http://capitalsubway.weebly.com/map.html

Albany has looked into building a LRT network since 2008. This map from a February 2012 posting shows a highly ambitious plan which will require gobs of Federal money, because New York State is in serious financial straits. If any one line gets built first, best bet would be on a route from Amtrak to the airport.

Sloan

Wow, that is quite a network of rail lines for this size city! It's almost like they want to one-up Buffalo (a larger city) across the state, or even dare I say, that other city 141 rail miles to the south. They'll never approach the latter, but still that is a very impressive map should this system end up being built out to completion.

I agree that as long as Amtrak is going to remain across the Hudson River in Rensselaer, the situation cries for frequent rail transit between there and downtown Albany. It may however be the most expensive line to build, depending on how they intend on crossing the river. But my guess is that a north/south line solely on the west side of the river may be the starter line, perhaps the Blue Line to the Medical Center. Note too that the Red Line on the map will go all the way to the Schenectady Amtrak station, providing another transfer possibility.