On-Hudson.com

Leaf Peeping From The Walkway Over The Hudson

https://walkway.org

Liberty Bridge Jersey City - Battery Park Pedestrian Causway.. Walkway Over Hudson II

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2015/10/poll_do_you_think_a_pedestrian_bridge_between_jers.html

Do you think a pedestrian bridge between Jersey City and NYC is a good idea?

Terrence T. McDonald | The Jersey Journal

 

Would you want to walk to Manhattan if you worked there? Or just take a stroll or bike ride over to Battery Park?

A Jersey City resident has high hopes for just that concept.

Kevin Shane dreamed up the concept of a pedestrian bridge linking the Sixth Street Embankment in Downtown Jersey City and Lower Manhattan. 

Shane was so into the idea that he got together with architect Jeff Jordan to create renderings depicting what they dub the Liberty Bridge.

The bridge would span 5,000 feet and rise 200 feet above the Hudson River. In addition to pedestrians, it would also be open to cyclists.

Shane has created an online petition calling for Mayor Steve Fulop, Gov. Chris Christie and Gov. Andrew Cuomo to back their proposal.

Fulop said he would "love to see it" happen, but said he didn't think it was "anything more than a dream right now."

Do you think a pedestrian bridge would be something you would use and like to see in the future?

 

Walkway Over Hudson Marathon June 13th 2015

http://walkwaymarathon.org

 

Walkway Launches Marathon, Date Set for June 13, 2015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 18, 2014
Contact: Elizabeth Waldstein-Hart, Executive Director, Walkway Over the Hudson 845-454-9649
Steve Densmore, Media Relations, Walkway Over the Hudson, 845-234-8713

Walkway Marathon Event to Launch June 13th,
Features Dutchess, Hudson Valley Rail Trails

POUGHKEEPSIE—Nearly 1500 runners are expected to converge on Dutchess County on Saturday, June 13th for the first annual Walkway Marathon race series, which is being presented in partnership with Dutchess County Government, and will feature a marathon, half-marathon and the already established Treetops to Rooftops 5K event.

Representatives from the Walkway Over the Hudson organization, Dutchess County Government, Marist College and several other partnering organizations unveiled plans for the new premier running event on Tuesday, during a press conference held at Walkway State Park’s eastern entrance. The event, which will serve as one of the Walkway organization’s primary fundraisers for 2015, will feature marathon and half-marathon routes that begin at Marist College, include a significant stretch of the William R. Steinhaus Dutchess Rail Trail in Dutchess County, cross over the Walkway Over the Hudson , with a turnaround on the Hudson Valley Rail Trail in Ulster County.

“The Walkway Marathon represents an exciting new regional running attraction that highlights and utilizes some of the Hudson Valley’s greatest recreational assets—our remarkable new rail trail network and Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park. In particular, it showcases the recently-completed Dutchess Rail Trail and we are pleased with the commitment and cooperation from County Executive Marc Molinaro and Dutchess County Government in bringing this race to fruition,” said Walkway Executive Director Elizabeth Waldstein-Hart. “We are fortunate to be working with many other committed partners as well—such as Marist College, New York State Parks, Ulster County and the Town of Lloyd, Dutchess Tourism, Mid-Hudson Road Runners Club, the City and Town of Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce and several others—in making the dream of a Walkway Marathon become a reality.”

Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro said, “We are absolutely thrilled to be working in partnership with the Walkway Over the Hudson to bring this race series to Dutchess County and the Hudson Valley region. With spectacular venues like the William R. Steinhaus Dutchess Rail Trail and the Walkway Over the Hudson as well as Marist College and the Hudson Valley Rail Trail, this is certain to become a ‘must run’ event for marathon enthusiasts from all over. We have a full spectrum of community partners committed to making this a destination event for our region that will increase exposure, tourism interest as well as provide another important health and recreational event opportunity.”

“We are excited to partner with the Walkway Over the Hudson for what I am sure will become one the premier events in the Hudson River Valley. The Walkway Marathon gives us the opportunity to showcase our beautiful campus to runners, visitors and guests throughout the region. The course presents a unique opportunity for runners to start and finish the marathon from one of the most scenic stretches of the Hudson River,” said Tim Murray, Athletic Director at Marist College.

The Walkway Marathon and Half-Marathon races will build upon the well-established Mid-Hudson Road Runners Club Treetops to Rooftops 5K race that has been attracting hundreds of area runners to Walkway State Park annually for the last four years.

Keith Axelrod, President of Mid-Hudson Road Runners Club (MHRRC), said, “During last year’s Treetops to Rooftops 5k race, Race Director and MHRRC Board Member Sue O’Neil suggested adding a Marathon and Half Marathon. I immediately realized it would be a great idea to utilize the Walkway and the Rail Trails as well as Marist College to make it a great regional running event. Our members have been asking to bring back a full marathon and this is the perfect opportunity to do so. We are excited to help coordinate the three race event.”

Runners interested in registering for any of the Walkway Marathon races scheduled for Saturday, June 13th can do so by visiting the Walkway Marathon website at WalkwayMarathon.org. Registration will officially open on Tuesday, December 2, 2014.

Roger Robinson, a longtime columnist with Running Times Magazine, embraced the idea of the Walkway Marathon, adding that the event will help solidify the long-term alliance between running and linear parks. “Runners back in the 1960s were the first in the world to used disused railroads and old canal tow-paths for recreational exercise. The much bigger sport today continues to be active in the development of linear parks as safe and scenic places to run. With miles of trail, and the unique asset of the Walkway Over the Hudson, this race will be a leader in the ongoing alliance between running and the environment,” Dr. Robinson said.

Organizers also plan to pursue “green certification” for the race from Athletes for a Fit Planet, making it one of the first green Marathons in New York State. Sustainable practices, such as shuttling runners using Dutchess County Government’s public transit system’s hybrid buses, and race bibs and other elements made from recycled materials will be followed wherever possible.

Walkway thanked lead race sponsors Royal Carting and Health Quest during the press conference for their pledges of support for the new recreational venture. Additional sponsorships are available and interested parties can contact Walkway Development Manager Ellen Henneberry at (845) 454-9649.

—END—

Please check back for more information and Registration on Tuesday, December 2, 2014.

Tappen Zee Bridge WalkWay Over Hudson Redux ?

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/23/nyregion/state-ponders-turning-tappan-zee-bridge-into-walkway.html

State to Look at Turning Tappan Zee Into Walkway

Cassi Alexandra for The New York Times

The Tappan Zee Bridge will be replaced, and one proposal envisions the original as a suburban High Line.

PETER APPLEBOME

It seemed quixotic at first, but maybe the idea of turning the Tappan Zee Bridge into a walkway after a new bridge is built is not so far fetched after all.

State officials said Wednesday that they were exploring the possibility of turning the three-mile-long bridge into a route for pedestrians and bicyclists along the lines of the High Line on the West Side of Manhattan, or the equally successful Walkway Over the Hudson linking Poughkeepsie and Highland.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and aides said at a cabinet meeting in Albany that it would cost $150 million to demolish the existing bridge, which carries the New York State Thruway, so turning it into a walkway connecting Rockland and Westchester Counties was worth exploring.

“Could you leave it up, and what are the economics and the practicalities of that?” Mr. Cuomo said at the meeting. “It’s an exciting option.”

After more than 10 years of study, building a new bridge finally seemed to reach critical mass last fall when it was one of 14 projects chosen by the Obama administration for expedited federal review and approval — possibly allowing work on a new $5 billion bridge to begin as early as spring 2013. The bridge is 56 years old — 6 years past its anticipated life span — and needs $50 million in maintenance and repairs annually.

After the project was announced, the idea of preserving the old bridge was raised by Paul Feiner, the Greenburgh town supervisor, who proposed a walkway. The idea immediately gained support from biking and pedestrian groups. In January, the newly formed Tappan Bridge Park Alliance said that a walkway “would generate economic and community development to the region by providing a world-class destination and a much needed open space in the congested Lower Hudson Valley.”

The initial reactions from public officials were cool, and some said the steep pitch of the Tappan Zee, compared, for example, with the flat Walkway Over the Hudson, could make a park plan impractical.

But on Wednesday, Mr. Cuomo and Thomas Madison, executive director of the State Thruway Authority, endorsed further study of the project. They indicated it might make more sense to create a walkway than to tear down the existing bridge.

“I’m so excited,” Mr. Feiner said Wednesday in an e-mail. “This could become a world-class destination point.”

Despite overall applause for the coming bridge replacement, there has also been criticism that the fast progress has come at the expense of the optimal project. Transit advocates are upset that the new bridge will not include rail lines or bus service.

The Tri-State Transportation Campaign, a nonprofit group advocating for alternatives to motor-vehicle use, recently began running radio and newspaper advertisements that criticized the absence of mass transit in the current design. Hearings on the project’s environmental impact statement are scheduled for Feb. 28 in West Nyack and for March 1 in Tarrytown.

Mr. Madison and Mr. Cuomo said that the new bridge would provide areas for bikers and walkers, unlike the old one, and that it was being built to support mass transit, which can be added when more money is available.

“There has been criticism that we’ll build a bridge that doesn’t support rail,” the governor said. “That’s not true. The bridge will support the rail. The question is the rest of the system that doesn’t exist. We’re actually building a bridge that is ahead of the existing system.”

WalkWay Over Hudson Worth The Schlep

http://www.boston.com/yourtown/boston/roslindale/articles/2010/11/21/keeping_your_feet_high_above_the_hudson/?rss_id=Boston+Globe+--+Today%27s+paper+A+to+Z

Keeping your feet high above the Hudson

The 1.28-mile railroad bridge built in 1889 is now transformed into the Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park. (Bill Regan for The Boston Globe)

Jane Roy Brown

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. — “This is gorgeous!’’ exclaims Mary Bentivegna of East Brunswick, N.J., flinging her arm toward the broad, blue band of the Hudson River, more than 200 feet below. “It’s something you don’t see just anywhere — certainly not in New Jersey.

On this dazzling morning, flecks of orange and crimson dot the west riverbank against a cerulean wash of sky, as Bentivegna and a friend from Brooklyn savor their first foray onto the Walkway Over the Hudson, the longest pedestrian bridge in the world.

The walkway — 6,768 feet, or 1.28 miles — connects the small industrial city of Poughkeepsie, on the Hudson’s east bank, with the hamlet of Highland, on the west. Its ribbon-cutting last year marked the second incarnation of this structure, which started out as a railroad bridge in 1889, the same year the Eiffel Tower was erected. Then, too, the Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge merited a superlative: the longest cantilevered and truss span bridge in the world. During World War II, when it had its heaviest use, 3,500 rail cars, most of them filled with US troops, thundered over it every day. A fire in 1974 ended the first chapter of the bridge’s history.

Like Manhattan’s High Line, another former railroad bridge-turned-linear park, this bridge owes its rebirth to preservation-minded citizens. In 1992, they organized to resurrect it for pedestrians and cyclists. (The bridge now forms part of the Hudson Valley Rail Trail.) The nonprofit Walkway Over the Hudson eventually bought the structure and raised private and public money to renovate it, paving the deck with 973 concrete panels weighing up to 15 tons apiece. New York State now manages it as a State Historic Park.

The walkway lacks the High Line’s high design — no artful benches or plantings interrupt the broad deck. (The organization’s website says that seating and other amenities will be added as financing allows.) This experience is all about the views beyond the stout steel railings — and the public is loving it.

In the first three months after opening, about 400,000 people (an average of 4,500 people a day) came to sample the scenery. Even on this crisp Wednesday morning, a surprising number and variety of people have stepped out: walkers of retirement age zipped into windbreakers, mothers pushing strollers, dogs tugging their humans, bare-legged young runners, and the occasional helmeted cyclist. But the deck is far from crowded, and it’s easy to imagine that hundreds of people could be up here at once without rubbing elbows.

At the tree-lined Poughkeepsie entrance, a cluster of high school-age boys in running clothes bursts out of the leafy shade, their rubber soles clapping the pavement. Before the span reaches the water, it crosses through a residential neighborhood and over a four-lane highway (Route 9), and an active railroad track, all visible through the black wire fence that towers 8 to 10 feet over the shoulder-high steel railings. But when the span reaches the river, the fence ends, and nothing obstructs the big view of water below.

About half a mile to the south, the towers of the FDR Mid-Hudson River Bridge gleam like steeples. To the north, the river bends west at the horizon. Midstream, buoys mark a shipping channel. Poughkeepsie’s industrial waterfront connects the two bridges on the east, but straight across, the bank is all but undeveloped save for a shore-hugging railroad. Linda Pedersen, of neighboring Goshen, N.Y., on the more rural west side, says that walking west to east is “like going from the country to the city — you can hear the difference in the noise.’’

At this elevation, though, the noise is a distant whoosh of traffic, with the occasional rumble of a passing train. Not many people are moving at city speed up here, either. Even determined walkers pause along the railings to gaze down on the backs of seagulls riding the breeze. Erwin Kraft has pulled his scooter over beside the south railing and is squinting into the sun. This is his third visit with a small group from his assisted-living home in Millbrook, N.Y. Although he spent most of his life on Long Island, Kraft came often to visit his grandmother in this area when he was a child. He points down at a compact, metal-roofed building on the Poughkeepsie shore. “There used to be a Vassar Brothers brewery right there,’’ he says in a wistful tone. Then he brightens. “See down there, near the other bridge? There’s a restaurant, Shadows on the Hudson. We go there for lunch. It’s terrific.’’

The parking lots, bathrooms, and the bridge are fully accessible, and several other people are making the crossing in wheelchairs or using canes or walkers. One frail-looking man is moving west to east with a walker, taking one gingerly step at a time. Puffing, he glances up and smiles.

A younger man in a ball cap and sunglasses leans against the north railing, staring upriver. Sean Kelly moved to Poughkeepsie from Roslindale, Mass., about five years ago. As a food wholesaler, he often drives along the river, and he keeps an eye out for boats. Today he spotted what he thought was “a big yacht’’ and came up to take in the craft from a better vantage point.

The white ship Kelly is watching — the only one in sight in either direction — is plowing a V through the water. As it passes beneath, it looks more like a sightseeing ship than the sleek yacht it resembled at a distance. But such surprises are part of the fascination of watching boats.

Kelly does not seem disappointed. “When I first moved here, the bridge was decrepit, an eyesore,’’ he says. “I admit, I was all for tearing it down. But now, I’m very glad they ended up saving it.’’

Jane Roy Brown can be reached at [email protected]. 

What to do
Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park
East Entrance: 61 Parker Ave.
Poughkeepsie, N.Y. 
845-834-2867
www.walkway.org
Year round 7 a.m. to sunset, weather permitting (check for closures onfacebook.com/walkwayoverthehudsonor twitter.com/wothshp). Free.
Paid parking lot ($5 for 4 hours) with handicapped-accessible bathrooms, at 61 Parker Ave. Walking, jogging, cycling, rollerblading. Dogs on leashes allowed.
Hudson Valley Rail Trail Association, Inc.
12 Church St., Highland, N.Y.
845-691-2066
www.hudsonvalleyrailtrail.net
Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site
Springwood estate & FDR Presidential Library and Museum
4097 Albany Post Road/ Route 9
Hyde Park, N.Y.
845-229-5320 800-337-8474
www.nps.gov/hofr/
Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site
Val-Kill estate
Route 9G (2 miles east of FDR NHS), Hyde Park
845-486-1966
www.nps.gov/elro/
Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site
119 Vanderbilt Park Road/Route 9, Hyde Park
(2 miles north of FDR NHS)
845-229-7770
www.nps.gov/vama/

Walkway Over Hudson One Year Anniversary October 2nd 2010

http://www.walkway.org/data/edithtml/Images//Poster%200916[1].pdf

Come celebrate the one year anniversary of the Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park

A day and evening of family friendly activities

Enjoy Folk, Blue Grass, Glee and musical performances throughout the day and night

9:00 – 4:00 Storytelling and Sing-alongs

Explore the Walkway with a Scavenger Hunt

Decorate the Walkway through “Chalkway on the Walkway”

Discover the fun of “Zubble Bubbles©”

Face Painting and more!!

Featured Weekend Hike WalkWay - Mid-Hudson Bridges Loop

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/103600694_Walkway_over_the_Hudson.html

Hiking: Walkway over the Hudson

FEATURES: This hike loops through Franny Reese State Park and crosses the Hudson River on the Walkway Over the Hudson and Mid-Hudson bridges.

SPECIAL TO THE RECORD

The view from the Mid-Hudson Bridge, taken from the pedestrian walkway is part of this scenic hike. Walkway over the Hudson and Franny Reese State Park (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.)

LENGTH: About seven miles.

DIFFICULTY: Moderate.

TIME: About four and one-half hours.

MAP: Walkway Over the Hudson map (available online at walkway.org); Franny Reese State Park map (available online at scenichudson.org or from kiosk at trailhead).

DOGS: Permitted on leash.

HOW TO GET THERE: Take the New York Thruway to Exit 19, and turn right onto N.Y. Route 299 East. Follow Route 299 for 5.8 miles to Route 9W. Turn right onto Route 9W and continue for 3.3 miles to Macks Lane. Turn left onto Macks Lane and proceed for 0.3 miles to the entrance to Franny Reese State Park on the left.

From the kiosk at the park entrance, proceed ahead on the Yellow Trail. In about half a mile, just beyond a power line, the Yellow Trail turns sharply left and descends, but you should continue ahead on the White Trail, which begins here.

The White Trail follows a woods road uphill. It soon levels off and continues to wind its way through a dense second-growth forest. In about half a mile, you’ll reach a junction where a side trail (also blazed white) goes off to the left, but you should continue ahead on the main trail, which soon narrows to a footpath and curves left.

After passing through an open area, the trail bears right and begins to descend. It climbs a little, levels off, and crosses a stream on a log bridge. Just beyond, it bears right and joins a woods road that runs between two stone walls. The trail continues on a delightful woods road that runs along the side of a hill, with a stone wall on the left.

Just past the end of the stone wall, there are limited views through the trees over the Hudson River. A short distance beyond, you’ll pass ruins of stone buildings on both sides of the trail.

The White Trail ends just beyond the ruin of the largest building, at a T-intersection with the Yellow Trail. Turn right and follow this trail downhill, passing an intersection with the Blue Trail, which begins to the left. Continue ahead on the Yellow Trail, which descends on a switchback. At the base of the descent, cross under the Mid-Hudson Bridge (leaving Franny Reese State Park), then immediately turn left and climb a stairway.

Turn right at the top of the stairway and enter Johnson-Iorio Memorial Park, which offers great views of the Mid-Hudson Bridge and the Walkway Over the Hudson. Continue ahead, uphill, on Haviland Road. In about half a mile, you’ll reach the entrance to the Walkway Over the Hudson, on the right. Turn right and walk across the bridge – the longest cantilevered truss bridge in the world when completed in 1888, and now the longest elevated pedestrian bridge in the world.

When you reach the east end of the bridge, continue ahead on the macadam path to the entrance to the Walkway (on the right). Turn right onto Parker Avenue, and continue to Washington Street. Turn left on Washington Street for one block, turn right at the light, then bear right again onto Verazzano Boulevard.

At the next intersection, turn left onto Mt. Carmel Road and cross a bridge over a brook. Immediately, turn right onto a walkway through a park, then proceed downhill on Dongan Place. Turn left at the next intersection, then turn right and go through an underpass to reach the Poughkeepsie railroad station. Continue south, past the station, to Main Street. Turn right, crossing over the railroad, then immediately cross Rinaldi Boulevard and turn left. Just before reaching an overpass, turn right onto Gerald Drive. At a sign for "Bridge Music," bear left and climb a pedestrian walkway to the Mid-Hudson Bridge. Turn right at the top of the walkway and cross the bridge.

At the west end of the bridge, turn right and descend the stairway which leads to Franny Reese State Park. At the bottom of the stairway, turn right, go under the bridge, and continue ahead on the Yellow Trail (retracing your steps). Near the top of the climb, at a sign for "Overlook," turn right onto the Blue Trail, which climbs to a panoramic overlook over the Mid-Hudson Bridge and Poughkeepsie.

Continue ahead on the Blue Trail, which loops around and heads back to the Yellow Trail. Turn right onto the Yellow Trail and follow it back to the parking area where the hike began.

"Hiking" is provided by Daniel Chazin of the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference.

Remembering Our Heroes 5K Run September 11 2010

http://semperfiparentshv.org/index.htm

 Remembering Our Heroes is geared to remember and honor all of our heroes from 9/11, and for those who served/or are presently serving in the military. We hope that we can teach future generations the significance of this day when our world as we know it changed forever.

Joining us for this special day will be Marines and Guardsmen from Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, NY and soldiers from West Point Military Academy, along with those from our local fire and police departments and emergency response personnel.

Whether you run or walk as a family or a team – pledges and sponsorships are welcomed as finances raised will be utilized by Semper Fi Parents in supporting the military families and services located in this region and in the needs of our military abroad.

The race will end at the VFW Post 170 where food, vendors and static displays can be viewed. We hope that you, your family and friends will join us in the remembrance of this day.

Funds raised are used to support the families and services of our military here in the Hudson Valley and abroad.

WalkWay Over The Hudson To Receive $2.4 Million In Stimulus Money For Elevator & Stairs

http://www.dailyfreeman.com/articles/2010/09/04/news/doc4c81ce13d5cd7640631274.txt

Stimulus gives rise to Walkway elevator

Mid-Hudson News Network

Pedestrians enjoy the Walkway Over the Hudson last Oct. 3, the day it opened to the public. Freeman file photo

POUGHKEEPSIE —More stimulus money has reached the Hudson Valley in the form of a $2.4 million package that will provide an elevator and stairs on the east end of the Walkway Over the Hudson.

The elevator and stairs will rise 212 feet to reach the surface of the old railroad bridge that closed after a fire in 1974 and reopened as a state park for pedestrians last October.

Some 50 people came to a recent meeting, presented by the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, which manages the walkway. Planners had considered the elevator when the bridge was converted into a pedestrian way, but they lacked funding.

In its first 10 months, the 1.28-mile walkway has drawn more than 660,000 visitors, according to Sally Mazzarella, chairwoman of the walkway board. She said the walkway, which cost $38.8 million to create, has provided many economic benefits to the region.

“Tourism plays a major role in the economy of this region, the Hudson Valley, and certainly the city of Poughkeepsie,” she said. “The elevator is a major component and a centerpiece of the economic opportunities.”

Project  Manager C. Michael Cooper of Bergmann Associates in Albany said construction of the elevator and stairs will begin next spring and be completed by the spring of 2012. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, under which stimulus money is distributed, requires a quick turnaround.

Cooper said the glass and aluminum elevator will provide fine views of the river. It will accommodate 25 passengers and make the round trip in five minutes. The tower supporting the elevator will be designed to accommodate two additional elevators.

Cooper said the project will provide further economic benefits, connecting waterfront trails, the Poughkeepsie train station, the Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum, restaurants and other businesses.