Hurley Rail Trail - National Trails Day 2009

Hurley Rail Trail Day Slide Show

Volunteers, walkers, and bikers on the rail trail. National Trails Day in Hurley, NY, June 7, 2008

Hurley Rail Trail News

Hi, This section was supposed to be included in the Town's newsletter, but was inadvertently left out: Hurley Rail Trail Notes The summer flew by and the trail use stayed consistently strong, reflecting the importance Hurley residents place on a healthy lifestyle. Our committee did a sample trail census on Saturday, August 26 and found that the majority of trail users were Hurley residents in the morning, but visitors tended to come from a variety of locales through the afternoon. Hurley residents tended to use the trail daily -- Biking and walking were most popular. We counted 85 trail users even though the day was oppressively hot and humid -- over 70% of the activity occurred before noon. Another trail count will be done during a weekday to compare results. As we look back on the season, several items stand out: 1. Installation of the interpretive signs adds a further dimension for trail users. Both Hurley residents, as well as visitors, can now learn a little more about our heritage, thanks to the grant from the Hudson River Greenway. 2. The planted berms have all been adopted by various families or organizations that are responsible for maintenance. The berm sponsors are listed on the Town website at the Rail trail Committee page. We thank them for their efforts! 3. Many dog walkers use the trail (11% of our recent census). A dogi-pot sanitary station was added near the Esopus parking area and has gotten good use. If this experiment is successful, we will evaluate the addition of another station. 4. Garbage continues to be an issue. We have removed over 150 pounds of trash this year. The good news is that the volume of garbage has declined over the past three years. A good deal of trash seems to be sourced from Route 209 traffic; a smaller amount is related to children's articles, drinks, and snacks presumably sourced by trail users. Volunteers have picked up the trash -- and we hope that all trail users will get in the habit of keeping the trail a clean environment ('bring a bag' campaign). 5. Unfortunately, graffiti has been added to many signs and buildings this summer. The Rte 209 underpass is no exception. We have asked the NYSDOT for assistance in addressing the issue and we are planning a clean-up party to eliminate the freelance artwork. If you are interested in assisting, please send a note to hurleytrail@earthlink.net. Looking forward, there are issues which may affect trail users in the months to come. 1. A sinkhole developed near Russell Rd. which will require major engineering to repair. The cause appears to be the loss of embedment material along a major culvert which carries the Millbrook stream under Rte. 209. The NYSDOT will be addressing the repairs before winter and may result in closure of the trail at that juncture. 2. Ulster County is preparing a Non Motorized Transportation Plan which will outline all major pedestrian and biking routes in the county. The objective of the plan is to recommend trail projects which will create or link non motorized routes, such as our rail trail. Public meetings on the recommendations will begin October 9 -- please see http://www.altaplanning.com/ulsternmtp/ for more information.

Sheldon Quimby article highlights Hurley Rail Trail

Daily Freeman - Happy trails to all: "The old tune, 'I've been Working on the Railroad,' seems to be an appropriate theme song for Sheldon Quimby. For the past 15 years, the Port Ewen resident has dedicated a great deal of time to the D&H Canal Heritage Corridor's section of the O&W Rail Trail."

Rail Trail in the Freeman Today

Here's an update on the rail trail from Kingston to Ellenville. It was in the Freeman today.

"The old tune, 'I've been Working on the Railroad,' seems to be an appropriate theme song for Shel-don Quimby. For the past 15 years, the Port Ewen resident has dedicated a great deal of time to the D&H Canal Heritage Corridor's section of the O&W Rail Trail."

Read the whole article in the Daily Freeman - Happy trails to all

Rail Trail Update & Survey

Three Reasons to Complete the Rail Trail Survey

1. Survey feedback strengthens our grant applications.

2. Your responses help us set priorities for expanding and enhancing the Trail.

3. By responding you let us know the time we spend improving the trail is appreciated. That keeps us going.

So, please complete the survey and forward the survey link to your friends and neighbors in case they don't subscribe to this newsletter. Rail Trail Survey

Complete the survey NOW! Five minutes of your time --

Happy New Year! Did you make a resolution to get more exercise this year? Do you use the Rail Trail as your exercise venue of choice? How often? How would you like to see it improved?

It may be winter, but the weather is still mild and we see many of you out on the Rail Trail. Meanwhile, we're huddled over our computer screens putting together grant applications to extend and enhance the trail.

Help us convince funders that the Rail Trail is a vital part of our community by completing this brief survey now. It will only take five minutes, but it's invaluable information for us.

What's Up on the Trail? It has been a busy year for the rail trail - and it's been great seeing so many of you out there. During 2006, we tamed the weeds on the twelve berms (planted hillocks), thanks to the help of many organizations and clubs who volunteered their time.

Most of the berms have now been adopted by volunteer groups. Come Spring, flowers will begin to sprout. Signs have been placed on the adopted berms - pass your thanks on to these organizations and families.

The Hudson Valley Greenway has designated the trail a "countryside corridor" and provided a grant to assist the Town in placing interpretive signs along the paved portion of the trail. The finished signs arrived in November and will be installed in April, 2007. These signs will inform trail users about Hurley's historical, environmental, and agricultural heritage.

Eagle Scouts built the new kiosk and six benches. Brendan Nugent (kiosk and two benches) and Wyler Gins (four benches) raised the funds to buy the materials and led volunteers in the construction/installation of their projects. Paul Esposito has begun installing mileage markers along the rail trail as part of his Eagle Scout project.

NYS Senator John Bonacic committed to provide a partial grant to build an additional parking area near the Russell Rd. intersection. We now need to find a sponsor for the remaining funds necessary for this task.

Please take five minutes to show your appreciation and support by completing the Rail Trail Survey before you head out for your New Year's Day walk.

All the best for the New Year,

Wally Cook

Hurley Rail Trail Chair

Review the Rail Trail Section of the Comprehensive Plan You can read the pages that address the Rail Trail at this link.

Hurley Comp Plan Rail Trail Recommendations

Rail Trail Work Party-Sat. June 10

Free tomorrow morning? Rail Trail work party, 9:00 am to get the last two berms covered with wood chips. Just show up with your shovels and rakes. Or go shopping at the Hurley Heritage Society's Barn Sale, Saturday and Sunday.

Hurley Rail Trail Needs Some Help!

The Rail Trail following route 209 through Hurley was built with help from many friends. More work is planned, but a little help is needed. Eleven hillocks, or berms, were built to NY State specifications, in order to provide a buffer to the highway. Thanks to NYSDOT and landscape designer Tom Brodhead, over seventy trees and close to 400 shrubs were planted on and around the berms this November. Spring will be beautiful as the new additions take root and grow. But the berms could become and eyesore if not properly maintained. We’re asking for volunteer groups to “adopt” a berm for maintenance purposes. What does this mean? It can be as simple as occasional weeding. Further effort could involve planting ground cover or flowering bulbs, if desired. The Town Highway Department has committed to watering the berms during the crucial months of June and July. In addition, Linda will try to obtain mulch from the Landfill. Three of the berms have been adopted (Hurley Heritage Society and two by private individuals), leaving eight to go. It’s a good time to pick your real estate! We will even place a small sign at each berm to recognize the sponsoring group. Please contact hurleytrail@earthlink.net if you have interest in participating. Click on "Link" below for Rail Trail information. Posted by Wally Cook