ODESSA, N.Y. (WENY) -- Officials and community leaders gathered in Odessa today to commemorate the opening of a brand new bike trail. The Odessa-Hector trail is a 2.5 mile rail trail that was constructed with only private funding and volunteer effort, meaning zero public funds were used to create the new trail. 

Funding originated from local businesses and organizations such as Schuyler Glass, Chemung Canal Trust Company, and the Finger Lakes Land Trust. Individual volunteers also offered labor and equipment to help with the trail's construction.

The trail uses a former mountainside railroad grade once used by the now defunct Lehigh Valley Railroad. The trail is similar to other rail trails in the region such as the Catharine Valley Rail Trail and Keuka Lake Outlet Trail.

"It was a big project. Big construction project. But it was very very inspiring to do," said Bruno Schickel of Hector, who volunteered to help build trail and is the namesake for the 2.5 mile stretch of trail, "And I'm trying to inspire people to participate and volunteer time, to help extend this all the way up to Burdett and onto the town of Hector, that's the goal, 16 miles."

The trail is open to walking, biking, horseback riding, and in the winter, snowmobiling. Though there is no current timeframe for construction of the other portions, support for the full-length trail is plentiful amongst residents and sponsors.