State funding drives Rails to Trails project full steam ahead - The Times Herald

"State funding drives Rails to Trails project full steam ahead" from the Wednesday, April 19, 2000 issue of The Times Herald

$1.4 million grant will help fund recreation trail on abandoned railroad bed.

By Rick Jozwiak

The Southern Tier Association for Rails to Trails expects to take ownership of the property and have the funding needed to break ground May 20 and build a recreational trail from the city of Salamanca to Cattaraugus.

Rick LeFeber, founder of Rails to Trails and the Cattaraugus Local Development Corp., said word has come from Albany that more than $1.4 million in state grant funding has been awarded for the project. The New York State Department of Transportation has also authorized the Cattaraugus County Industrial Development Agency to convey an abandoned railroad bed to Rails to Trails.

The trail, which is estimated to cost over $2 million, will be built along 12 miles of the former New York & Lake Erie Railroad bed. The trail will stretch from the Salamanca city line to New Albion road in Cattaraugus and link with several local, state and national trails systems in the area.

Mr. LeFeber said, "it's not moving quite as fast as we would have liked; I would have liked to have it done by the end of the year, but it's looking more like it will all be done by 2001."

A ribbon-cutting ceremony to break ground on the trail is planned for 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 20, at the end of Main Street in Little Valley where the trail will pass through. Little Valley was Rails to Trails' local sponsor needed for the $1.4 million grant.

The trail would be open to bicyclists, hikers, horseback riders, cross-country skiers and snowmobilers.

Brad Walters, chairman of the Rails to Trails, said, "This is a tremendous financial endorsement and vote of confidence in the development of this project. We have been working diligently to create this trail for over a year and this grant will assure its completion."

The portion of the railroad bed in Little Valley widens and will be the location of a future recreational area complete with a gazebo, pavilions, a turn-of -the-century caboose and restrooms. materials for a "friendship Arch" were donated and are in storage until it can be erected. the arch will be build of steel and stand 40 feet tall and span across the trail.

Typically, a trail project like this would take seven to 14 years to complete, Mr. LeFeber said. He started working on the project thought the Local Development Corp. In January 1999.

What helped move the project along was the strong local support, he said.

"We've done about four years of work in about one year," he said.

The official notice concerning the state grant has not come yet, but word has been the grant amount was increased from the $1.2 million originally requested to over $1.4 million.

The organization also was awarded $59.500 from the New York State's Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation earlier this year. that grant will provide the funding to build the recreational area in Little Valley, which will be the centerpiece of the rail project, Mr. LeFeber said.