County, town, state, rail and federal officials met Wednesday to discuss a way for cyclists to cross the railroad tracks near Scrafford Lane owned by Guilford Rail System. Guilford has recently blocked the tracks with train cars and has threatened to arrest anyone attempting to cross.
Guilford and local officials appear to have come to an understanding that will avoid a legal battle over land-ownership rights. Both sides appear willing to work together to secure state and federal funds to build a tunnel underneath the tracks.
Where those funds will come from remains a mystery.
Schenectady County Director of Public Works Joseph Ryan, who called Wednesday's meeting, is confidant the money can be raised without tapping county coffers, he said.
"The county has made a big commitment to the bike trail and one way or another, we'll have to rectify the problem," Ryan said.
The cost of the project has been cited at anywhere from $300,000 to $700,000.
But funding the project with state or federal money will take time, he said. The process of acquiring the money will probably take one to three years before construction can begin.
There is no plan to accommodate cyclists in the interim.
Ryan said he plans to call another meeting in two to three weeks. He hopes to file for the first federal grants by Nov. 1.