MID-HUDSON – The Open Space Institute has begun a study to transform the fragmented former O&W Railroad corridor into a contiguous 57-mile shared-use greenway trail spanning from the City of Kingston in Ulster County through Sullivan County to the City of Port Jervis in Orange County.
OSI Vice President for Parks and Stewardship Peter Karis said the study will run through this year with a report released in early 2025.
“We are looking at the makeup of the corridor and the feasibility of improving, enhancing, sections in hopes that it will be connected in the future and funding will need to be secured for each individual project as they come up,” he said.
The study will look at the former railroad corridor as well as sections of the D&H Canal towpath.
The study will provide OSI with a detailed inventory of existing trail conditions and trail routing and access alternatives, informed by stakeholder and community outreach. The effort will also include trail engineering and construction analysis, cost estimating, and protect prioritization.
