Impressed by bike trails he's ridden in other parts of the state, Mike Breglia of Summit has kicked off a campaign to turn the old Cherry Valley railroad line through Sharon Springs into a rail trail.
Mr. Breglia's the first to admit he's got a lot of work ahead of him, but said everyone he's reached out to so far-Sharon Springs Mayor Doug Plummer, Planning Board Chairman Ray Parsons, Beekman Boy Brent Ridge, and the Sharon Pathfinders Snowmobile Club-have been receptive to the idea.
"My wife and I ride bikes on rail rails everywhere and every time I drive through Sharon Springs, I think what a great place it would be for something like that," Mr. Breglia said.
"There's a lot going on there and people seem to have a lot of interest in local history. This seems like a great way to bring those things together and bring people into Schoharie County too."
Mr. Breglia will bring his idea to the next Sharon Joint Planning Board meeting, November 20, 6:30pm in the Community Room at the library and said right now, he's mostly trying to gauge interest and get an idea of what the next steps would be in developing the trail.
He's contacted the Rail Trail Conservancy for literature and has also joined the fledgling Schoharie County Trail Association, which is responsible for the Cobleskill Creek Trail, which opened over the summer.
Though he's focusing on the Sharon section of the old rail line to start, Mr. Breglia can envision such a trail continuing south to Seward or even Cobleskill, and north to Cherry Valley.
"Maybe the idea won't go anywhere, but I feel a real passion to do this," he said.
"The old line is an important piece of local history...I can see this in my mind."
Anyone interested in helping with the project can contact Mr. Breglia at 287-1788.