Referred to:  The Public Works, Capital Projects and Transportation Committee (Chairwoman Petit and Legislators Erner, Fabiano, Litts, and Nolan)

Chairwoman of the Public Works, Capital Projects and Transportation Committee, Laura Petit, Deputy Chair Dean J. Fabiano, and Legislators Cahill, Corcoran, Greene, Litts, Maloney, and Stewart offer the following:

WHEREAS, Resolution No. 488 of 2015 established a Policy for a “Rail with Trail” along the County-owned Ulster and Delaware Railroad Corrido; and

WHEREAS, Resolution No 488 of 2015 deferred until a later date a determination of the status of the segment of U&D corridor from MP 8.33 to Basin Road at MP 10.01; and

WHEREAS, the U&D Advisory Committee established by Resolution No. 155 of 2015 retained the services of an independent consulting firm, Stone Consulting and Design, P. C. to advise the Committee on recommendations for the highest and best use of various segments of the U&D Corridor; and

WHEREAS, the report issued by Stone Consulting found that the segment from MP 8.33 to Basin Road at MP 10.01 was suitable for a railroad segment with a co-located trail except for the Stony Hollow fill from MP 8.56 to 8.77; and

WHEREAS, since the Stone Consulting report was issued in 2015, Stone Consulting has determined that a co-located trail is feasible for the Stony Hollow fill by using a parallel boardwalk similar to that used for a portion of the Ashokan Rail Trail; and

WHEREAS in 2019 the Ashokan Rail Trail was constructed west of Basin Road at MP 10.01 and has become a successful tourist destination; and

WHEREAS the Towns of Ulster, Hurley and Kingston have passed resolutions in favor of extending the current Tourism Railroad Operations from their existing western endpoint at MP 8.33 to Basin Road at MP 10.01 so that Kingston based Tourism Railroad Operations may connect to the Ashokan Rail Trail, allowing through train service from Kingston to the Ashokan Rail Trail; and

WHEREAS, the Ulster County Legislature wishes to update the policy established by Resolution 488 of 2015 to designate the segment from MP 8.33 to Basin Road at MP 10.01 as a railroad segment with co-located trail; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, the segmented “rail with trail” policy established in Resolution 488 of 2015 shall be amended to include an increased available railroad segment, co-located with public trail wherever feasible, in the segment between MP 8.33 and Basin Road at MP 10.01, which would increase the potential for Kingston based tourism theme trains by allowing them to be linked to the Ashokan Rail Trail at Basin Road at MP 10.01 without sacrificing trail connectivity from Kingston to the Ashokan Reservoir; and, be it further

RESOLVED, that Ulster County shall amend the existing and future permits for tourism railroad operations originating in Kingston so that their length is extended from the current western limit of MP 8.33 to Basin Road at MP 10.0,

and move its adoption.

ADOPTED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:

AYES:                    NOES:      

Passed Committee: Public Works, Capital Projects and Transportation on ________________.

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

NONE