Adirondack rail trail continues to wait on approval

[hrmjustin]

AP

ALBANY — Five months ago, there appeared to be a light at the end of the tunnel for a decades-long debate over whether to repair railroad tracks running through the Adirondack Mountains or rip them up in favor of a 90-mile biking, hiking and snowmobiling trail. But the state steamed right through a year-end target for a decision.

Now, backers of the proposed trail are frustrated at the Cuomo administration’s slow pace in making a decision on whether to open a review needed to move the plan forward, while rail supporters believe the state has already decided what to do.

The issue centers on the state-owned rail bed running from Old Forge northeast to Lake Placid. The departments of transportation and environmental conservation held a series of public hearings and said in September a decision would likely come by the end of 2013.

http://poststar.com/news/local/adirondack-rail-trail-continues-to-wait-on-approval/article_4fde8e04-a1bd-11e3-9012-0019bb2963f4.html

[armed_and_liberal]

1. only two million in revenue?

I love scenic trains and train travel in general, but to restore 70 miles of track for a paltry $2 million in annual revenue is foolish. No way in hell can they restore a 70 miles of track and build a trail for 17 million. The Erie Canal-way trail (crushed stone)was built over an old railroad bed and has cost on average $200,000 per mile. so there is $14 million for the adjacent trail alone without considering there would be no rail-bed as a base to use for the trail.

The quick research I did estimates the low end of railroad rehabilitation to be $250,000-plus a mile, so there is at the very least another 17 million for the railway rehab. That isn't even considering the cost of continued maintenance and repair of the track and rolling stock annually.

I get the feeling that trail advocates are about to get the shitty end of the deal (again)