The "Compromise" Proposal: Rail with Trail
<click on map to enlarge>
The Compromise Proposal proposes to maintain the railroad (shown in red) from the Kingston Plaza to Hurley Mountain Road. As seen in the illustration and detailed below, in order to accomplish this, there is the need for:
- Space and construction for Trail Alongside Rail from Kingston Plaza to Washington Ave
- A re-routing and construction of an extra two miles of trail on either side of Route 209l
- The construction of a new biking/pedestrian bridge over the Esopus Creek on the far side of Route 209
- New constructionn of Trail Alongside Rail from Route 209 to Hurley Mountain Road
- New construction of permanent railroad gate crossings at Washington Ave and Route 209
The costs of these additions could plausibly exceed that of the Gateway, including the conversion of the Gateway Trestle Bridge Park and the construction of the Gateway 209 Biking/Pedestrian Bridge, while elimating the branding and marketing potentials of those two landmark features, routing the trail away from a direct and more scenic access, and creating a less attractive trail alongside the tracks.