May Is Perfect Time To Explore NY's Rail Trails: DOT

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — The state Department of Transportation is talking bicycle safety during the month of May, which is National Bicycle Safety Month.

The Hudson Valley, including Columbia, Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Ulster and Westchester counties, has a robust network of state trails and bicycle facilities for users to enjoy.

As part of its statewide active transportation network, the DOT has helped design and build thousands of miles of iconic bicycle paths and infrastructure across the state.

DOT Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said roadway safety is a shared responsibility.

“This is the perfect time of year to get outside, take a bike ride and enjoy the great outdoors in New York,” she said. “To ensure safety, cyclists should always stay alert, wear a helmet, make sure to wear reflective clothing and use flashing lights and follow the rules of the road.

“And for motorists, look out for bikes, never drive distracted, and please share the road,” Dominguez said.

There were 938 bicyclist fatalities in 2020, which accounted for 2.4 percent of all traffic fatalities during the year. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is estimating a 5 percent increase in bicyclist fatalities in 2021.

Bicyclists should be sure to always wear a helmet and protective/reflective clothing, adjust their bicycle to fit properly, watch for and avoid hazards, use verbal and non-verbal (hand signals) communication, avoid riding at night, if possible, plan their route, abide by traffic laws and go with the flow of traffic, and stay alert at all times.

For motorists, the DOT urges them to drive attentively, slow down and yield to bicyclists. Be sure to give bicyclists room. Don’t pass too closely. Pass them as you would any other vehicle when it is safe to move over into an adjacent lane.

The Hudson Valley’s trails consist of a multitude of safety treatments including bi-directional multi-use paths, two-way cycle tracks separated by parking or green buffers, one-way bicycle lanes, shoulder lanes and shared vehicular lanes.

Additional safety features include Rapid Rectangular Flashing Beacons used at higher speed trail crossing like Route 32 in the town of Ulster, and speed tables, located along River Road in Red Hook, which slows vehicular traffic within shared lanes.

Popular trails and trail projects in the region include:

Empire State Trail

A 750-mile multi-use pathway from New York City to Buffalo and Canada, the Trail enters the Hudson Valley in lower Westchester County and proceeds north toward Putnam and Dutchess counties. Between Poughkeepsie and Highland in Ulster County, users of the trail can experience the awe-inspiring views along the Walkway Over the Hudson. After passing through historic New Paltz and Kingston, the trail crosses back over the Hudson River via the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge near the Olana State Historic Site. Before exiting the Hudson Valley region, the Empire State Trail marks the beginning of the Albany-Hudson Electric Trail in the town of Greenport.

Recent trail projects in the Hudson Valley

A 2.5-mile section of State Bicycle Route 9, also known as the Hudson Valley Greenway Jones Point Path/Dunderberg Mountain trailway, between Route 9W and River Road in Stony Point, Rockland County, was recently reconstructed along the western side of the Hudson River.

In 2022, construction was completed along a segment of the Orange County Heritage Trail between the city of Middletown and the town of Goshen, Orange County, paving 4.25 miles of trail, rehabilitating four bridges and constructing a culvert.

Additionally, construction is in progress along a 0.8-mile section of the former Ulster and Delaware Railroad in the city of Kingston, Ulster County, to pave a shared-use path, as well as make drainage improvements, remove railroad tracks and ties and establish trailheads.