Transport Troy unveils trails map
TROY, N.Y. » Accessible transportation advocates have designed the Troy Trails Map to bring attention to the wealth of natural resources and recreation infrastructure in and around the city.
“The Troy Trails Map is a great tool to link recreation and transportation infrastructure across the Collar City,” Troy Mayor Patrick Madden said.
“Whether it’s our new River Walk, the South Troy Bike/Pedestrian trail, or our historic Troy Rail Trail, there are plenty of opportunities for local families to explore what Troy has to offer,” Madden continued.
“This resource created by Transport Troy in partnership with the Capital District Transportation Committee will help connect local residents and cyclists to trails just blocks from their home, work, or neighborhood,” Madden added.
The pandemic has caused an exodus from major metropolitan areas across the country, revealing a systemic lack of accessibility to urban recreation. Many people are moving to small Upstate New York cities that provide outdoor amenities such as waterfront recreation, bicycle infrastructure, safe pedestrian trails, and access to healthy food options at farmers markets.
“The map helps people get out and explore, but it also shows how we can commute through the city without a car. I look forward to the trail network growing each year as more alternative transportation paths are established with biking and pedestrian infrastructure,” Barb Nelson, Executive Director of TAP, Inc. (Troy Architecture Program), the fiscal sponsor for Transport Troy, stated.
Troy is an example to other small, post-industrial cities, having transformed into a high-tech hub and vibrant creative economy with access to rejuvenating urban recreation. The city boasts architectural sophistication in its highly walkable neighborhoods,
as well as beautiful natural areas and a number of stunning waterfalls and vistas.
“As a steward of a neighborhood nature preserve in Troy I have witnessed how people are becoming more aware of the benefit of a daily walk in nature,” Joe Durkin of Rensselaer Land Trust noted.
Nature lovers who plan hikes to the top of Adirondack peaks every weekend get their weekday forest exposure in the Troy hills. Bicyclists find their joy on the newly expanded Uncle Sam Bike Trail. Kayakers and boaters like to navigate the historic Hudson River and its picturesque connection to the Mohawk River, now enhanced by the new Troy Marina and Ingalls Avenue Boat Launch. This resource is intended to inspire people to not only use these spaces to their full capacity, but also to care for them and advocate on their behalf. The effort is being led by Transport Troy, with support from the Capital Coexist program of the Capital District Transportation Committee. Pick up your copy of the map at The Hill at Muza, Rare Form Brewing Company, TAP, and other local businesses throughout Troy or download it online at: tinyurl.com/troytrailsmap. Find pickup locations: tinyurl.com/transporttroy.