The Colonie Village Connector is an element in the overall Albany-Colonie Connector. The following letter calls for the Village of Colonie to install bicycle lanes through its industrial park to connect Rapp Rd./Lincoln Ave. to the Central Ave. to Locust Pk. And other routes leading to the Mohawk-Hudson Bike-Hike Trail near RT. 7. See also – https://albanybicyclecoalition.com/2018/09/03/washington-ave-flyover-a-call-for-change/
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September 13, 2018 – RE: Colonie Village Connector
Hon. Frank Leak, Mayor, Village of Colonie, 2 Thunder Road, Albany, NY 12205
Dear Mayor Leak:
This is to ask your leadership in creating a new bicycle-friendly route through the Village of Colonie – the Colonie Village Connector. We in the Albany Bicycle Coalition believe that this will help establish the Village as a sea of calm in a motor vehicle dominated area and provide substantial benefits to your walking and riding citizens – as well as those people in cars who would appreciate “calmed traffic.”
Our proposal is that the Village of Colonie build on the routes leading to and from it by the simple and inexpensive installation of one mile of bicycle lanes on the Petra Lane/Walker Way/Jupiter Lane Clark Industrial park corridor. Such an improvement will connect the Village to the University at Albany, to Guilderland and to the City of Albany via the proposed “Industrial Park Bikeway” consisting of Rapp Rd., the Six-Mile Trail, the Washington Ave. Corridor and the University at Albany Purple Path. It will also go north and west via Locust Park and Hunting streets to Sand Creek Rd. and the Shaker Multiuse Path leading past the airport to Route 7 and the Mohawk-Hudson Bike-Hike Trail/Empire State Trail. (An annotated list of the connecting routes is enclosed.)
A major safety benefit that would derive from the proposed Colonie Village Connector would be diverting bicycle traffic from the Central Ave./I-87/Wolf Rd. danger zone.
John Gillivan, village resident and bicycle advocate, obtained a grant to conduct a family bicycle rodeo in Thunder Park with a “pop-up” bicycle lane on Locust Park – one of the linking roads. This event demonstrated to enthusiasm and support that would derive from the Village of Colonie expanding its bicycle facilities.
Mayor Leak, while we recognize that segments of the proposed linkage have a project life of their own and that some segments – notably Rapp Rd. – are barely rideable, action by you and the Village of Colonie to install bicycle lanes on Petra/Walker/Jupiter may well
encourage other officials to take steps to hasten improvement of these interconnecting segments.
Sincerely yours, Albany Bicycle Coalition, Inc.
cc: Edward Sim, Deputy Mayor, Frank Prevratil, Traffic Committee
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~ Trail and Road Elements in the Colonie Village Connector ~
(Annotated list of the connecting routes) – September 13, 2018
Industrial Park Bikeway – Addition of bicycle lanes on Petra Ln., Walker Way, and Jupiter Ln. (1.1 miles). Map – https://www.google.com/maps/dir/42.7093357,-73.8412039/42.7201327,-73.8357653/@42.7114468,-73.8381526,1466m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!4m1!3e1
Rapp Road – The section from the railroad tracks at Petra Ln. and Lincoln Ave. to the Six-Mile Trail (0.7 miles). This road is narrow, winding and in terrible condition with no accommodation for people walking or riding. The Albany Bicycle Coalition has a separate campaign to address this situation.
Six-Mile Trail – The Six-Mile Trail joins Fuller Rd. at the roundabouts to Rapp Rd. at the Solid Waste Management Facility. This multiuse path falls under the Albany Department of Water and Water Supply. The Albany Bicycle Coalition has worked successfully with that water department and with Albany’s Department of General Services to have signs installed at the ends of the multiuse path to guide route access (in process – 1.3 miles).
Washington Avenue – Patroon Creek Corridor – This project covers Washington Ave., between Brevator St. and the Eastbound I-90 on-ramp (Exit 2), across from the University at Albany. This is a major arterial connecting residential and commercial properties. Modifications will improve safety and reduce roadway conflicts to complement the reduced 30-mph speed limit. Project Updates – https://washingtonpatrooncorridor.weebly.com/project-updates.html , Map – https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1bjlrEiOrM9sEeYbUpRfM37Dv1bNWS4KQ&ll=42.68690102151503%2C-73.81502894183347&z=14 , and specifications on the study: https://washingtonpatrooncorridor.weebly.com/ The Albany Bicycle Coalition has a separate campaign to address the “all cars-all the time” road design on the Washington Ave. Extension Flyover and the traffic circles on Fuller Rd. See – https://albanybicyclecoalition.com/2018/09/03/washington-ave-flyover-a-call-for-change/
Purple Path – As original envisioned by the late University at Albany President, Kermit Hall, the “Purple Path” would connect the University to the surrounding communities. Currently, this multiuse path falls somewhat short of this goal in that it is primarily an on-campus facility with the connections either in rudimentary form or nonexistent. The Albany Bicycle Coalition will initiate discussions with the university to seek resolution of these conditions. See – whttps://www.albany.edu/campusrecreation/pedestrian_bikepaths.php
Locust Park and the Short Section of Hunting Rd. Heading North to Sand Creek that Begins at the Bridle Path – Suburban style streets on which appropriate signage and pavement markings are need to provide safe passage for people on bicycles and on foot/wheelchairs/etc. Map – https://www.google.com/maps/dir/42.7209216,-73.8344883/42.7399445,-73.8190363/@42.7266339,-73.8260425,1367m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!4m1!3e1
Sand Creek Road – Major suburban arteirlal. No plans at present to add bicycle- or pedestrian-friendly facilities.
Shaker Multiuse Path – Flat, 2.4-mile multiuse path (paved – 1.3 miles, paved with bicycle lane – 1.1 miles). Starting from Troy-Schenectady Rd. (Route 7), a multiuse path runs south along British American Blvd. through an office park to a bridge crossing Rt. 155. The trail follows Rt. 155 south and then continues on road on Airline Dr. and S. Family Rd. to Sand Creek Rd., and then to Hunting St. and Locust Park. Description – http://bikeitorhikeit.org/shaker_multi_use_trail.htm
Mohawk-Hudson Bike-Hike Trail/Empire State Trail – The Mohawk-Hudson Bike-Hike Trail is the Capital Regions premier trail running from the Albany Riverfront Park to Rotterdam Junction. It will be part of the Empire State Trail. See – https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/new-york/mohawk-hudson-bike-hike-trail
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