Wandering around old Albany on the bike without any goal in mind, I sometimes find myself in places that are so out of the way I have never paid them any attention before.
For a long time now, there’s been a gaping hole in the fence on the path from Albany Station to Swanson Park. That might have been foreseen when plans for the station remodeling were discussed 23 years ago.
The walking and bike paths connecting Albany Station to Swanson Park now are part of the Albany park system, and that means park rules against drinking and drug use, among other things, apply.
Well, Thursday night was a bust as far as swifts were concerned. The Audubon Society of Corvallis and associated bird groups announced an “Albany Swift Tower Monitoring” for Thursday evening. No swifts swooped in to test their new roost. And nobody else showed up to see them not doing so.
The latest addition to Albany’s network of off-street paths is open. It’s the 600-foot link underneath the Pacific Boulevard viaduct between Albany Station and the open-air pool at Swanson Park.
For a few weeks now, a contractor for ODOT has been building a new walking or “multi-use” link between Albany Station and Swanson Park underneath the Pacific Boulevard overpass. As the last piece of the depot renovation it’s a welcome development, even though it also makes you wonder about transportation priorities.
This Albany path sports a flowering broom
If you like bright yellow flowers, take a walk along the path from Albany Station to Swanson Park.
Tags: Albany Station, Scotch broom, Swanson Park