County awarded $731K for Haines Falls sidewalk extension

HAINES FALLS―Greene County has been awarded $731,440 in state-administered federal funding to improve pedestrian access in the hamlet of Haines Falls.

The Haines Falls Pedestrian Safety Improvement Project calls for extending a five-foot-wide, ADA-compliant sidewalk along parts of State Route 23A and North Lake Road, helping close a critical gap in the Hunter Regional Trail System.

The funding is part of $97 million awarded to more than 30 communities across New York State for projects that encourage environmentally friendly transportation alternatives, including walking, biking and hiking.

The grants were made available through the Federal Highway Administration's Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) and are administered by the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT).

Projects were selected through a competitive application process based on overall benefits and how closely they align with program goals.

The Haines Falls project carries an estimated price tag of $914,300, with the grant covering 80 percent of eligible costs.

The remaining 20 percent, $182,860, is anticipated to come from NYSDOT (15 percent) and Senator Michelle Hinchey's office (5 percent).

Although Greene County applied for the grant, the completed sidewalks will be owned by the Town of Hunter.

"It's a reimbursement program and the Town is not in the position to lay out the funds to seek reimbursement through this process," said Michelle Yost, watershed assistance program coordinator for the Greene County Soil & Water Conservation District.

Yost discussed the funding opportunity with county legislators earlier this year, explaining how the sidewalk extension fits into a much larger effort to connect communities and recreational destinations across the mountaintop.

"This is an eleven-mile corridor from Kaaterskill Falls all the way to the Village of Hunter that we have been steadily working on for the last thirteen years, piecing together a five-segment corridor," Yost said.

Of those11 miles, roughly nine miles are active or planned trail segments.

"There is a very critical area in Haines Falls to extend the Kaaterskill Rail Trail west to get into Tannersville, which requires a short stretch of sidewalks in Haines Falls," she told county lawmakers.

The sidewalk extension is expected to improve pedestrian and bicycle access while also encouraging visitors to explore communities beyond Kaaterskill Falls, one of Greene County's most popular tourist attractions.

“We are over the moon with excitement that the [Federal Highway Administration] saw the value in this investment,” Yost said this week.

The project funding comes at an ideal time, as record numbers of visitors travel through Haines Falls by car, on foot and by bicycle, she said, adding that the support from Greene County, NYSDOT and Hinchey was invaluable.

“In short, the project is a huge win for Greene County, the Town of Hunter, the Catskill Park and the Hunter Area Trail Committee,” said Yost.

Construction is anticipated to begin in 2028.