Students and residents press for safety as board advances Rhinecliff–Rhinebeck trail planning

Dana Cunningham Peterson, introduced by the meeting moderator, opened an informational update on a proposed Rhinecliff–Rhinebeck multiuse trail, telling attendees the project remains in early design and is focused on gathering public feedback rather than making final decisions. She said New York State Department of Transportation design guidance now calls for a 10-foot path, which alters earlier, narrower plans and complicates routing and easement needs.

"When this originally was put into play back in 2018 to 2020-ish, it was going to be much simpler because DOT only required about 8 feet," Peterson said, explaining why some previously considered alignments were discarded. She described two main corridor options under study: a route along Rhinecliff Road and an off-road alignment through a utility right-of-way that the majority of respondents opposed.

A group of seventh-graders presented survey findings and personal testimony in favor of a dedicated bike path. "This bike path can help many people in many ways," said student Ben Meader, noting a survey of 303 respondents returned 85% support for a dedicated path and 65% who said they would use it daily. The students urged the board to prioritize safety and accessibility.

Multiple residents objected to the roadway alignment as too intrusive. Laura Scribe, who said she has lived at 251 Rhinecliff Road for 39 years, told the board she had not received direct mailed notice and expressed alarm at plans showing a retaining wall near her property. "I would have liked the opportunity to respond when future decisions are made," she said.

Other residents emphasized chronic drainage problems along Rhinecliff Road and warned that constructing a path at roadway grade could worsen standing water that currently floods basements. Ryan Hall, a heavy‑highway construction inspector, asked that slope failures and water‑main and drainage work be included in any engineering scope and suggested leveraging Soil & Water and Safe Routes to School programs to strengthen grant proposals.

Peterson said the town has submitted a grant request to NYSDOT and is awaiting results: if funding arrives, the project would move into a more intensive engineering phase with more detailed plans and outreach. She also described a plan to add a pedestrian/bicycle bridge near the highway department parking lot to avoid costly upgrades to the existing Rhinebeck Hill bridge.

The board framed the session as information gathering rather than a final decision, and members repeatedly pledged additional, more detailed outreach during the engineering phase if the grant is awarded. The board did not take a vote on the trail alignment at the meeting.