Philipstown Trails Committee (Philipstown Town Advisory Committee)

Committee purpose

The Philipstown Trails Committee’s purpose is to advise Philipstown, NY in its efforts to be a community where – in accordance with the principles of Complete Streets – people of all ages and abilities, regardless of whether they are travelling as drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists, or public transportation riders, can safely and easily move around the community and access work, school, medical appointments, recreational opportunities, shopping, and other important local sites to develop a healthier, more environmentally friendly, and socially connected community for all.

Currently, the Philipstown Trails Committee advises the Town of Philipstown in the implementation of a grant awarded to the Town by the Hudson River Valley Greenway. The grant provides funding to hire a consultant to develop a feasibility study to explore route alternatives that would connect Cold Spring and Garrison centers, as well as connecting to key community sites along the way.

The Town of Philipstown Board empowers the Philipstown Trails Committee to: advise the Town on implementation of the Greenway grant and feasibility study on its behalf; engage residents as part of the feasibility study process, in order to understand and incorporate their feedback; engage residents on issues of walking and biking in Philipstown, in order to understand their concerns and priorities; and provide input to the Town of Philipstown on implementation of its Complete Streets policy; and provide ongoing advice and support to improve biking, walking, and trail opportunities in Philipstown. The Town of Philipstown Board agrees to review the draft feasibility study and provide input, as applicable, and to vote on accepting the feasibility study once completed by the consultant. The Philipstown Trails Committee estimates that the Greenway grant and feasibility study will be completed by July, 2022, and that work related to supporting improvements in biking, walking, and trail opportunities will be ongoing.

Membership

Members of the Philipstown Trails Committee are authorized volunteers of the Town of Philipstown. Membership will be composed of the Committee co-chairs, a Philipstown Town Board representative, and the currently active Committee members. Any additional members will be reviewed by the co-chairs and Town Board representative before being invited to join as a Committee member. Their addition will be noted in Committee meeting minutes. Members who have been inactive for a period of approximately 3 months will be contacted to discuss their interest in continued membership. The member will be removed from the roster if so agreed upon.

In order to improve community partnerships and facilitate inter-municipal collaboration and communication as the project and Committee activities move forward, the Philipstown Trails Committee also aims to regularly update and seek feedback from representatives (or delegates) of the Cold Spring and Nelsonville Boards of Trustees, as well as liaise with the Philipstown Climate Smart Task Force on topics of shared interest.

For current membership, see the PTC website: philipstowntrails.org

Meetings

The monthly meeting schedule will be posted on the Town website and the Philipstown Trails Committee website. For online meetings during COVID, there will be instructions on the Town website about who to contact to receive the Zoom invite. For in person meetings, the meeting location will be listed. Monthly meeting minutes and agendas will be posted on the Philipstown Trails Committee website: philipstowntrails.org.

Current monthly meetings are: Third Tuesdays, 7-8:30PM.

Contacts

PTC Chair: Emily May Cheadle, emilynuge@gmail.com