Help protect access to the Hudson River shoreline
January 10, 2020
Jen Benson
Join a mapping project showing cherished places for enjoying the Hudson, from Poughkeepsie to Rensselaer.
Photo: Germantown Waterfront
Generations of people have found places along the Hudson River to fish, swim or spend time, even as the railroads came in and restricted access along the eastern shoreline.
Now, as we face the possibility of additional barriers along Amtrak’s rail line from Poughkeepsie and Rensselaer, we’re joining an effort to document what’s at stake – these cherished places and their importance.
Scenic Hudson is inviting the public to help build a map of these official and unofficial access points – wherever you find enjoyment, inspiration and solace.
The Public Input Map is the latest response to railroad plans that threaten to restrict public access to the Hudson River.
A year ago, Amtrak withdrew a proposal to install 8,200 feet of fencing with locked gates along the shoreline in Rhinecliff, Tivoli, Germantown, Stockport and Stuyvesant. The railroad promised that, prior to submitting a new application, it would work with the affected communities and state and local government. It would hold public meetings to inform the development of a 5-year plan to improve safety along the Empire Service Hudson Line. The public would have a seat at the table.
Last week, Scenic Hudson began work on a Hudson River Shoreline Access Plan, last week hosting public meetings in Castleton, Germantown, and Rhinebeck to document the places where people currently enjoy water-related recreation, locations of interest for safe new shoreline access and ways to improve safety at access points. The most recent comprehensive study of Hudson River access between Poughkeepsie and Rensselaer dates back over three decades, to 1989.
You can participate in this project by adding locations to the Public Input Map through the end of January. Broad public participation is essential. Explore the map and add your information.
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