The O&W Trail Through Sullivan County Feasibility Study seeks to explore alternatives for the completion of the 50-mile stretch of the O&W Rail Trail that traverses the County from Summitville in the Town of Mamakating to Livingston Manor in the Town of Rockland, as well as an additional 10-mile O&W spur that originally connected the Village of Monticello with the City of Port Jervis in Orange County. A few segments of the trail have been developed to some extent, totaling approximately 25 miles, but these segments are not contiguous and lack a consistent “brand,” design concept and marketing strategy. The branding and naming of the trail will be an outcome of this process, so be on the look out for a new name and face. This is an exceptional opportunity to create a continuous recreational trail that will attract visitors and link to businesses and amenities in nine hamlets and two villages, maximizing the value of main street economic development, streetscape and community renewal projects in its host towns and villages.
Currently we are in the process of scoping out alternatives, opportunities, and challenges. The project requires a full analysis of completed and undeveloped segments of the trail to identify needed repairs and upgrades, and plan for new segments to complete the trail. It is anticipated this effort will build upon many of the local and county projects and programs that have taken place in the last couple decades or are underway now.
FEASIBILITY STUDY
The Sullivan O&W Rail Trail Feasibility Study is a guide toward improving existing segments as well as creating future segments for the Sullivan County O&W Rail Trail. Each section of the feasibility study describes a portion of the entire strategic planning process and can be viewed separately or as one cohesive document. For this reason, each section will be considered a module. It is recommended that this document is considered in its entirety even if planning to use only one module.