Dr. William Sheldon, who has been a vocal advocate for a vision of trail conversion on the Ulster & Delaware corridor, went deep in a letter he submitted to the Ulster & Delaware Corridor Advisory Committee in January. The letter, which argues for a “trail-only” policy on the 1.7 mile “undesignated section,” is the fullest treatment to-date of the complex facts and circumstances, drawing from numerous independent sources and published reports that have already been presented to the members of the committee.
Among the topics covered in the letter are 1) the challenges of “rail-with-trail” on the U&D corridor, 2) a comparison of the economic benefits provided by extension of the trail versus expansion of the tourist train, and 3) a comparison of other non-economic benefits to residents.
Based on his letter, Dr. Sheldon was invited to present to the U&D Corridor Advisory Committee on January 30, 2025.
While some advocates for the railroad have used Dr. Sheldon’s letter to claim that trail supporters are trying to shut the CMRR down, the letter pointedly argues the contrary – to keep the CMRR’s operation intact for the remainder of their permit and to continue to dedicate portions of the corridor for tourist trains in the future.
Dr. Sheldon’s letter offers important insights for anyone interested in the complexities of the policy decision before the Ulster County Legislature. We encourage all parties to review it as a helpful collection of facts and evidence that collectively point to a trail extension as the “highest-and-best” use of the undesignated section of the corridor.
Click here to read the full letter.
