On September 15, Paul Steely White, Executive Director of Parks & Trails New York (PTNY), presented findings from PTNY’s study The Economic Impact of the Empire State Trail to the Ulster County Legislature, at the invitation of Chair Peter Criswell.
The statewide numbers are big: $1.87 billion in annual economic activity, more than 9,600 jobs, and $5.43 in sales revenue for every $1 invested. The county-by-county appendix, published in July, shows what that means here. In Ulster County, the Empire State Trail draws nearly 400,000 visits a year and generates $74 million in annual economic output.
Building the Kingston Ashokan Trail (KAT) would help close the gap between the Ashokan Rail Trail and the Empire State Trail in Kingston. The Legislature heard these figures as it weighs the policy decision on the undesignated section of the Ulster & Delaware (U&D) corridor.
