Expansion Of Kirkland Trail Will Head North

From the beginning of forming their group, those involved with Kirkland Trails knew what they wanted to do.

“Our mission was clear,’’ said now KT President Chip Bassett. “Since 2018 we’ve been moving in the same direction.’’

The goal of the volunteer group was to create a multi- use recreation trail from Deansboro to Clark Mills, giving the Town of Kirkland a path from the south end of the town to the north.

The group also wanted to follow the history of transportation through Kirkland by building the trail along the routes of the former Chenango Canal and O&W Railroad.

While the idea for a bike trail had been discussed, the impetus to move forward came when Hamilton College Professor Sam Pellman was killed in November 2017 while riding his bike on Kirkland Avenue.

“That motivated people to make riding around here safer,’’ Bassett said.

After KT was formed, the group quickly moved to make something happen.

The obvious place to start with creating the trail was at the south end, said KT Vice President Jim Bramley.

“Immediately by connecting with the Marshall trail we could give people more options,’’ he said.

The Town of Marshall’s trail runs from Route 315 to a little past Van Hyning Road.

KT partnered with the Town of Kirkland, whose Highway Department worked with the volunteers to form the first link from Route 315 to Dugway Road, about 2 miles. ...