Originating over a decade ago, the concept of the Kingston Greenline has been brought to reality through the dedicated efforts of the Kingston Land Trust, City of Kingston, Ulster County, and committed volunteers.
The railway corridors in and around the City of Kingston and Ulster County have been the central hub for much of the region’s rail and water transportation and commercial activity for centuries. However, the use of these modes of transportation for hauling freight and tourists has steadily diminished since the 1930s. By the 1970s most of the railroad network in and around Kingston was abandoned, and despite significant efforts to restore and maintain much of the area’s rails, the rail infrastructure has largely deteriorated. In the last few decades, abandoned rail beds throughout Ulster County have been converted into a growing network of rail trails. Utilizing the former Ulster & Delaware (U&D), Ontario & Western (O&W) and Wallkill Valley railroad corridors, the Kingston Land Trust in partnership with the City and County has led the establishment of the Kingston Greenline- a network of urban trails and paths, organized around the backbone of the rail corridor.
In 2010, the Kingston Land Trust launched its Rail Trail Connections project to transform the City’s neglected and under- utilized railroad corridors into rail trails. As the project evolved, the KLT's volunteer Rail Trail Committee came to see a larger opportunity to work with other dedicated groups - the City of Kingston’s Complete Streets Advisory Committee, the Conservation Advisory Council, Live Well Kingston, Bike-Friendly Kingston and others - to advance a vision of a more connected, healthier, more resilient and vibrant city.
In 2014, the Kingston Land Trust commissioned The Kingston Greenline Conceptual Plan with support from the City of Kingston and the Land Trust Alliance. In the last decade, the Kingston Land Trust has continued to advocate for and play an advisory role in the development of various sections of the Kingston Greenline system, including the Kingston Point Rail Trail, Midtown Linear Park and Hudson River Brickyard Trail.