FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 28, 2020
Groundbreaking for
Kingston Section of the Empire State Trail
KINGSTON, NY – Mayor Steven T. Noble is
pleased to announce that construction has begun for the 1.3 mile section of the
Empire State Trail that travels through the City of Kingston and the Town of
Ulster. The trail stretches from the Hutton Brickyards property on North Street
through Scenic Hudson’s Quarry Waters Park to John Street in the Town of
Ulster. This northern section
will be called the Hudson River Brickyard Trail, and will continue across the
Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge before heading north to Albany and beyond. Funding
for this project comes from a grant from the Department of State, as well as
City of Kingston, NYS Hudson River Valley Greenway, Town of Ulster, and Scenic
Hudson.
Since spring, NYDOT has been working
steadily on the southern section
of the Empire State Trail in Kingston, which connects from the Wallkill Valley
Rail Trail to Route 32 and up Greenkill Avenue. The two local sections will connect
through a series of roadway bike lanes and the Kingston Point Rail
Trail. The southern portion of the trail is funded by the NYS Department of
Transportation. The Hudson River Brickyard Trail section is expected to be
completed by December 2020.
The Empire State Trail is
projected to be the largest multi-use trail in the nation. The network will
contain 750 miles of pathways for walking, hiking and bicycling along scenic
vistas and through historic communities.
“The Empire State Trail is an immensely
ambitious project, that will be hugely beneficial to everyone in our city,”
said Mayor Noble. “We are so grateful to Governor Cuomo for seeing the
potential in Kingston and Ulster to bring the Empire State Trail though our
area. The Hudson River Brickyard Trail is truly some of the most beautiful
scenery, which will now be available for everyone to enjoy. We have recently seen
just how important trails are to the health and well-being of a community,
when, at the height of the pandemic, one of the only safe respites were our
parks and trails. I have no doubt that local businesses will also see great
benefit from the trail, which will bring visitors from across the state right
through the heart of our City.”
“One of the most appealing characteristics
of the City of Kingston is the concentration and proximity to community
amenities, such as parks, historic resources, and arts and cultural venues and
this trail adds great outdoors benefits to all residents,” said Secretary of
State Rossana Rosado. “Under Governor Cuomo’s leadership, the construction of
the Empire State Trail through the Department of State’s Local Waterfront Revitalization
Program will help communities reach a great tourism potential as a must
destination that will bring more families and visitors to the Hudson Valley
region.”
“The start of construction of this
remarkable stretch of Governor Cuomo's Empire State Trail marks an epic moment
for Kingston and the region. Much as the Erie Canal did 195 years ago—and
just as visionary—the trail will link Kingston with communities across New
York. It will become a critical piece of the region's expanding rail-trail
network, attracting new visitors to the city's shops, restaurants and cultural
treasures. Scenic Hudson is especially grateful to Mayor Noble and the Kingston
city staff, the town of Ulster, and New York State for their collaboration to
make the project a reality. Its route through our Quarry Waters property will
uniquely connect visitors with more than a mile of Hudson River waterfront,”
said Steve Rosenberg, Executive Director, Scenic Hudson Land Trust.