POUGHKEEPSIE – The 2.7-mile Urban Rail Trail will connect the area near Quiet Cove Park in the Town of Poughkeepsie to the northside of the City of Poughkeepsie.
The $11 million proposal will begin in 2022 with the east leg, according to Dutchess County DPW Commissioner Robert Balkind.
The construction will develop an old rail bed running from the Hudson Heritage Center on Route 9 (former Hudson River Psych Center), south behind the Home Depot plaza, and include a bridge over Fulton Street. A spur of the trail is also proposed to run on the west side of Route 9 south from Marist College to the Hudson River waterfront in the city.
The future plans also call for the trail to continue south from Fulton Street, connecting with the Dutchess Rail Trail at Parker Avenue, then continuing south behind the Dutchess County Jail, and terminating at North Hamilton Street.
When the trail was originally announced in 2019, Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro said “Linear trails link neighborhoods and people in a transformative way. We have seen an outpouring of positive responses for all our trail projects as our rail trails create accessibility and connections that have a truly positive impact of peoples’ lives. We are grateful to partner with Scenic Hudson on this latest venture and look forward to creating this urban trail system.”
