A comprehensive package of improvements that are designed to make it easier and more pleasant for visitors to access the Breakneck Ridge hiking and recreation area is being unwrapped. A rendering of what the improved access area will look like was recently revealed by Scenic Hudson, a nonprofit that protects land, creates and enhances parks and advocates for environmental responsibility.
A coalition working on the Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail has been concerned with dramatically improving visitor access to Breakneck Ridge from the Metro-North Railroad and Route 9D.
“The Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail effort has always been envisioned as more than just a trail. It”™s really a comprehensive congestion management initiative to help address critical safety needs and safeguard the quality of life and natural environment in the Hudson Highlands,” said project manager Amy Kacala, senior community planner with Scenic Hudson, who heads a public-private coalition of 16 volunteer groups, nonprofits, state agencies and municipalities that have collectively advanced the project since 2008.
Issues being addressed included the safety of pedestrians walking to trailheads along Route 9D, growing use of all trails but particularly Breakneck Ridge; and parking congestion along the road.
