The document announces a Kingston Greenline & Ulster County Trails Summit to be held on July 20, 2013 in Kingston City Hall. The summit will include welcome remarks, two keynote presentations on non-motorized mobility and the Kingston Point Rail Trail Plan, a panel discussion on building local and regional trails, and a wrap-up session. The second half of the document provides resources for trail planning in Ulster County and the larger Hudson Valley region.
Kingston Greenline & Ulster County Trails Summit - Agenda and Trail Resources
1. Kingston Greenline
&
Ulster County Trails Summit
Saturday, July 20, 2013
9:30am - 1:00pm
Kingston City Hall
Download presentation materials at www.slideshare.net/kingstonlandtrust
9:30 - 10:00 Welcome & Introductions
Gregg Swanzey, Board member, Kingston Land Trust
Mayor Shayne Gallo
Chris White, Deputy Director of Planning at Ulster County
10:00 - 10:30 Keynote: “The Third Mode: Toward a Green Society”
How non-motorized mobility can lead to a more connected,
healthy, and sustainable way of living
Jeff Olson, Alta Planning + Design
10:30 - 11:05 The Kingston Point Rail Trail Plan
Lindsay Zefting, Alta Planning + Design
11:05 - 11:15 Break
11:15 - 12:15 Panel: Building Kingston Trails Locally and Regionally
Moderated by Karl Beard, National Park Service Rivers & Trails
Program
Tim Weidemann, Kingston Land Trust:
Kingston Greenline: a Citywide Vision
Chris White, Ulster County Planning Dept:
Trails in the County-wide Vision
Beth Campochiaro & Scott Keller, Hudson River Valley
Greenway:
Plugging into Trails in the Hudson River Valley
Martin Daley, Parks & Trails NY:
Building Community Trails Statewide
12:15 - 12:30 Wrap-up and Next Steps
Tim Weidemann, Kingston Land Trust
12:30 - 1:00 Posters & Information Tables
2. Some Trail Planning Resources
Planning documents for trails in Ulster County
Planning is a process of continual improvement. (Or at least we hope so!) Learn more about what is going on,
and how you can get involved.
Kingston Land Trust: www.kingstonlandtrust.org The Rail Trail Committee section of the website
includes information and links related to the Kingston Point Rail Trail project.
Ulster County Planning Dept: www.ulstercountyny.gov/planning Includes the UC Non-Motorized
Transportation Plan, notes of the UC Trails Advisory Council, as well as studies and reports, including special
projects such as the proposed Catskill Mountain Rail Trail
Wallkill Valley Land Trust: www.wallkillvalleylt.org Includes information and updates on the recently-
opened Rosendale Trestle, and plans to extend the WVRT 11.5 miles to the Kingston City line.
Wallkill Valley Rail Trail Association: www.wvrta.org WVRTA maintains and promotes Ulster County’s
first rail-trail. Especially notable on their website is the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail & Hudson Valley Rail Trail
Link Feasibility Study.
Friends of the Catskill Mountain Rail Trail: catskillmountainrailtrail.org Includes information about the
proposed trail from Kingston to the Ashokan Reservoir and beyond, from Phoenicia to Highmount. The
Friends of the Catskill Mountain Rail Trail maintains the site. The Woodstock Land Conservancy
www.woodstocklandconservancy.org and Catskill Mountainkeeper www.catskillmountainkeeper.org have
spearheaded the efforts on the CMRT.
For trail planning regionally and statewide
Economic Benefits of Trails in NY: The OPRHP report, Every Mile Counts: Economic analysis 2008
Trail User Surveys is detailed at: www.americantrails.org/resources/adjacent/NY-2008-Trail-User-Survey.html
Hudson River Valley Greenway: www.hudsongreenway.ny.gov The Greenway provides information and
resources helpful for trail planning in communities, and provides small grants and planning assistance for land-
based trails and water trails. Their online documents include the basic Greenway Trail Vision Plan. The
Greenway also coordinates the Hudson River Greenway National Water Trail.
NY/NJ Trail Conference: www.nynjtc.org NYNJTC is the standard source for hiking maps and related
information in our region, and TC volunteers maintain most trails in the Catskills and Shawangunks. Their
recently-commissioned report, Catskill Mountain Rail Trail: Economic & Fiscal Impact, is online at:
www.scribd.com/doc/148500624/Rail-Trail-Economic-Impact-Study
NY State Trails Plan: http://nysparks.com/recreation/trails/statewide-plans.aspx Created by NY State
Office of Parks (OPRHP), the State Trails Plan provides the statewide vision and framework for trails of all
types. It also includes helpful standards and guidelines for trails intended for various trail user groups.
Parks & Trails New York: www.ptny.org PTNY is the standard source for information and resources that
relate especially to planning, funding, building and promoting community trails in New York. PTNY also
provides small grants and assistance. The 2012 New York State Trail User Count is on their website at:
www.ptny.org/pdfs/StatewideTrailCount/2012NYSTrailUserCountreport.pdf
For all aspects of trail design, construction, usage, funding, accessibility…
American Trails: www.americantrails.org The “Resources” section of the website includes information
on all aspects of trails from all around the nation.
Federal Highway Administration: Accessibility for trail users of all abilities is essential. FHWA’s
Designing Sidewalks and Trails for Access: Best Practices Design Guide is available online at:
www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bicycle_pedestrian/publications/sidewalk2/. The website also includes links
and downloads for many other bike-ped and trail-related documents.
Rails to Trails Conservancy: www.railstotrails.org The “Resources” section of the website includes a
“Trail building toolbox” and the “Library” includes manuals, reports and fact sheets.