The most recent rail vs trail debate has been resolved. The final word? It can be built. The independent study is finished and the report is published.

The big takeaway? There’s no environmental or engineering limitation to having rail-with-trail along a 1.7 mile stretch from Stony Hollow to Basin Road to connect the Catskill Mountain Railroad (CMRR) train with the Ashokan Rail Trail (ART). Barton & Loguidice, a firm with extensive experience with rail trails, including work with Open Space Institute, was hired by the county to provide independent clarity on the matter. Now, the debate about costs can commence, at a time when everyone is talking about rising taxes and government spending.

It is projected to cost $4.45 million for a rail-only option according to the report. That said, the CMRR has repeatedly and publicly stated that they would take care of all the track repairs, as they have done elsewhere. Thus, whatever the cost for rail-only, it would require no tax dollars. Alternatively, the trail-only option would cost $4.08 million, which would most likely be paid for by taxpayers using grants and county investments. Lastly, there is the estimated $16.31 million for a rail and trail vision — a number deemed quite high by some, with a Cadillac-like build-out to standards that even the Empire State trail doesn’t adhere. This option would likely be paid for mostly by taxpayers, and some from the CMRR.

One important alternative not considered by B&L’s report is to permit the CMRR to expand now, on its own dime. The CMRR says they are ready to “rock” — the county just has to give them the green light. Then later, when public (or donated) funds are available, and when land acquisitions and zoning are completed for the trail (a years-long endeavor according to the B&L study) the trail can be added at a later time.

But while costs for this small extension of trail and/or rail distract us, we ignore a much larger issue going on, with the fate of CMRR at stake.

Consider this. If a trail was extended from the current ART trailhead 1.7 miles down to Stony Hollow, what’s special or interesting that visitors may enjoy seeing that’s worth spending $4 million of taxpayer money? The fact is, there is no “there there” — a brief view of some wetlands, but otherwise it’s a walk in the woods and a few people’s backyards. Like we don’t already have that elsewhere? There’s little room for a new parking lot at the end of this proposed trail at Stony Hollow, and access to Route 28A is cumbersome, and dangerous. And this stretch of trail is all uphill. Great for tightening those glutes. So, why on Earth is this 1.7 mile stretch of trail so important that we need to spend $4 million of taxpayer money on it? Because it is a step towards a larger vision.

This trail vision is to complete a vast, interconnected rail trail network with Kingston acting like a hub at a center of various trails such as the O&W, Kingston Greenline and Midtown Linear Park, Wallkill Valley and Empire State Trail. Adding the ART to this network is part of the dream to complete this vision. It’s a marvelous idea. But the big roadblock to completing it is that the CMRR actively uses the train line from Uptown Kingston to Stony Hollow. That is no small inconvenience.

The only way to build a trail from Kingston to the Ashokan Rail Trail is either removing the CMRR entirely, or building a parallel trail. The cost to build a trail from Kingston to the ART hasn’t been publicly shared by trail advocates, most likely because it would be astronomical. For example, they would need to build a parallel bridge over the Esopus Creek and a pedestrian ADA-compliant walkway over Route 209. Those two items alone are very pricey. We're talking potentially tens of millions of taxpayer dollars.

Hence, the cheapest solution for building the trail from Kingston to the ART is to get rid of the CMRR, and convert its line into a rail trail. But even that would be pricey. Just putting in a pedestrian skyway over 209, one that bikers and pedestrians can easily use, like the one recently built in Albany, would cost taxpayers $15 million. That’s just for getting over Route 209. To also be considered is all the rest of the work to rip up tracks and ties and regrade, etc.

In the meantime, the CMRR has presented a detailed proposal to extend their train from where they currently end at Stony Hollow, up 1.7 miles to Basin Road, near the Zena Road and Route 28 intersection. Again, they have stated they would pay for this themselves, if given permission by the county. At the Basin Road and Route 28 location, a rail station/visitors center would be constructed, creating a special gateway to the Catskills focal point for the entire area, for recreational users, explorers and train riders alike. There would be parking to accommodate visitors at this unique intermodal hub for all. Additionally, the CMRR has proposed running a tourist trolley from this new station to Woodstock and perhaps to other locations around. This would connect various locations for a fun and remarkable experience for locals and visitors alike — and importantly, help reduce road traffic. And once the station/visitors center is completed, it can inspire a wide range of creative, business and recreational possibilities.

If those who manage and advocate for trails had been better at connecting trails with surrounding communities and businesses over the years, the conversation today might be very different. But the fact is, they haven’t, because they are not incentivized to do so. Each trail operates like a state park, with ambivalence at best to the surrounding community, including its economic health. In contrast, the CMRR is at least trying to build something that puts economic vitality into our local community, and offers something different, historic and fun.

In the absence of any real local economic development leadership, the best thing at this point would be for local government to step aside and let the CMRR move forward now with its novel, creative and culturally appropriate idea. And when funding and land purchases and zoning are ready, we can have a trail built alongside the train down the road. There is no point in holding any of this up. With today’s increasingly difficult fiscal times, this is no time to spend taxpayer money on “nice to have” projects, especially at the expense of a business showing so much promise. It’s time for the Ulster County Legislature to either decide on a plan that combines rail with trail all the way, including funding, or let the private sector do its thing.