Shandaken Rail Trail Project

The anticipated total project cost is $4.95 million. Eighty percent ($3.96 million) will be provided by federal funding from the Transportation Alternatives Program, and twenty percent ($990,000) is to be provided by Ulster County. The rail corridor property is owned by the County, and it is the sponsor of the project. The Town of Shandaken will not be responsible for providing funding for the design or construction of this project. 

The funding for this project comes from a competitive source that was awarded specifically for this project. The grant cannot be re-allocated to address different needs in Shandaken. The project will provide health and recreational benefits to Shandaken residents, bolster economic development efforts consistent with the community’s plans, and repair and restore drainage and other infrastructure in the corridor. The Town of Shandaken can apply for other grants to meet additional needs in the community. 

Town of Shandaken property taxes will not go up for construction costs. The trail will be maintained by the County and a volunteer stewardship program like the one organized for the Ashokan Rail Trail.  

This section of the trail was delineated by the Ulster County legislature for conversion to recreational trail with Resolution No. 488 of 2015. A U&D Corridor Revitalization Study was completed in 2021 to determine the feasibility and costs of the trail. Shandaken Ulster and Delaware Trail Feasibility Study | Ulster County Transportation Council (ulstercountyny.gov) The feasibility study provides ample justification for the trail for economic, public health, transportation and community development reasons.

The project presents an opportunity to revitalize an abandoned rail corridor in a manner that has a positive impact on both the community and the ecosystem. Drainage improvements and the removal of creosote ties are two examples of the positive impacts to the ecosystem. In addition, the railroad corridor presents an opportunity to provide an ADA compliant path for less able members of the community to use. The hiking trails in the region are narrow and steep, designed for the able bodied to enjoy. The project is a way to maintain a County asset that may otherwise fall into further severe disrepair and become a County liability. Finally, the successful completion of the Ashokan Rail Tail adjacent to the Ashokan Reservoir affirms the ability of trails and the environment's ability to co-exist.

The most recent meeting In Pine Hill was not a public hearing. It was a public informational meeting about the design concepts with the opportunity to ask questions, and allow for comments and concerns to be heard. Two (2) additional public engagement activities will take place in the community to gather input about the project design. These have not yet been scheduled. The County and its consultants are working to ensure that these engagement opportunities allow the voices of many different people in the community to be heard and make comments. You can make comments on the material at the last meeting by visiting the Guestbook on this website or emailing kwil@co.ulster.ny.us by May 10th.    

To learn more about the difference between public meetings and public hearings, visit: Conducting Public Meetings and Public Hearings (ny.gov) 

The average width of the Ulster County owned Right-of-way centered on the railroad tracks is on average 65 ft. wide.  Meaning that a property line could be 30 ft. from the trail, once constructed.  In most cases, the houses on these adjacent properties are set back more than 100 ft. from the trail with the exceptions being near Station Road and Ulster & Delaware Turnpike.

The Railroad ties do contain creosote as commonly found in all wooden railroad ties before the use of this chemical was banned.  The ties will be removed from the ground and transported off site for disposal in an NYSDEC approved landfill.  The further release of creosote during the tie removal process is not anticipated.

The County will offer portions of the rail and hardware to existing local railroads including CMRR and D&U RR. The disposition of the remaining steel rails and hardware will be determined as the detailed design phase progresses later this year.

1) The Pine Hill community may access the trail by walking to it from their own residences and via Station Road. The parking lots at either end of the trail will serve community members and tourists who would like to walk or bike from one end of the trail to the other. Rather than creating additional parking in the hamlet specifically for the trail, we can think of the trail as an asset for existing residents. 

2) Formal access points are not currently planned along Bonnie View Ave. and this roadway will not be advertised as an access point.  No trail parking signs can be installed along Bonnie View Ave. and Station Rd. to prohibit parking along these roads. Online wayfinding has been successful on other projects in ensuring that visitors utilize the provided trail parking.

3) At this point in time, there are no plans to build a bridge over Birch Creek from Lake Street.  Providing a pedestrian only connection between the trail and Main St. in the Hamlet is challenging due to the steep terrain between the trail and Main St. and the numerous private residences between the trail and Main St. If there is a desire to connect the trail to a specific destination along Main St, that could be investigated further.

The covered bridge at the Belleayre Beach Day use Area is maintained by ORDA.  The bridge is closed to vehicular traffic during the off-season and when the DUA is closed at the end of each day.  However, the pedestrian path on the bridge will remain open year-round for access to the trail.

Springs adjacent to the current tracks were noted in our assessment and will not be disturbed by the construction of the trail.

Comments on the U&D Feasibility Study begin on page 128. FINAL-Ulster-amp-Delaware-Shandaken-Feasibility-Report_Reduced.pdf (ulstercountyny.gov) Many Shandaken and Pine Hill residents commented both in support and with concerns for the trail.