Our Goals
Welcome to The Putnam Trail!
The Putnam Trail is a jewel, a treasure of nature in New York City.
The NYC Parks Department is planning major changes to the trail:
- Increase the width from 8 ft. to 15 ft.
- Destroy and remove 1.5 acres of trees and natural brush
- Pave 10 ft. of this new width with asphalt.
OUR PLAN
1. Saves taxpayers MONEY!
2. Preserves the environment!
3. Serves ALL users well!!
This website outlines the local community’s efforts to improve the historic nature trail for all users.
The Save the Putnam Campaign (6:53 min. video courtesy MNN)
Michael Oliva and Will Sanchez on “GottaRun with Will” (Manhattan Neighborhood Network)
_______________________
And VIP supporters …
“The Putnam Trail is one of the open space glories of the New York Metropolitan region. We have spent many wonderful hours walking it in Manhattan, the Bronx, and Westchester. To deface and desecrate it with concrete would be an environmental disaster. The more natural a trail the better.”
–Cy A. Adler, President, Shorewalkers Inc.
www.shorewalkers.org
“I have been to Van Cortlandt Park as a runner and spectator over many years and feel strongly that the Putnam Trail should not be paved over. It will not benefit the users of the Park and this money can be used in countless meaningful ways.”
–George Hirsch, Chairman of the Board, New York Road Runners, www.nyrr.org
“The Putnam Trail is a jewel. It’s a mindless, destructive and wasteful act to pave the Putnam Trail. To spend hundreds of thousands of dollars or more to pave over this treasured parkland seems to be the antithesis of what a Parks Dept. should be doing.”
–Eric Seiff, Chairman of the Board, Friends of Van Cortlandt Park
www.vancortlandt.org
“As a cyclist, I originally thought it would be a good idea to pave the trail and have gravel on the sides of the pavement for the runners, so all could have an equal share; however, with the understanding that trees would be cut down [widening of the trail], that goes against my values as an environmentalist and a former teacher of environmental science. I am all for in favor for leaving it is as it is now in the wild. I don’t want to cut down any trees at all if it’s avoidable.”
–Denis Burns, Secretary of the USI Cycling Club; Past President and current Board member of Friends of Van Cortlandt Park
“Paving the trail greatly increases injuries–runners, walkers, and even dogs all thrive when they exercise on natural dirt surfaces. In any case, we desperately need to preserve our natural surroundings in an over-populated world.”
–Kathrine Switzer, notable author, television commentator, marathon runner; first woman to run the Boston Marathon with a number, leading to women being able to run in officially-sanctioned marathons across the world
“The race walkers of the Greater New York strongly oppose any paving of the Putnam Trail and would like to see funds go towards more free programs in the park, therefore helping to improve the quality of life in the Bronx.”
–Lon Wilson, President, New York Walkers Club/ Parks Greeter, www.nywalkersclub.org
“Having run for over 55 years and run around the world I realized that only those communities that set aside trail space will have a lasting legacy for future generations. A community with trails is a richer community in health, fitness, beauty of nature and direction connection to our ancient roots.”
–Jeff Galloway, U.S. Olympian, www.RunInjuryFree.com
_______________________
(photo courtesy Matthew Turov)
NYCParks says only seven mature trees will be removed, yet this photo facing south in April shows many more trees will be affected by widening the trail to 15-16 ft. and paving 10 ft of its new width with asphalt. The trail is 7 ft wide in this photo. Widening is an environmental no-no, ecologists say, because it causes “fragmentation of green space,” where seeds/pollen of unwanted species get drawn into an area because of loss of tree canopy.
_______________________
The purpose of this campaign is to get the Putnam Trail resurfaced with a stone dust surface instead of paved asphalt and reduce the proposed width from 15ft down to 8ft.
NYC Parks Department plans to double the current width of the Putnam Trail from 8ft to 15ft! The average lane on an interstate highway is 12ft.
This will require the destruction of many trees and will have a detrimental effect on the wildlife, the natural environment and the beauty of the Park. A stone dust surface will serve all the users including cyclists, walkers, runners, baby strollers, wheelchairs and more.
Park trails are meant to be user-friendly and accommodate all methods of use. We feel that the 8ft wide stone dust trail best meets the needs of all users while having the most minimal impact on the environment at the lowest cost.
We ask you to support the Save the Putnam Trail campaign and ensure that the Putnam Trail stays 8ft wide and is improved with a stone dust surface.
If we stay silent on this issue one of the jewels of the Bronx and NYC will be lost forever!
Please don’t let the Putnam Trail become “Putnam Boulevard”!
OUR PLAN – 8 ft. stone-dust trail because it:
1. saves taxpayers MONEY!
2. preserves the environment!
3. still serves ALL users well!!
