the wallkill valley rail trail past, present, and future
TRANSCRIPT
The Wallkill Valley Rail Trail
The Wallkill Valley Rail Trail
Past, Present, and FuturePast, Present, and Future
12 1/2 miles of trail scenic multi-use trail12 1/2 miles of trail scenic multi-use trailfrom the souther border of Gardinerfrom the souther border of Gardiner
to the norther border of New Paltzto the norther border of New Paltz
Rail Trail TimelineRail Trail Timeline•1979 Conrail ends use of railroad
•1983 New Paltz Conservation Commission recommends linear park
•1987 Public hearing
•1988 Negotiations begin to purchase railbed
•1990 Purchase of railbed
•1991 WVRTA incorporated as 501c3
•1993 Volunteers complete trail construction
•1993 Grand Opening of entire length of trail
•1979 Conrail ends use of railroad
•1983 New Paltz Conservation Commission recommends linear park
•1987 Public hearing
•1988 Negotiations begin to purchase railbed
•1990 Purchase of railbed
•1991 WVRTA incorporated as 501c3
•1993 Volunteers complete trail construction
•1993 Grand Opening of entire length of trail
Concerned NeighborsConcerned NeighborsLeFevre House
Dressel’s Orchard
According to founding father Dan Guenther, despite a blizzard the public hearing wasn’t cancelled. Perhaps members of the Village Board assumed nobody would show up and the rail trail proposal would go away. Dan called all the trail proponents he knew, and forty of them showed up to speak in favor of the trail, while not a single opponent appeared. One advocate was a neighboring land-owner, a young mother who came through the snow with her baby to support the rail trail. And so, there came to be a rail trail....
According to founding father Dan Guenther, despite a blizzard the public hearing wasn’t cancelled. Perhaps members of the Village Board assumed nobody would show up and the rail trail proposal would go away. Dan called all the trail proponents he knew, and forty of them showed up to speak in favor of the trail, while not a single opponent appeared. One advocate was a neighboring land-owner, a young mother who came through the snow with her baby to support the rail trail. And so, there came to be a rail trail....
The Public Hearing, An Origin Story
Wallkill Valley Rail Trail Ownership and Management
Wallkill Valley Rail Trail Ownership and Management
•The towns of New Paltz and Gardiner and the Village of New Paltz own the WVRT.
•The Wallkill Valley Land Trust holds a conservation easement on the trail.
•The Wallkill Valley Rail Trail Association is the management, maintenance coordinator, advocate and outreach organization for the entire trail.
•The towns of New Paltz and Gardiner and the Village of New Paltz own the WVRT.
•The Wallkill Valley Land Trust holds a conservation easement on the trail.
•The Wallkill Valley Rail Trail Association is the management, maintenance coordinator, advocate and outreach organization for the entire trail.
WVRTA EventsWVRTA Events
Music on the Bridge 2009 Art on the Bridge 2001
Hudson Valley Ramble Main St. New Paltz to Main St. Gardiner 2007
Trail Systems and LinksTrail Systems and Links
Wallkill Valley Rail TrailRosendale-Ulster Extension
Wallkill Valley Rail TrailRosendale-Ulster Extension
The Great Ulster Tire CleanupThe Great Ulster Tire Cleanup
•More than 1500 tires illegally dumped over the embankment along the trail
•Volunteers put in over 80 work hours to haul tires up to the trail and stack them for pickup
•Taylor Biomass Energy hauls away and recycles ten and a half tons of tires for free
•More than 1500 tires illegally dumped over the embankment along the trail
•Volunteers put in over 80 work hours to haul tires up to the trail and stack them for pickup
•Taylor Biomass Energy hauls away and recycles ten and a half tons of tires for free
Contact InformationContact InformationWallkill Valley Rail Trail AssociationPO Box 1048New Paltz, NY 12561
www.gorailtrail.org
Wallkill Valley Rail Trail AssociationPO Box 1048New Paltz, NY 12561
www.gorailtrail.org