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  • Wallkill Valley Rail Trail: Extension North to Kingston

  • General discussion related to Rail Trails nationwide, including proposed rail trail routes. The official site of the Rails-To-Trails Conservancy can be found here: www.railstotrails.org.
General discussion related to Rail Trails nationwide, including proposed rail trail routes. The official site of the Rails-To-Trails Conservancy can be found here: www.railstotrails.org.

Moderator: railtrailbiker

 #703150  by DonPevsner
 
Very good news! Ulster County, NY foreclosed on John E. Rahl's 11 miles of roadbed, including the famous Rosendale Viaduct, four months ago, for nonpayment of $13,716 in back taxes.
On July 8,2009, it conveyed the entire ROW to the Open Space Conservancy (of New York City) and the Wallkill Valley Land Trust (of New Paltz, NY), which paid the back taxes. These groups will in turn deed the properties to the Towns of Rosendale and Ulster. After that, it is the overall goal to extend the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail a further 11 miles north, from the Town of New Paltz northern border to the City of Kingston line. This should eventually create a rail trail running all the way from the southern end of Kingston to Walden: over 23.5 miles. Amazingly, Mr. Rahl bought his entire segment of ROW for one dollar from CONRAIL, in 1986.
 #703300  by RussNelson
 
Unfortunately, looking at the parcels involved, they don't cover the entire ROW north to Kingston. John seems to have broken up the ROW and sold it off piece by piece. There are four-letter words to call people who do that, and I mean neither "John" nor "Rahl"!