A judge has given the Catskill Mt. RR a reprieve…check the Trains News WIre for details…this is good news. I know the property and feel that there is a bigger value in it as a railroad than as a railtrail. The day is not too far off when the use of automobiles will be deemed a danger to the environment, especially the air and water, in the Catskills and the use of the railroad to bring people in and out, as well as for some freight products (forest?) will be desired. The millions for a walking trail will not bring a return that a railroad will bring.
Good news indeed, but as a gun owner and NRA member (42 years) let me warn you, be prepared to fight this fight for the rest of your life. Those who think they know better and want to save us from ourselves NEVER give up, never.
Aside from that, congratulations!
This is good news for CMRR. Their only hope for relief from the onslaught they’ve been facing will be new faces in county government. Otherwise, as Firelock points out, it’s not going away.
This also bodes well for the efforts in the Adirondacks, but will likely simply make the “trail advocates” redouble their efforts at getting the Adirondack Division lifted, supposedly in the name of putting in a trail, but more likely just to get everyone out of “their” woods.
At least in the Adirondacks, it’s just a bunch of rich retirees, not the government itself, like CMRR has been facing.
The NewsWire article explained a dynamic that had not occurred to me before-- that the county would get millions of dollars of state money to build the trail. Local governments are always looking for money to be spent within their boundaries. The county might not care whether it’s trails or rails, only which one brings in the most grant money.
Hopefully they’re able to fight a delaying action long enough where this government official gets voted out. A lease renewal is coming up in a few years and I doubt there’s a legal avenue they could take to get renewed if the country doesn’t want to play.
I am glad to hear about this court decision. I’ve been following the New York tourists train struggles along with many other folks. Why can’t they do a shared trail like in Jim Thorpe , Pennsylvania, it has been a huge success for this town. The train ride brings in thousands of people from all over and the bike trail is very popular and guess what many folks enjoy BOTH while visiting this town. I think some of the government folks from the Catskills and the tourist train operator should pay Jim Thorpe a visit during the summer through fall tourist season. Maybe if the local government officials saw all the cars and bus load of tourists, quaint shops, restored historic buildings, and unique eating establishments, they might smarten up. Also these tracks are used for freight service, which helps to keep trucks off the roads. Basically it has been a win win situation for everyone involved.