When biking into our village from the Southeast side of town, it seems that the closer you get, the more difficult the route becomes. The two main options are to take East St or the Auburn Trail up to Jefferson Rd. From there, both routes require traveling along Jefferson Rd to either Mitchell Rd or South St. If you have ever ridden up the shoulder-less stretch of East St, or tried crossing the single-lane Mitchell Rd bridge alongside traffic, you know that these routes are not the most easily traversed. Our neighborhoods need an easier and safer connection to the Village.
We can look to our neighbors in Farmington and Perinton for examples of how we can upgrade our existing trails to substantially improve pedestrian and bicyclist access between the Town and Village. In 2012, the Town of Perinton built a pedestrian bridge across the Erie Canal in order to connect the RS&E Trolley Trail and the Erie Canalway. This bridge was the missing link needed to connect neighborhoods to the Village of Fairport. A pedestrian bridge where the Auburn Railroad formerly crossed the canal in Pittsford would not only connect our Southeastern neighborhoods to the Village, it would also connect three regional trail systems (Genesee Valley Greenway, Erie Canalway, and the Ontario Pathways trail system). A 2012 trail usage study found that the Auburn Trail, prior to any regional trail system connections, had an estimated 40-60 thousand users per year. By completing the Auburn Trail connection to the Erie Canalway, Pittsford stands to significantly increase pedestrian and bicycle traffic into the Village.
The proposed Auburn Trail Bridge location and rendering. Photo taken facing Jefferson Rd. from the canal path, with the flood gates on the left. Photo illustration courtesy of Mark Richeson Photography
Current Auburn Trail Surfaces
A pedestrian bridge alone will not be enough to connect these trail systems. Improvements will be needed to create a continuous pathway through Pittsford. Shortly after the Auburn Trail reaches Pittsford, it devolves from an easily bike-able stonedust surface to a patchwork of surface roads, crushed stone trail, and dirt paths with unclear linkage points. We can look to our neighbors in Farmington and Canandaigua for a current example of towns transforming their sections of the Auburn Trail into an accessible, multi-use trailway. These towns are mid-construction in the first phase of a plan to extend the Auburn trail and link to the Ontario Pathways trail system. Once this project is complete, our trail through Pittsford will be the only remaining incomplete section of this regional trail
Without a discussion on funding, these would be nothing more than nice ideas. However, just as the neighboring projects show us what to do, they also show us how to fund these projects. The Perinton pedestrian bridge was a $1.7 million project, but $1.5 million of that total was funded through a federal Transportation Enhancement grant. Seventy-five percent of Farmington’s 3-mile extension of the Auburn Trail is being funded by a NYS Transportation Alternatives Program grant and over 90% of the funding for the initial feasibility study was provided by the Genesee Transportation Council. The grant opportunities are out there, but we need to start the search, as securing funding for these types of projects can take years.
With the Town and Village finalizing our Active Transportation Plan (ATP), now is the time to ensure that this trail connection is prioritized. The current draft of the ATP includes some improvements to the Auburn Trail, but the need for an easier and safer link between the two trails should also be highlighted. You can attend the upcoming public workshop or email Supervisor Smith and Mayor Corby to let them know that you would like to see this trail connection completed. By providing opportunities to travel safely between the Town and Village outside of a vehicle, we will be taking a meaningful step towards building a more socially, economically, and environmentally healthy community.
Historic images of the original Auburn Railroad Bridge. Images from the Canal Society of New York State
Many thanks for contributing, John! Given that both Brooke and I live in the Village, we value hearing from people who walk, bike and roll outside that area. It offers us a more complete picture of what it’s like to use our current infrastructure on a daily basis and what is missing. I know the Town and Village are prioritizing missing pieces to make our trail, sidewalk and multi-use path system more complete.
I’m intrigued by the grant options for funding.
The two projects you describe will make Pittsford a safer, more family friendly community! Both Paul and I would make use of the pedestrian bridge and the improved pathway. I hope that with your leadership these goals will become reality.