After months of relative quiet, the “undesignated section” of the Ulster & Delaware Corridor is back in the news again after the Ulster County Legislature voted unanimously last week to allocate more than $75,000 to a comprehensive engineering and cost study of the 1.67-mile area. The legislature has been wrestling for more than a year with whether to extend the Ashokan Rail Trail, extend a tourist train permit or find a solution that allows both rail and trail to coexist after Legislative Chair Peter Criswell appointed an advisory committee to study the options in mid-2024.

Although the advisory committee — chaired by Jeff Collins (whose district includes Woodstock) — developed a proposal after reviewing existing engineering studies, engaging with multiple presenters and walking the section of the corridor, the proposal was tabled by the Housing and Transportation Committee. Based on discussions within that committee, Chair Criswell chose to allocate funds for another feasibility study, and the full legislature voted Oct. 21 to accept the contract with Barton & Loguidice to conduct it. According to a press release issued by the legislature, the results are due by July 1, 2026.

Click here to read the press release about the feasibility study.

The Woodstock Land Conservancy’s support for extending the rail trail through the undesignated section to Kingston also received press in the November issue of the Chronogram. Click here to read the full article.

Would you like to learn more about the push to safely connect Kingston to the Ashokan Rail Trail for pedestrians, cyclists and those who utilize non-motorized transportation options? There’s a website full of information. Visit KATrail.org and sign up to get on the mailing list.