From the public meeting last summer.

How best to connect the Helderberg Hudson Rail Trail and Mohawk-Hudson Hike-Bike Trail along Albany's riverfront?

That's a question the city of Albany and consultants from Alta Planning + Design and have been working over the past year. And next week it looks like they're ready to present the results of that work. There's a public presentation set for Tuesday, May 23 at 5:30 pm at the Albany Public Library's Howe Branch (105 Schuyler Street).

As explained at a meeting last summer, the city and Alta were working to narrow down a range of possible routes for bridging the roughly two-mile gap between the major bike paths through the South End using some combination of bike lanes, multi-use paths, and city streets.

Each of the options discussed last year had its tradeoffs -- for level of bike amenities, ease of construction, and cost. And there's also the important consideration of a how the connector trail could potentially most benefit the surrounding neighborhood.

This project is important not just because it aims to connect two of the area's most prominent bike paths, but also because it moves the city/area more toward having a network of bike paths. As we wrote last year: A bike path is fine. Two bike paths is better. But a system of bike paths, connecting within the city of Albany and to its surrounding areas, holds the most potential in helping foster a culture here in which a broad range of people, in a range of places, feel comfortable choosing cycling as a transportation option.