Dutchess Urban Trail Project
First phase of the Dutchess Urban Trail Project which runs behind Upper West and in front of Fox Run at Fulton. Credit: Greta Stuckey ‘23
Over the summer, the Dutchess County legislature voted to develop and maintain a new Urban Rail Trail Project. The trail route is estimated to be 2.7 miles long and will connect different locations in the Town and City of Poughkeepsie such as schools, jobs, hospitals, parks and the Marist College campus.
“Now more than ever, people are taking advantage of trails for recreational enjoyment, commuting and discovering the area in which they live in a brand-new way,” County Executive Marc Molinaro said in a press release. “We look forward to public input on the project’s concepts and design over the coming months.”
The project is being done in collaboration with Scenic Hudson, an organization whose goal is to preserve the Hudson Valley’s natural environment. The new trail is being built at the site of the former CSX rail property and will be shaped like a “wishbone” in order to give residents many access points.
“The rail spur has sat dormant for decades,” City of Poughkeepsie Mayor Rob Rolison said in a Scenic Hudson Press release. “Putting it back to use as a walking and biking trail for both residents and visitors to enjoy deserves the support of the entire community.”
Some specific locations that the trail will go through include Marist College, Morse Elementary School, Hudson Heritage, Quiet Cove Park, Poughkeepsie Waterfront, Falkill Creek, Mid-Huson Regional Hospital and the Dutchess County Mental Health Campus to name a few.
“The acquisition of the CSX property will enhance the connectability of town businesses and homes,” Town of Poughkeepsie Supervisor Jon Baisley said in a Scenic Hudson Press release. “This will enable our residents to work, shop and play without having to drive, making that part of the town a more walkable community.”
The Urban Rail Trail will be designed to have a split-use trail and a shared-use trail. The majority of the trail will be a split-use design, with divided zones for pedestrian and bicycle travel. While city officials and Scenic Hudson are excited about the project and the opportunities it will bring to Duchess County, some Marist students have some safety concerns with the trail connecting to campus.
“Having a rail trail through our college campus could pose serious safety and security issues on our campus, Jessica Cerrato ‘24 said. “The trail would make clear-cut access from Marist College to the City of Poughkeepsie, a place that has had nothing but gun violence in the last week.”
Another Marist student, Jordana Nadile is the SGA Vice President for Safety and Security, and has heard many students discussing the rail trail project. As an SGA representative, Nadile has consistent meetings with John Blaisdell, the Director of Safety and Security. With concerns floating around, Nadile plans to speak more thoroughly with Blaisdell in the coming weeks about Marist’s plan to keep the campus community safe once the trail is complete.
Although students have concerns about the trail, the county has worked safety into its development plan. When designing the trail, the Urban Trail Project website says “safety was a critical component of the design.”
During the development of the rail trail, project managers have been in contact with emergency first responders in order to address public safety. Construction for the project is already underway and the first segment of the project is estimated to be finished by the end of 2022.