Connected rail trails to be focus of event
NEW PALTZ, N.Y. » The state Department of Transportation will unveil its vision for a trail to connect the Hudson Valley Rail Trail to the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail at an open house later this month.
At the event, scheduled for 6 p.m. on May 15, state officials will present its preliminary concept for that section of the Empire State Trail, highlighting the conceptual plan and the project schedule.
The new section of trail will run adjacent to state Route 299, said Gina DiSarro, a spokeswoman for the Department of Transportation. The trail will link the Hudson Valley Rail Trail in the town of Lloyd to the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail in the town of New Paltz.
DiSarro declined to provide details about the planned trail, saying it is currently in the “design phase” and that the state wants people to attend the May 15 open house.
The Empire State Trail, planned for completion in 2020, would create a 750mile from New York City to Canada and from Albany to Buffalo by connecting the Hudson Valley Greenway Trail and the Erie Canalway.
For the most part, the trail locally will run along the eastern side of the Hudson River, but it will cross into Ulster County via the Walkway Over the Hudson and run through Ulster County to the town of Ulster, where it will cross back into Dutchess County over the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge and continue northward.
The open house will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the New Paltz Community Center, 3 Veterans Drive in New Paltz.
The public is encouraged to drop in any time during the open house to review the preliminary plans, ask questions and provide input.