Highland, N.Y. - County Executive Mike Hein was joined this morning by State and local officials and over 40 trail supporters to announce the completion of construction and celebrate the grand opening of Phase 4 of the Hudson Valley Rail Trail in Highland in the Town of Lloyd, which extends 1.25 miles from New Paltz Road to South Street. The project was championed by the County Executive as a critical link in the County’s growing trail network, which will soon connect between the Walkway Over the Hudson and the Village of New Paltz, where the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail already stretches from Gardiner to Kingston.
The project includes a 12-foot wide, asphalt paved bicycle and pedestrian trail, which is a designated section of Governor Cuomo’s Empire State Trail – a continuous 750-mile trail that will connect from New York City to Canada and Buffalo to Albany. Originally, the Empire State Trail was slated to remain only on the east side of the Hudson River. However, the County Executive advocated for an interconnected trail system that crossed the river to include Ulster County, where the Catskill Mountains and Shawangunk Ridge are expected to be major attractions along the route. The project is an unprecedented investment in a community asset that will benefit Ulster County residents and visitors alike for decades to come through increased tourism, safer non-motorized transportation, and enhanced quality of life.
The $2 million project received 80 percent funding from a federal transportation grant and $50,000 through a grant awarded by the late Assemblyman Frank Skartados. At the event, County Executive Hein was joined at the podium by Ulster County Legislator Herb Litts, Town of Lloyd Supervisor Paul Hansut, Empire State Trail Director Andy Beers, and Peter Bellizzi, Hudson Valley Rail Trail Association President. Following remarks from state and local officials, a ribbon cutting opened the new trail to the public.
The completion of this trail section represents the culmination of a remarkable collaboration between Ulster County and environmental and community organizations, such as Scenic Hudson, Hudson Valley Rail Trail Association, Wallkill Valley Rail Trail Association, Walkway Over the Hudson, Empire State Trail / Greenway, Mohonk Preserve, the John Burroughs Association, and the Open Space Institute.
Michael P. Hein, Ulster County Executive
“The trail segment we are opening and celebrating today took many years of planning and work behind the scenes, and I am grateful to our many Trail Partners who have made this project such a success,” said County Executive Mike Hein. “This beautiful new trail is a critical link in expanding recreational and non-motorized transportation opportunities in our County and connecting our communities along the coming Empire State Trail, of which this will be a part. We look forward to the upcoming trail segment openings, that will connect the South Street trail with Tony Williams Park and the Village of New Paltz, which will complete the connection from the Walkway Over the Hudson to New Paltz and beyond.”
Paul Hansut, Town of Lloyd Supervisor
“Thank you to County Executive Hein and the County Legislature for stepping in to complete this critical trail link in our community,” said Paul Hansut, Town of Lloyd Supervisor. “The Town of Lloyd looks forward to opening our trail segment to Tony Williams Park in the coming months, and we appreciate New York State prioritizing and moving forward the connection to the Village of New Paltz. The expanded trail network will be a wonderful amenity for our community and an economic boost to local businesses.
While the New Paltz Road to South Street segment is now open to the public, the two additional segments under construction by the Town of Lloyd and State of New York Department of Transportation and are slated for completion by the end of 2018. Once completed, these new sections will extend a total of 8.6 miles from Tony Williams Park in the Town of Lloyd to the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail in the Village of New Paltz.
# # #
Trail Details:
- 12 feet wide, asphalt-paved
- Parking area/ trailhead near South Street
- Non-motorized uses- bicycling, running, walking, skating
- Will be plowed in winter for year round usage
Hudson Valley Rail Trail Phases:
- Prior Phases: From Walkway to Tony Williams Park- 3.5 Miles
- Phase 3 (Town of Lloyd)- 0.7 Miles
- Phase 4 (County of Ulster)- 1.25 Miles
- Phase 5 (NYS DOT)- Approximately 1.6 Miles to N. Putt Corners Rd
- Phase 5 (NYSDOT/ New Paltz)- Connection to WVRT- 1.5 Miles
- Once completed, from Walkway to WVRT- 8.6 Miles
Photos:
1) Ulster County Executive Mike Hein announces the grand opening of a new 1.25 mile section of the Hudson Valley Rail Trail.
2) Ribbon Cutting Ceremony – pictured (from L to R): Rafael Diaz, Hudson Valley Rail Trail Association; Mikki Meyer, Town of Lloyd Economic Development Committee; Laura Petit, Ulster County Legislator; Hector Rodriguez, Ulster County Legislator; Andy Beers, Empire State Trail Director; Paul Hansut, Town of Lloyd Supervisor; Ulster County Executive Mike Hein; Chris White, Ulster County Deputy Director of Planning; Kathy Nolan, Ulster County Legislator; Ray Constantino, Hudson Valley Rail Trail Association; Claire Constantino, Hudson Valley Rail Trail Association; Herb Litts, Ulster County Legislator.
