By Randy Griffith
January 28, 2011

— The missing link to connect James Mayer Riverswalk Trail to Sandyvale Cemetery is about to be turned over to the trail owner.

Cambria County Transit Authority on Friday approved the sale of the former rail and trolley line to Cambria County Conservation and Recreation Authority for $1.

“The vision is to connect the Jim Mayer trail to the city where it can connect over streets to the Path of the Flood Trail and other trails leading into the city,” conservation and recreation authority Executive Director Delores J. Columbus said.

When the sale is finalized, it will put the entire trail from Riverside to Sandyvale under the ownership of the conservation and recreation authority, Chairman Thomas E. Strittmatter said.

The next step is to salvage existing steel rails, raising money to remove and repair street crossings on Central Avenue and Horner Street. With that done, volunteer help will be lined up to prepare the trail surface.

“It is a work in progress,” Columbus said. “I can’t say when it will be completed.”

Lift Johnstown Committee, Conemaugh Valley Conservancy and Pennsylvania Environmental Council have provided fundraising and volunteer help to complete the trail, she said.

The acquisition has been a long time coming, conservation and recreation authority member Charles Moyer said.

“There are lots of hoops we have been jumping through with the owners of some of the businesses that border the tracks,” Moyer said. “I didn’t think it would be a problem. It just takes time.”

Some owners raised concerns about liability issues, while one plant balked at giving up rail access in the future.

In order to preserve future access for Johns-town Specialty Castings Inc., the property will be “rail banked” with a deed provision allowing the company or its successor to put in new rail lines if the demand returns, Strittmatter said.