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SACRAMENTO -- A 4.8-mile pedestrian and bike trail through a half-dozen South Sacramento neighborhoods got a boost Thursday when the Sacramento Area Council of Governments allocated $6 million for the project.

The Del Rio Trail follows a long-abandoned rail line that skirts William Land Park and connects to a level trail near Pocket Road.

While the State Railroad Museum Foundation wanted to retain the tracks for a possible excursion train from Old Sacramento to the Delta, the museum and the state parks system gave up on that idea several years ago.

The South Sacramento Neighborhood Association, a key booster of the project, says the current plans don’t discount rehabbing the rail line. But the group is also against an active rail line running through the residential area.

Association President Brian Ebbert says the trail is more than a recreational asset because it will connect users to downtown Sacramento and beyond.

"Neighborhoods are looking for green-friendly ways to get to downtown, to work and to services," Ebbert said.

The city will host a community meeting on the project Thursday evening and is accepting public comment as a part of the environmental review process. Construction could begin in about a year and a half.