The “permanently maintained” pathway between 36th Avenue and Ermine Steet in South Albany on Feb. 28, 2026.
Returning from a visit to Deerfield Park last week, the bike and I stopped at an Albany oddity, a “permanent” public path that is indefinitely closed.
This is the walkway, 10 feet wide and 50 feet long, that used to connect Ermine Street with 36th Avenue opposite South Albany High School and the Community Pool.
This little strip of land was set aside when that section of Ermine, platted to continue south to 36th, was vacated instead in the 1970s.
The 1975 ordinance on vacating the right-of-way, Ordinance No. 3836, provided: “The people of the city of Albany ordain … that the center 10 feet of deemed right of way be permanently maintained as a pedestrian walkway-bicycle path.”
But in 2009 the council heard complaints from neighbors about vandalism and teenagers behaving badly on and near that pathway. The council, unaware of the 1975 ordinance, closed the path temporarily, then made the closure permanent in 2010.
In 2024, a new resident of Albany asked that the walkway be reopened. But he withdrew his request after meeting with neighbors and hearing their concerns.
When I wondered in 2019 how the city could ignore its own ordinance that the pathway should stay open forever, City Manager Peter Troedsson replied: “In my opinion, the path is still open. There’s nothing keeping anyone from walking down to the end of the path. The City did install a fence at one end to prevent the problems associated with through traffic but could remove the fence at any time.”
One simple way to resolve this little contradiction would be to dig out Ordinance 3836 from the archives and ask the council to amend it by removing the dedicated public pathway. But that hasn’t been done.
The council’s oft-stated policy is to promote “walkable” neighborhoods. But for years now, successive Albany councils have done the opposite in this case. (hh)
The city leaders are a great example of contradictions. They will close one walking right-away and open another, that citizens who have taken it upon themselves to close, due to the same issues that other ones have been closed. At least this one has/had a suitable walking besides mud, grass, and dog poop.
Where is the usual comment from Ray K. defending everything an Albany Council has ever done going back to the 1800s?
As if… LOL. My “votes” on any issue are a matter of public record.
It’s a public path that been closed for years and as a person that enjoys walking it’s really frustrating. Open it up, put up cameras, catch and punish the jerks that cause problems instead of continuing to punish the whole neighborhood.