Walkway Over the Hudson - Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge

As I drive on some of the worst roads ever, and am taxed on every cent i make I'd have a real problem seeing tax money go into the walkway..notice the state says they support it but didn't say they'd throw any money in.the walkway group has the liability, until its goes bust, anyway....the walkway wouldn't be completely useless, itt would make it a lot easier for the drug dealers to come up on metro north and walk across the bridge.

i would like to know how these clowns are going to access the bridge- no access on highland side witthout rapelling gear, and private RR property on the pok side....


the beat goes on....

Access is probably included in the estimate. Moreover, the estimate probably includes extensive repairs to the structural members so the bridge will last for many more decades, not just 20 years. It is also a potential route for a pipe-cable high voltage transmission line.

Transmission lines?? Been there, done that, and they took them off, actualy the wires are still on the bridge, disconected at both ends, dangling in the breeze. I'd liike to see what they have up their sleeves for access, unless they go for some kind of elevators $$$$$$$$$...

Wonder if all of those lawsuits are still pending?? The new leader is a lawyer..
Stay tuned, don't forget your rose colored glasses...

I agree with DutchRailnut - New York State is in dire fiscal straits right now, and should not be spending millions on an aging rail bridge for the benefit of a few pedestrians.

JD

Since a fire in the mid-1970s left the Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge unusable as a Hudson River crossing for trains, a group of people have dreamed of opening the span to pedestrians, allowing them to take in the majestic views that once only train engineers got to see.

A recent change in leadership and philosophy of the not-for-profit group that has owned the bridge since 1988 is finally moving the effort closer to reality.

The Dutchess County Industrial Development Agency recently granted Walkway Over the Hudson a $25,000 grant to help fund engineering and feasibility studies to determine whether the 116-year-old bridge is structurally stable enough to support a walkway and bicycle path.

Fred Schaeffer, chairman of the not-for-profit organization's board of directors, said the group has also applied to the state for a $35,000 grant to help fund the study.

He said the study is expected to cost $70,000.

The Industrial Development Agency award is the first request by the group for public money to help with the project.

The organization, formed in 1988 by Bill Sepe, had, under his leadership, held the belief that converting the old rail bridge into a public walkway should be done with private donations rather than public funds.

That long-held philosophy began to cause friction within the group in 2003, and in January 2004, Sepe resigned from the organization he founded, and the 600-plus members of Walkway Over the Hudson elected Schaeffer chairman.

http://www.dailyfreeman.com/site/news.c ... 4969&rfi=6

Well, as someone who lives in Highland, and works in Poughkeepsie, and actually commutes to work on a bicycle, I can actually say that this would be a great thing for me. But, I'm sure the bike path would be closed off at 5:30 AM so it would'nt help.

Right now I have to cross the Mid-Hudson bridge, and I am at the mercy of the cone movers to unlock the gate so I can get work in the morning. While this year I have not been locked out, I have been in the past.

As far as people using the bridge, if you build they will come, and they will bring money with them. If Dutchess builds the trail on the old Maybrook, what a world class bike path we would have. This year while crossing the Mid Hudson I have seen 4, total using the north sidewalk while on my bike.

The Town supervisor in Llyod (Highland) wants very much to extend the current bike path in town, over Vineyard ave, under 9W and down to the bridge. He knows that it will make his town better.

The Money should come from American Premier underwriters and Conrail, this is just like a superfund site, these people did everything they could to avoid thier liability with this bridge.

I agree that the bridge would be a much needed tourist attraction for the mid-hudson valley. I grew up in Hyde Park NY and saw that bridge every day for most of my life. I just wish I had the chance to see a train go across it.

As for the naysayers - I would love to know where you got your engineering study that states it would take 1 mill a year to maintain the bridge and that it would "fall apart" again in 20 years. Don't forget the bridge has been there since the late 1880's before even my great grandfather started working for the NY Central RR as an Italian immigrant worker. As for access to the bridge, anyone who reads this group would know that CSX is abandoning the old CNE state hospital switchback line. The plans an investor had to continue to operate the line seem to have fallen through making access from the Poughkeepsie side now seemingly academic. As for funds, they most will most likely come from the Federal TEA-21 transportation funds which are earmarked for just such projects (rails to trails). Every year the Feds give all the states a potion of these Transportation Enhancement Act funds to projects that qualify for them. These funds are an 80% matching grant (you have to come up with the other 20% through state or other funding sources). So, if we do the math, if the TEA-21 funds gave 80% of 20 mill, then you would still need to fund $4 million - again a drop in the bucket in the day of a state gov.

So, now that you are properly educated, I wish the Poughkeepsie Bridge group good luck and hope to someday walk across this majestic bridge.

Everyone has dreams but the reality is, no one really has any idea whats involved here, Take any part of this project- lets see- how about painting. The bridge hasn't been painted aince 1967 and then it was never finished. We are talking removal of old lead based paint over a public water supply. It took 27,000 gallons of paint the first time. major project with paint removal by a licensed contractor. How about an elevator system?? How about a fence?? How about a deck?? even if they chose or could go over existing timbers, many there are firedamaged ties and and there are none on the pougkeepsie Thanks to conrape.. No land based access on the highland side since sepe p*ssed central hudson off. And sadly, the NY&E railway is not going to happen and will probably be torn up, and thats a possibility if the county buys the land for a rail trail, but look at the iron over washington st- looks like swiss cheese. With the infrastructure as is is here in ny; terrible roads and a building full of morons that can't come up with a budget, putting a strain on everything that relies on state aid, I'd have a real problem seeing tax dollars being spent here. Sure could use a measly 4 mill myself.

I feel better now...

work safe

Derail

The historic bridge was completed in 1888 and carried train traffi il damaged by fire in the 1974. Now, the Walkway Over the Hudson organization wants to renovate the steel structure to make it safe and open it as a public walkway.

The group has been working in recent years to work through the legal processes of ownership. Members yesterday brought Congressman Maurice Hinchey to the 6,800 foot long structure to walk across it as far as is permissibly safe, and to discuss their plans for redevelopment.

Hinchey, who drafted the original Hudson River Valley Greenway legislation, said the bridge is a natural link connecting both sides of the river. He said he would do what he could to secure funding and support for its redevelopment.

“It’s also a very important historical structure, and that fits in with the concept of the Hudson River Heritage Area,” he said. “This represents an important part of the history of the Hudson Valley in the 20 th century and the connecting links between New England, New York and the West.”

The group has applied for a $70,000 state grant to conduct studies into the bridge's structural integrity and costs to rehab it, said Fred Schaeffer, Walkway Over the Hudson Board chairman.

http://www.midhudsonnews.com/News/Pgh_R ... 4Oct04.htm

Is the former Penn Central right of way to/from the bridge still in existence, or was it scrapped in the wake of the bridge fire? Are there still rails on the bridge itself?

The right-of-way leading to the bridge's western terminus no longer carries rail traffic. A rail trail was built just west of the bridge, and plans call for it to be extended to the bridge at some point.

The Maybrook Line east of the bridge is also abandoned. Dutchess County plans to construct a water pipe line and rail trail from Poughkeepsie through to Hopewell Junction there.

The Hospital Branch in Poughkeepsie will also be abandoned shortly; the carrier has already filed notice with the Surface Transportation Board.

This item from the Poughkeepsie Journal looks encouraging. We may get to walk on the bridge one day soon.

Bernie Rudberg
******************************************************
PoughkeepsieJournal.com - Lloyd to end suit against bridge-walk group

Wednesday, November 24, 2004

Lloyd to end suit against bridge-walk group
Ulster-side tours may be resumed
By Bond Brungard
For the Poughkeepsie Journal

HIGHLAND -- After a long dispute, the Town of Lloyd has agreed to withdraw a lawsuit against Walkway Over the Hudson regarding building code violations.
And the nonprofit group that owns the 6,000-foot Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge has agreed to pay a $250 fine as part the settlement with the town.
The town sued the group in the late 1990s after members defied a court order that barred them from using the Lloyd side of the bridge. On that side, the group, under different leadership at the time, constructed buildings without obtaining permission from Lloyd.

''We dropped the lawsuit because they're abiding by the building code,'' Lloyd Supervisor Bob Shepard said. The agreement also stipulates the group must get a building permit for structures in place while it removes part of a shed and a makeshift restroom.
''We do have cooperation with the town,'' said Fred Schaeffer, chairman of Walkway Over the Hudson's board of directors. The bridge, which towers 212 feet above the Hudson River, has been unusable since a fire closed it in 1974. Renovation supporters say opening it will create a fine recreational option for residents and visitors.

Varied estimates
Schaeffer has said it could cost from as little as $2 million to deck the bridge to as much as $10 million. And officials agree it could cost even more -- more than $20 million -- to demolish the historic structure.

State officials, including representatives of the Hudson River Valley Greenway, the state Department of Transportation, the Department of Environmental Conservation and the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, met with Schaeffer last summer to discuss uses for the span.
At the time, Greenway Chairman Carmella Mantello said the bridge could be a key link in connecting Greenway trails on both sides of the river. With temporary decking in place on the Lloyd side of the bridge, tours had been given until the group ran afoul of the town. Now the settlement paves the way for more tours. ''It lets them take people on the bridge," Shepard said. The current agreement allows access to the bridge for professionals, such as engineers, architects or journalists -- not the general public.
Now the nonprofit group can conduct a $70,000 feasibility study, funded by grants from the state, the Dutchess County Industrial Development Agency and the Dyson Foundation. The study will look at the materials needed to deck the bridge, whether concrete or wood, whether the bridge needs any structural improvements, and will look at other amenities such
as parking and lighting, Schaeffer said.

Bond Brungard can be reached at [email protected]

Resources
For information on Walkway Over the Hudson, go to
www.walkway.org or call 845-454-9649.

This item from the Poughkeepsie Journal looks encouraging. We may get to walk on the bridge one day soon.

Bernie Rudberg
******************************************************
PoughkeepsieJournal.com - Lloyd to end suit against bridge-walk group

Wednesday, November 24, 2004

Lloyd to end suit against bridge-walk group
Ulster-side tours may be resumed
By Bond Brungard
For the Poughkeepsie Journal

HIGHLAND -- After a long dispute, the Town of Lloyd has agreed to withdraw a lawsuit against Walkway Over the Hudson regarding building code violations.
And the nonprofit group that owns the 6,000-foot Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge has agreed to pay a $250 fine as part the settlement with the town.
The town sued the group in the late 1990s after members defied a court order that barred them from using the Lloyd side of the bridge. On that side, the group, under different leadership at the time, constructed buildings without obtaining permission from Lloyd.

''We dropped the lawsuit because they're abiding by the building code,'' Lloyd Supervisor Bob Shepard said. The agreement also stipulates the group must get a building permit for structures in place while it removes part of a shed and a makeshift restroom.
''We do have cooperation with the town,'' said Fred Schaeffer, chairman of Walkway Over the Hudson's board of directors. The bridge, which towers 212 feet above the Hudson River, has been unusable since a fire closed it in 1974. Renovation supporters say opening it will create a fine recreational option for residents and visitors.

Varied estimates
Schaeffer has said it could cost from as little as $2 million to deck the bridge to as much as $10 million. And officials agree it could cost even more -- more than $20 million -- to demolish the historic structure.

State officials, including representatives of the Hudson River Valley Greenway, the state Department of Transportation, the Department of Environmental Conservation and the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, met with Schaeffer last summer to discuss uses for the span.
At the time, Greenway Chairman Carmella Mantello said the bridge could be a key link in connecting Greenway trails on both sides of the river. With temporary decking in place on the Lloyd side of the bridge, tours had been given until the group ran afoul of the town. Now the settlement paves the way for more tours. ''It lets them take people on the bridge," Shepard said. The current agreement allows access to the bridge for professionals, such as engineers, architects or journalists -- not the general public.
Now the nonprofit group can conduct a $70,000 feasibility study, funded by grants from the state, the Dutchess County Industrial Development Agency and the Dyson Foundation. The study will look at the materials needed to deck the bridge, whether concrete or wood, whether the bridge needs any structural improvements, and will look at other amenities such
as parking and lighting, Schaeffer said.

Bond Brungard can be reached at [email protected]

Resources
For information on Walkway Over the Hudson, go to
www.walkway.org or call 845-454-9649.

Santner was one of a small group taken on a visit Saturday to the Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge. David Santner, her husband, is the treasurer of Walkway Over the Hudson, a nonprofit organization that hopes to turn the abandoned structure into a hiking and biking trail and scenic vantage point that would further tie the Town of Lloyd and Poughkeepsie. ''Dutchess County has announced they want to purchase tracks leading up to the bridge (from Hopewell Junction),'' David Santner said. He also said the Hudson Valley Rail Trail has plans in the works to extend its trail toward the bridge. The 1888 structure has been closed since 1974 when a fire damaged the railroad ties on the Poughkeepsie side.

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/toda ... 04s2.shtml

With the possibility of the walkway coming back alive, has anyone ever considered to restore active trackage on to the bridge alongside the walkway (bikeway?). From what I understand, the deck is fairly wide if a single center track were to be used with the walkway and bikeway (or walkway on both sides?) straddling the track, which would have railings for protection, with crossing gates to allow people to cross one side or another.

Those able-bodied may have no problem walking the full length of the bridge, but those with mobility impairment, especially NOT in wheelchais, would have an impossible task to be able to see the vistas over the Hudson. An RDC or similar shuttle of low speed operation at the ends of the bridge, possibly an intermediate stopping point "crossing" point with the gates as mentioned above, to allow those who cannot or wish not walk the 6000 ft, or at least half way, or have the ability to do at least one direction by foot and other by train, would make the attraction much more publicly accessible for those not fleet of foot. At the same time, it would restore a semblance of the heritage of the bridge's raison d'etre, and would also give railfans and tourists a unique ride back and forth. Again, it can be low speed and properly railed for safety.

Of course I understand the expense of restoring the track, but it neen not be implemented right away, but allow the walkway to be constructed first off since that would be important to get the project started. But, in the engineering of the walkway and bridge restoration, the providsion to coninue such an addition in the initial design would certainly be prudent in the long run instead of a later retrofit upon the basic retrofit at doing it all without having such advance design provision.

Sincerely,

Vytautas B. Radzivanas
Perth, Western Australia