Planning over 300 miles of bike paths, trails and routes

Westchester County has an extensive regional trail system (see map) consisting of over 150 miles of existing trails along old rail corridors, parkway right-of-ways and scenic waterfronts as well as routes along highways. These trails provide important linkages between parks, open spaces and population centers to improve the overall quality of life in the county. The County Planning Department is working with Parks and Recreation and Public Works to implement the County's master plan for another 200 miles of hiking trails, bike paths and routes along highway corridors.

Current trail projects:

Rye Playland Parkway Pathway - Preliminary design work is underway for a contiguous 3.4 mile long bicycle and pedestrian route which will connect the Metro-North train stations in the City of Rye and Village of Harrison to the Rye Playland Amusement Park.  This project will include roadway and sidewalk improvements, signage, pedestrian amenities, plantings, and significant upgrades to the existing pathway. See map.

South County Trailway Yonkers - The last major section of the South County Trailway on the Old Putnam Right-of-Way is in design. Spanning 2 miles in the City of Yonkers, between Redmond Park and Tuckahoe Road, this project will connect two existing trail sections for a total of 13.75 built trail miles, and is expected to be under construction by 2010. See map.

RiverWalk at Mariandale Ossining - A new segment of the RiverWalk Trailway overlooking the Hudson River in the Village of Ossining is currently in the conceptual design stage.  The pathway will follow a route across the property of the Mariandale Retreat & Conference Center and then connect with existing footpaths in Ossining’s Crawbuckie Nature Preserve.  This project will provide the public with a 1.3 mile long multi-use pathway through a peaceful, scenic area.

RiverWalk Tarrytown - South of Tappan Zee Bridge - Construction is about to start on a one mile section of Westchester RiverWalk in Tarrytown, just south of the Tappen Zee Bridge. This segment will pass through the historic Lyndhurst estate, Kraft Foods, Metro North and Village of Tarrytown properties. Construction is expected to be completed by the Spring of 2010. 

Other trail initiatives: 

The Westchester RiverWalk is a planned 51.5-mile, multi-faceted pathway paralleling the Hudson River in Westchester that will link village centers, historic sites, parks and river access points via a connection of trails, esplanades and boardwalks. The Westchester RiverWalk will be developed through a series of projects constructed by the county, local municipalities and other entities.

The Colonial Greenway is a 15-mile unpaved trail loop system, linking numerous open spaces and spanning 5 municipalities in southeastern Westchester. It utilizes the Hutchinson River Pathway and the Leatherstocking Trail, as well as existing trail systems within county and local parks and nature preserves.

The East Coast Greenway is a proposed 2,600 mile-long facility trailway system along the entire East Coast between Maine and Florida. The routing of the ESG through Westchester includes portions of the Bronx River Pathway.

NYS Bike Route 1 is a potential addition to the state’s network of signed bicycle routes that would serve as the first phase of the Greenway’s implementation in Westchester, followed by a full off-road route which could potentially be constructed along a slightly different corridor. This draft report outlines a means by which both projects can be accomplished.

Trail Links:

• Westchester's major trails are mapped in the Hike and Bike, the Westchester Way brochure, which can be obtained in print at the county's Visitor's Bureau. 

• To download brochures of individual trails such as the North and South County Trailways, Briarcliff-Peekskill Trailway and Bronx River Pathway go to the county Parks Department website.

• The Mid-Hudson South Region Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan for Westchester, Rockland and Putnam Counties, completed in June 2001, maps an expanded regional network of multi-use off-road paths, hiking trails and bike routes totaling over 350 miles.

For more information, contact: