News

No doubt you’ve been seeing lots of coverage about the policy debate on the U&D Corridor lately. In this age of “alternative facts,” we thought it would be helpful to collect some of the most important information – with reference material to back it up – about the key issues surrounding the rail-or-trail debate. While […]

Here’s a rundown of the latest press coverage of the policy debate on the U&D corridor. Note that most links go directly to a published story, which may require a subscription to access. Corridor Committee to Nowhere, Hugh Reynolds in the Kingston Wire (4/28/25) Catskill Mountain Railroad’s expansion counter-proposal derailed, Patricia Doxsey in the Daily […]

While the CMRR continues to propose ambitious new projects to extend their tourist trains up to Basin Road, an April 16th story in the Times Union explains that nearly a year after the grant award for their planned expansion was announced it remains suspended. The reason? Despite being aware that the grant requires County approval […]

The Ulster County Traffic Safety Board’s purpose is to advance traffic and transportation safety, including pedestrian and nonmotorized transport, through study, advocacy and public education. Members of the board include transportation professionsals, local safety advocates, and members of law enforcement. At the board’s April 7th meeting, the members approved a resolution titled “ADVANCING THE LONG-TERM […]

Friends of the Catskill Mountain Rail Trail Submits Letter to Ulster County Legislature Calling for Trail Connectivity Kingston, NY — The Friends of the Catskill Mountain Rail Trail – a volunteer group organized by the Woodstock Land Conservancy to advocate for a trail connection from the Ashokan Rail Trail to Kingston – today submitted a […]

On January 30th, the Ulster & Delaware Corridor Advisory Committee invited Karl Beard to provide a presentation about the design and construction of shared-use trails (aka rail trails). As the committee explores options for the undesignated section, it is keen to understand what a trail extension really means in terms of design and construction, especially […]

Kingston’s position at the center of a growing network of bike trails is translating into new businesses and trail-oriented development. Latest case in point: the new Overlook Bicycles location at the O&W Building on Hurley Avenue, right next to the O&W Rail Trail! OVERLOOK BICYCLES NEW MAIN LOCATION!79 Hurley Ave, Kingston(The O&W Building)Open Thurs – […]

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 […]

This letter to the editor first appeared in the Daily Freeman on February 6, 2025. No one is calling for the complete elimination of the Catskill Mountain Railroad. The Catskill Mountain Railroad (CMRR) has inexplicably fought tooth and nail for a Kingston location through an aggressive misinformation campaign for a “rail with trail” approach, even […]

This letter to the editor first appeared in the Daily Freeman on February 17, 2025. Here’s a consideration, speaking of the controversy over the rail trail that neither side has addressed that I’m aware of. We read a lot about the number of tourists that the trail or rail can attract. But what about the […]

This letter first appeared in the Daily Freeman on Wednesday, January 15, 2025. The Camoin Group is a highly respected economic forecasting and consulting firm known for making conservative projections. It did reliable work for both the Walkway Over the Hudson (2008) and the Ashokan Rail Trail (2013). Camoin did a 2023 economic research study […]

Anyone who has been tracking the trail versus train debate in Ulster County over the past decade has heard the term “Rail-With-Trail” thrown about by both sides of the debate. Particularly when it comes to the County-owned corridor known as the Ulster and Delaware (or U&D), the topic is a flash-point of controversy.   After years […]