinkingparties,4wheelers,ATV's,loudgroupofteens,animalsthatinvademyyard,Iwouldprefertoseethetrail
closed.Ithasnotbeenmaintainedorpavedforyears.Causinganabundanceofticks,andotherrodents.Trashalwaysbeing
USB thrownoverintomyproperty.
NeedtolimitATVsonthetrail.Surfaceneedsrepair.Littletonoaccesstothetrailwhichneighborscanuseit.Bettersignage
USB neededatroadwaycrossings.Gladtohavethetrailnearby.
Afenceandgatewereplacedacrossourdrivewaywhichisaneyesoreunmaintainedandhasreducedpropertyvalueaccording
ZST toappraisal
IdonotnowhowtheZimSmithcanevenbecalleda"Trail"Itisablacktoproad,notatrail.Itcompletelychangedthecharacter
ofmypropertyandthewayweuseoverproperty.Wehaveusedthepropertyforhumtingandshootingsportsfordecades,and
nowwehavetodwalwithidiottrepasserswhoacluethathuntersarethere.Thetrailhasalsoincreasedtrafficandcongestion
wherethetrailcrossestheroad,withpeopleparkingintheroadandonourproperty.
ZST
Poopbags(filled)werefrequentlyleftnearoronourproperty.Themunicipalityprovidestrashbarrelsnow,sosituationismuch
improved.Snowmobilesareblightonthetrail.Theyareverynoisy.Thesmellisterribleandpervasive.TheyruinthetrailforX
skiers.MostdrivershavebeencurteouswhenIskibutsomeofthemarenotatall.Itcanbeterrifying.Thetrailshouldbeclosed
tosnowmobiles.Thetrailisverywellusedbyrunners,walkers,petowners,bikers,rollerskisandrollerblades.Itiswonderfulto
ZST see.
Lovethetrail,runonitallthetime.Wishitwasplowedinthewinter.Cantwaitfortheextensionintomechanicville.Thanks
ZST
Itisnicetositonthedeckandjustwatchofthepeopleyoungtooldphysicallyfittonotsofitwalk,runandbikethetrail.
ZST Everyoenwereencounteredhavebeenveryfriendly.
ThetrailIhavebeenonisbeautifulwithasmallwaterfall,beautifultrees,veryclean,beautifullandscapeandwellmaintained.I
feelthetrailsareassettoourareabecausetheygivethepublicanopportunitytoseevarietiesofnaturethatmightnot
ZST otherwisebeaccessedwheretheylive.
Inthewinter,snowmobilersandXCskiersusetrailandinmyopinioncoesistfine.Iamallformultiustrailsystems.Wecanall
getalong!Sowhy,asanATVer,can'tIusemyATVonthetrailinthewiner?IpayregistrationfeestoNYSjustlikesnowmobilers
butdonothaveaccesstoanything!Ingeneral,ATVersareagroupofcourteousandcaringindividauls.Weenjoymaintaining
andcreatingnewtrailsforotherstouse(hikers,horsebackers,XCskiers,etc)"JustmyNickelsworth"
ZST
TrailMaintenanceSurvey
Trail Comments
mostofourpolicecallsregardingthebikepathareformotorizedvehiclescomplaints,abandonedvehiclesattrailheads,and
MHBHT suspicioussubjectsonthepathintheearlymorninghours

2016 Regional Trail Perspectives

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

2016 Regional Trail Perspectives

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Regional Trail Perspectives 2016

A Survey of Capital District Trail Facilities

Regional Trail Perspectives 2016 Page 1

Regional Trail Perspectives 2016 Page 2

Regional Trail Perspectives 2016 Page 3

Regional Trail Perspectives 2016 Page 4

Regional Trail Perspectives 2016 Page 5

Regional Trail Perspectives 2016 Page 6

Regional Trail Perspectives 2016 Page 7

Regional Trail Perspectives 2016 Page 8

Regional Trail Perspectives 2016 Page 9

Regional Trail Perspectives 2016 Page 10

Regional Trail Perspectives 2016 Page 11

Regional Trail Perspectives 2016 Page 12

Regional Trail Perspectives 2016 Page 13

Regional Trail Perspectives 2016 Page | 14

Data Collection & Methodology

Regional Trail Perspectives 2016 Page | 15

Trail User Surveys

Regional Trail Perspectives 2016 Page | 16

Regional Trail Perspectives 2016 Page | 17

Adjacent Residential Property Owner Survey

Regional Trail Perspectives 2016 Page | 18

Regional Trail Perspectives 2016 Page | 19

Trail Maintenance Survey

Regional Trail Perspectives 2016 Page | 20

Over60%oftrailvisitsaretotheCapitalDistricts MHBHT ZST USB

Regional Trail Perspectives 2016 Page | 21

Regional Trail Perspectives 2016 Page | 22

Regional Trail Perspectives 2016 Page | 23

Regional Trail Perspectives 2016 Page | 24

Regional Trail Perspectives 2016 Page | 25

Regional Trail Perspectives 2016 Page | 26

Trail User Profile

Combined Trail User Survey Summary Whatisyourprimarypurposeforusingthetrail(s)?

Regional Trail Perspectives 2016 Page | 27

Regional Trail Perspectives 2016 Page | 28

Regional Trail Perspectives 2016 Page | 29

OnTrail User Survey Summary

Regional Trail Perspectives 2016 Page | 30

Inline Other Commute

Regional Trail Perspectives 2016 Page | 32

Regional Trail Perspectives 2016 Page | 33

Regional Trail Perspectives 2016

Regional Trail Perspectives 2016 Page | 36

Regional Trail Perspectives 2016

Regional Trail Perspectives 2016 Page | 38

35 5ormore Inline Other

Regional Trail Perspectives 2016 Page | 40

Buggy/ 9.9% $100or

Mountainbike 28.2% $25 $49

Regional Trail Perspectives 2016 Page | 41

Regional Trail Perspectives 2016 Page | 42

Regional Trail Perspectives 2016 Page | 43

Regional Trail Perspectives 2016 Page | 44

Areyoumaleorfemale? Whatisthehighestlevelofschoolyouhave Whichofthefollowingcategoriesbestdescribes

From multiple races 3 2.9%

Regional Trail Perspectives 2016 Page | 45

Regional Trail Perspectives 2016 Page | 46

Property Owner Profile

Regional Trail Perspectives 2016 Page | 48

Other Itis 500ft.or

Regional Trail Perspectives 2016 Page | 49

Regional Trail Perspectives 2016 Page | 50