$731,440 Federal Grant Will Build an Accessible Sidewalk Through Haines Falls

HAINES FALLS - Greene County has been awarded $731,440 in federal funding through the Federal Highway Administration's Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP), administered by the New York State Department of Transportation, to build a five-foot-wide, ADA-compliant sidewalk in Haines Falls along State Route 23A and North Lake Road. The sidewalk will connect the Kaaterskill Rail Trail at the Mountain Top Historical Society to the future Cortina Connector, across Route 23A from Peace Village. Governor Kathy Hochul announced the award on October 14 as one of 35 projects statewide.

Right now there are no sidewalks along this stretch, and little to show that a trail is nearby at all. That is already starting to change. Peace Village has done a lot of work on the property it recently acquired at the intersection, and in a short time has transformed the gateway of Haines Falls. The new sidewalk will build on that progress, giving people of all abilities an accessible way to walk and bike between the trails and the hamlet, and it marks an important step in the development of Haines Falls.

The award comes as the Town of Hunter prepares for a second accessibility project. Construction on the first phase of ADA improvements to the Hunter Branch Rail Trail is scheduled to begin in 2027, funded with the support of Senator Michelle Hinchey's office for design and permitting and NYS Department of Transportation for construction. The work will include tree clearing, surface preparation and smoothing, and grade leveling to meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards for a multi-use accessible trail.

"These two projects belong together," said Michelle Yost of the Greene County Soil and Water Conservation District, who coordinates the Hunter Area Trail Committee's work. "One builds an accessible connection between our trails, and the other makes the Hunter Branch a trail that people of all abilities can enjoy. Both are about making sure these trails are for everyone."

The Hunter Branch carries a history that makes its accessibility especially meaningful. The trail runs through the former site of Camp Jened, a summer camp for disabled teenagers that operated from 1953 to 1977. Many of its campers went on to help lead the American disability rights movement, a story told in the documentary Crip Camp. A New York State historical marker stands at the trail's western end.

"The Hunter Branch runs past the place where the disability rights movement got its start," Yost said. "We don't want that trail to be just compliant. We want it to be a shining example of what an accessible trail can be for all."

Greene County sponsored the sidewalk application with the support of the Greene County Legislature. Legislator Daryl Legg, who represents Hunter, Lexington and Halcott in District 7, put forward the motion for the Legislature to support the application and to cover project costs up front until they are reimbursed by the grant. Legg also helped the committee secure a Speenburgh grant for the Hunter Regional Trails logo earlier this year, and has championed the trail project for years.

"We're grateful to Legislator Legg and the full Legislature for standing behind this project," said Town of Hunter Councilman David Kukle. "Trail funding at this level only happens when the Town, the County and our volunteers pull in the same direction, and that's exactly what happened here."

The committee also thanked Greg Wichser of the New York State Department of Transportation, who has known about the project for many years, going back to early scouting of the sidewalk route in 2021, and the engineering firm Creighton Manning, which has been instrumental in providing engineering on both the Haines Falls sidewalk and the Hunter Branch Rail Trail.

"Accessible trails are good for residents, good for visitors, and good for the businesses in Haines Falls and Tannersville," said Town of Hunter Supervisor Sean Mahoney. "The Hunter Regional Trails have become one of the best reasons to visit the Town of Hunter, and one of the best things about living here."

There is more work ahead. The sidewalk project still needs approval from the New York State Department of Transportation for a pedestrian crossing of Route 23A. Completing the Hunter Branch with phase two cutting-edge enhancements will take continued grant and municipal funding beyond its first phase. The committee's longer-term goals include Wildcat Hollow, a crossing of the Schoharie Creek that would join the Huckleberry Rail Trail to the Hunter Branch.

The committee first pursued TAP funding after attending the Parks & Trails New York Greenways Conference in October 2025.

The Hunter Regional Trails are open year-round and free to use, with no day-use fees. Trail maps, updates and a sign-up for the committee's email list are at townofhunterny.gov/hunter-regional-trails.

About the Hunter Area Trail Committee

The Hunter Area Trail Committee (HATC) began as a group of committed volunteers in the run-up to the Kaaterskill Rail Trail project and became an official committee of the Town of Hunter in 2025. It plans, builds and promotes the Hunter Regional Trails: the Kaaterskill Rail Trail, the Huckleberry Rail Trail, the Hunter Branch Rail Trail and the Cortina Connector. Learn more at townofhunterny.gov/hunter-regional-trails.