ALBANY, NY – Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan, alongside community members, local officials, and partners, celebrated the completion of Phase Two of the South End Connector Trail with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on October 19th. The event marked the successful transformation of a half-mile section of the City’s first two-way cycle trail into a vibrant linear park featuring new public amenities.
Phase Two of the project built upon the existing South End Connector by adding community-driven improvements designed to enhance the space for residents and visitors. New features include an outdoor Fitness Court® presented by MVP Health Care and National Fitness Campaign, an accessible basketball area, a children’s cycle track, and designated spaces for food trucks and community pop-up events. These additions have created a welcoming hub for recreation, gatherings, and local commerce, furthering the City's vision of utilizing public spaces for the community’s benefit. Details of the community outreach and project proposal can be viewed on the project page.
This project is funded by $400,000 in grants from the Recreational Trails Program, an assistance program of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (RTP -175160), and $75,000 from the Greenway Conservancy for the Hudson River Valley Inc. (2018-A-01), a public benefit corporation sponsored by New York State. This project was also made possible through SAM grants from Assemblymembers Pat Fahy and John McDonald.
“The South End Connector Trail exemplifies what can be achieved when a community envisions a future for its public spaces. The South End Connector is a vital resource for the neighborhood but also an important part of our efforts to connect Albany’s residents to their waterfront.” said Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan. “By linking the South End, a community that continues to feel the impact of redlining, to the Hudson River we are creating vibrant, accessible spaces, and transforming Albany’s waterfront into a destination for recreation, connection, and community. Through initiatives like this we are building a stronger, more unified city while addressing the challenges created by the construction of I-787. Thank you to our residents, the Department of Planning and Development, and each of our Federal, State and Local partners who have come together to deliver this important addition to our City.”
“Building connections between our neighborhoods and to our waterfront for communities like the South End, who have experienced the long-lasting effects of redlining, is how we create a more connected and vibrant City of Albany,” said Assemblymember Patricia Fahy. “This new community space and trail will provide local residents with a safe place to recreate, travel, and host events, building on the investments we’ve continued to make in the South End neighborhood. I was proud to secure funding for this project and look forward to seeing our community utilize this space. As we seek to Reimagine our relationship with I-787, especially downtown, this project is a vital component of any future plans to fully reconnect our neighborhoods with the Hudson River waterfront and our City more broadly. Kudos to Mayor Sheehan and our City partners who worked hard to bring this project to reality.”
Assemblymember John T. McDonald III, RPh said, "The new South End Connector is a resource that will provide opportunities for health and wellness while continuing to open access to Albany's waterfront. I worked with my colleague Assemblymember Fahy to contribute funding for this project and thank the City of Albany and the other partners for making this a reality."
South End Neighborhood Association President Joann Morton said,
“I am excited to see the Kid friendly park at the South End Bike Connector Trail. As I reflect on the trail before the addition of the dedicated space for the young riders it was a little bit of a challenge for children learning to ride to ride a bicycle or those using a tricycle to safely use the trail. I am glad that we had the opportunity to discuss those concerns with the planning department and see them addressed and implemented in Phase II of the project. It felt like a long time from those initial discussions until now but I am happy to see it came to fruition. The children will enjoy the change as will the parents. I also see this space being utilized by the community for Community Events, like National Night Out. The space for the vendor trucks will also provide an opportunity for startups and local business to grow their business. I look forward to seeing this space expand to include bathrooms and trails that reach into the community. “
Commissioner of the Department of Neighborhood & Community Faye Andrew said, “ We heard the needs of the South End community and redesigned the spaces below I-787 to better serve their wishes. This is an exciting step towards improving recreational activities and access to the waterfront. It will no doubt have a long term positive impact on the resident of South End.”
City of Abany Director of Planning Bradley Glass said, “The connector trail is an example of how the mistakes of the past can become the opportunities of our future. Building upon the first phase of the project, which facilitates the healthy transportation of people between our communities, Phase II enhances the active recreational opportunities available to the local South End community. Before this project was even completed, residents were actively utilizing these amenities. The Department of Planning and Development appreciates the support of the many partners and funders who made these ideas come to life within this historically underutilized space.”
City of Albany Commissioner of the Department of Recreation and Youth & Workforce Services Jonathan Jones said, "The South End Connector is a multi-play space that connects our community to the Hudson River and the areas in the region. A once blank space is now home to new fitness equipment and play features that connects us to cities across our nation that are serious about residents health, community engagement and inclusion. We look forward to working out with the community we serve on the South End Connector."
City of Albany Director of Marketing Nyla McKenzie - Isaac said, “The South End Connector Trail is more than just a path—it’s a reconnection. For too long, the South End has been separated from Albany’s waterfront, both physically and symbolically. Through strategic marketing and branding, we are reshaping the narrative of this once-overlooked neighborhood, positioning it as a vibrant, connected hub for recreation, community, and commerce. This project ensures that residents see their neighborhood reflected in the city’s progress and have a space that feels like their own. By transforming underutilized spaces and elevating community-driven initiatives, we are not just telling the story of the South End—we are amplifying it.”
The MVP Health Care Fitness Court, located at Church Street at S. Ferry Street along the Albany County Rail Trail, becomes the tenth Fitness Court in the Capital Region and the 26th to open statewide.
The Fitness Court is the world’s best outdoor gym that lets people use their own body weight to get a complete workout using seven exercise stations. Created for people aged 14 and older and with all capabilities in mind, the workouts are adaptable for all fitness levels, allowing participants to move at their own pace. Users also may download the free Fitness Court App which acts as a coach-in-your-pocket and enhances the outdoor gym into a digitally supported wellness experience.
For more information on MVP Health Care’s support of NFC, please visit nationalfitnesscampaign.com/NewYork and nationalfitnesscampaign.com/Vermont.
“Albany County continues to demonstrate its commitment to the wellbeing of our residents with financial support which promotes a healthy lifestyle,” said Albany County Executive Daniel P. McCoy. “The $25,000 investment we are making to this Fitness Court through the Innovation Partnership sends a strong message. We have seen how much the Fitness Court is being used in Tawasentha Park in Guilderland after we installed that last year. And we see tens of thousands of people out on the Albany County Helderberg Hudson Rail Trail each year. We know how important these venues are and the great benefits they are providing to the community.”
“The launch of the MVP Health Care Fitness Court in the City of Albany is a step towards providing access to resources that can change the trajectory of someone’s health and wellness journey,” said MVP Health Care’s president and CEO, Chris Del Vecchio. “As a leading health care services company, investing in our local communities and offering new, innovative wellness options, like the Fitness Court, reinforces our commitment to giving back to the people we serve and places we call home.”
“National Fitness Campaign is proud to welcome the City of Albany to the campaign as a leader in New York, championing health and wellness for their residents,” said Mitch Menaged, founder of National Fitness Campaign. “The addition of the Fitness Court along the popular Albany Rail Trail continues to advance our mission of moving people outdoors and helping communities combat the fiscal and humanitarian costs of inactivity.”
About the South End Connector
The 1.5-mile South End Connector features the first physically separated two-way cycle track in the City. The trail is protected by a landscape buffer from the Albany County Helderberg-Hudson Rail Trailhead to the Interstate 787 Frontage Road. At Church Street, the protected trail continues underneath Interstate 787 for a walk or ride all the way to the Mohawk Hudson Hike-Bike Trail connection. The South End Connector also provides traffic calming measures along South Pearl Street, slowing traffic and creating a direct route for the residents of the South End to access Corning Waterfront Park.
The South End Connector is also a part of the Empire State Trail, a continuous 750-mile route spanning the state from New York City to Canada and Buffalo to Albany, which when opened became the longest multi-use state trail in the nation.
About MVP Health Care
MVP Health Care is a nationally recognized, not-for-profit health insurer caring for members in New York and Vermont. Committed to the complete well-being of our members and the communities we serve, MVP makes health insurance more convenient, more supportive, and more personal. For more information, visit www.mvphealthcare.com, or on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
About National Fitness Campaign
Founded in San Francisco in 1979, National Fitness Campaign is a wellness consulting firm that provides programs and services to cities, schools and sponsors. Our mission is to build healthy communities nationwide. The campaign delivers an integrated wellness initiative, centered around the Fitness Court®– the world's best outdoor gym. National Fitness Campaign welcomed its 500th healthy community in 2023, as it continues to grow the country’s largest public-private partnership in support of wellness with the goal of building a Fitness Court® within a 10-minute bike ride of every American. Follow along with National Fitness Campaign at nationalfitnesscampaign.com or on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.
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